Steelhead figures in Skeena River have reached an alarmingly low count, as reported by the region鈥檚 foremost fish tracking organization, the Tyee Test Fishery.

The monitoring of steelhead, which began in 1954, reveals that this year is likely to be the fourth-worst in history for the renowned trout species.

The forecast for this season鈥檚 steelhead numbers is roughly 10,200, with over half of the stock, 55 per cent to be precise, already accounted for, says B.C. Forestry Associate Fish Director Mike Ramsay.

There have been no specific regulations or alterations for anglers announced at this time, but the ministry has left open the possibility of closures if circumstances require.

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Ramsay explained that 鈥渢here is an 89 per cent likelihood that the minimum conservation threshold will be met, and at this time, there鈥檚 no need for major regulatory intervention, such as early closures.鈥�

Despite these assurances, Alex Bussmann, an angler and the proprietor of Oscar鈥檚 Fly and Tackle Shop in Smithers, expressed skepticism over the Tyee Test鈥檚 accuracy in tracking fish stocks. He conceded, however, that the low numbers are a cause for worry.

Bussmann stated, 鈥淩elying almost exclusively on Tyee for this kind of data could be risky. The Tyee Test Fishery was originally designed to track only sockeye, not steelhead.鈥�

He also voiced a desire to receive this information earlier in the season. While B.C.鈥檚 Forestry Ministry maintains that mid-August is the optimal time to disclose fish stock numbers to the public, Bussman feels differently.

鈥淚n June, the situation isn鈥檛 treated as urgent, and there鈥檚 little to no discussion about steelhead in July or August. Then, suddenly, August 15th comes, and we鈥檙e faced with an emergency,鈥� he complained.