Fisheries Minister Gail Shea is crowing about the opportunities with the 2010 return of sockeye to the Fraser river, calling it a  banner year for Fraser River sockeye salmon. This year's return is currently set at just over 25 million fish, one of the highest returns in the last hundred years. Several fishery openings for Fraser River sockeye have already occurred in 2010 and more are planned, she said.

Sockeye salmon are migrating up B.C.'s Fraser River right now, but the water is so warm the fish may die before they have the chance to spawn.

Another troubling sign of the poor state of this year's Pacific Ocean salmon runs was discovered on one the Klamath River's tributaries after an annual fish survey counted the second lowest number of spring-run Chinook salmon on record.

“The exact reasons why the return fell at the lower end of the forecast range are unknown at this time, but poorer than average marine survival is a leading candidate.”

Federal fisheries experts paint devastating picture of the challenges facing Pacific salmon and point to climate change as the main culprit.