Canada and Alaska have agreed to a seven-year fishing moratorium on Yukon River chinook salmon to aid the species' recovery, following years of declining numbers.

Alaska's Yukon River residents feel neglected by a new Canada-U.S. agreement aimed at rebuilding salmon stocks, as the pact requires a seven-year fishing halt that exacerbates their economic and cultural struggles.

Researchers say climate change is playing a big role in the collapse, which has left thousands of people along the river without the salmon they depend on. 

Yukon River chinook salmon runs have been steadily declining, with 2022 the smallest run on record. As the fish disappear, Yukon First Nations fear the cultures and traditions built around the salmon over countless generations will too.

Amid the collapse of chum and chinook salmon on the river, the Smokehouse Collective is trying to build sustainable, resilient food systems for Native communities.