There were cutbacks to Fisheries in the 1990's, so it's hard to define the problem. Lots of theories the article says, like water temperature affecting food supply, new predators, lice from fish farms, or combinations...
No answers in B.C.'s sudden salmon collapse
Experts say cuts to research grants will make it difficult to determine why more than nine million sockeye won't return to the Fraser River this year
Last updated on Sunday, Sep. 06, 2009 07:02PM EDT
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1277846/
“From a government perspective, it comes down to cutting and gutting their science and assessment departments,” said Scott Hinch, whose research at the University of British Columbia focuses on salmon ecology.
“You could pick just about any aspect of the management cycle and the scientific assessment, and you can say, ‘Well, we used to do this but we don't any more.”'
This year was supposed to be a big one, with estimates predicting as many as 10.5 million fish would swim up the Fraser after spending two years in the open ocean. But those estimates have since been dramatically reduced, now putting this year's Fraser sockeye run at just 1.37 million — the lowest on record.
Fisheries Minister Gail Shea was unavailable for comment.