Chu Cho Environmental is building a nationwide collaborative fisheries program in Tsay Keh Dene territory that emphasizes preserving critical habitats to promote diversity across connected watersheds. The goal is to create a dynamic environment for the Bull Trout and other species of conservation concern, providing them a chance to thrive in the long term. Bryce O'Connor, lead Fisheries Biologist for Chu Cho Environmental, emphasizes the need to maintain diversity and connected watersheds with multiple meta-populations, as they are key to preserving habitats and ecosystems.

This program uses innovative techniques to capture Bull Trout, a species that requires specific habitat features to survive. The team uses angling to capture the trout and prepare them for surgery, an effective and efficient technique for this aggressive species in this habitat. During surgery, fish care is a top priority, and the team uses anesthetics to sedate the trout for a period of two to three minutes. They make a small incision, insert a radio tag, and close the incision with three interrupted sutures. The trout then recovers from the anesthesia before being released back into the wild.

The team uses radio tags to track the movements of the tagged fish, which typically represents trends in the rest of the population. The manual tracking and fixed-location receivers help the team to understand the scale movement patterns and increase the number of detections to gain more insight from a dataset. The data gathered from the tags and the tracking enables the team to study the life history of Bull Trout and their critical habitats' requirements. Bryce O'Connor notes that Bull Trout require large, unembedded gravels and cobbles, lots of groundwater, and a stable hydrograph below 11 degrees Celsius maximum summer water temperature to survive in a watershed.

The Chu Cho Environmental Fisheries Program's work is critical to preserving the habitats and ecosystems necessary for the survival of the Bull Trout and other species in Tsay Keh Dene Territory. The program is not only innovative but also collaborative, promoting a shared vision of preserving the critical habitats that give species like the Bull Trout a chance to thrive. The work also provides excellent opportunities for mentorship and skill development for its team members, who work closely to co-develop methods and solutions for the benefit of the future of the fisheries programs.