Researchers partner on interdisciplinary salmon conservation

Reversing a 40-year decline in Pacific salmon populations requires a collaborative approach that combines traditional Indigenous knowledge with archaeology and genomics. A new project, funded by Genome BC, involves a team of researchers from the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, Simon Fraser University's Department of Archaeology and the University of British Columbia's Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries. Researchers will analyze the bones of Pacific salmon dating back 3,000 years to understand historical changes in the salmon population levels, which were managed by the Coast Salish peoples since time immemorial. -Recovering and analyzing DNA from small archaeological fish bones can now provide important information about fish species ID and sex ID, thanks to the advancement of ancient DNA techniques,- says SFU archaeology professor Dongya Yang, who is co-leading the project. -The new genomic approach based on the next generation of sequencing technology will prove to be even more powerful and insightful and it will also allow us to examine the population changes over time. Yang says the team will employ the latest DNA techniques to maximize the recovery of genomic information from ancient salmon bones. -We will also develop a community-engaged plan to work closely with our Tsleil-Waututh community partners to integrate DNA data fully and effectively with traditional ecological knowledge of the Tsleil-Waututh people.