Chilliwack and the Fraser Valley could be harbouring ideas on how to restore declining salmon stocks.

A 鈥楥ommunity Salmon Dialogue鈥� is set for the morning of May 23 at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre from UBC鈥檚 Institute for Oceans and Fisheries.

鈥淭he cascading economic, social, cultural and environmental effects of reduced fisheries and diminishing salmon spawning returns have been profound and continue,鈥� according to the webpage from the Institute. 鈥淭hese declines have been widespread and rapid, and the timing is consistent with the extraordinary marine heatwaves across the North Pacific Ocean since 2014.鈥�

The Chilliwack salmon dialogue is one of 14 such events scheduled across B.C., and the only one being held in the Fraser Valley, to collect input from diverse sources about the future of wild salmon.

鈥漈he Community Salmon Dialogue meetings welcome anyone who is concerned about the future of Pacific salmon and would like to share their knowledge and listen to others,鈥� according to project spokesperson Alara Sever.

Wild salmon are a known to be a 鈥渒eystone species鈥� in B.C. and the Pacific ocean, so the need to improve understanding of the causes of the declines, and to come up with 鈥渆ffective approaches to restoring salmon abundance and sustainable fisheries has become critical.鈥�

Although there has been tons of research into the causes of these declines, as well as fishing fleet reductions and few openings, the declines continue.

Researchers will be recording the audio to capture the feedback, opinions and information about salmon restoration.

The salmon meetings will be recorded to enable meeting summaries and ensure accuracy of key points and after the meetings are concluded. UBC officials will eventually produce a final report to be shared with governments, media, and participants. Anyone unable to join the dialogue in person, can submit feedback on the project website.

鈥滶veryone is welcome to join both in person and the written form,鈥� Sever said.

Attendees can expect a brief presentation before some prompts to help those interested in sharing views and knowledge.

Participation is not mandatory and anyone who would just like to listen to the community discussions is also welcome. At the end of the prompts if the participants鈥� views and concerns were not covered they are welcome to share different topics.

See event details , or show up, Thursday May 23, at the Cultural Centre, 9 a.m. to 12 noon.

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