SalmonVision is a collaborative system for counting wild salmon as they return to their natal streams. It combines underwater cameras, sonar, and drones with computer-vision models that detect, classify, and count fish in real time — turning a labour-intensive manual task into precise, automated reports.

Built with the Pacific Salmon Foundation, the Wild Salmon Center, Lumax AI, and Simon Fraser University, it gives conservationists the reliable population data they need to manage fisheries, protect habitat, and meet regulatory targets.

Why SalmonVision

SalmonVision pairs multi-sensor hardware with computer vision to deliver counts that were previously impossible to gather at scale — tap each to learn more.

How It Works

Three sensing modalities feed the same computer-vision pipeline, each suited to different sites and water conditions.

Species We Recognize

SalmonVision identifies the main Pacific salmon species as they pass the camera — not just a single overall fish count.

Chinook The largest Pacific salmon — often ~30 lb, up to 100+ ＋ tap for more Chinook The largest Pacific salmon and the prized “king” of the runs — typically around 30 lb but capable of topping 100 lb, and 40–60 inches long. ↩ tap to flip back Sockeye Prized red-fleshed salmon — 5–12 lb ＋ tap for more Sockeye Slim, streamlined and brilliantly coloured. Culturally vital to many First Nations; matures around age four at 5–12 lb and 20–28 inches. ↩ tap to flip back Coho Adaptable “silver” salmon — 8–12 lb ＋ tap for more Coho A highly adaptable “silver” salmon found in rivers and streams across North America. Usually 8–12 lb and 18–24 inches long. ↩ tap to flip back Chum Second-largest salmon — 12–15 lb ＋ tap for more Chum The second-largest Pacific salmon after Chinook. Typically 12–15 lb and 35–45 inches long. ↩ tap to flip back Pink Smallest and most abundant — 3–11 lb ＋ tap for more Pink The smallest and most abundant Pacific salmon in BC, and the least vulnerable to extinction. Usually 3–11 lb and 18–24 inches. ↩ tap to flip back Steelhead Sea-run rainbow trout — can spawn more than once ＋ tap for more Steelhead Sea-run rainbow trout that, unlike other Pacific salmon, can spawn more than once. Most are 8–20 lb, though some top 30 lb and 45 inches. ↩ tap to flip back

Beyond the salmon above, the system also recognizes Bull Trout, Rainbow Trout, Whitefish, Shiner, Pikeminnow, Jack Chinook, Lamprey, and Cutthroat Trout.

See SalmonVision in Action

Watch the system at work — in the field and inside the web app.

And run the models yourself: two interactive demos let you try SalmonVision on real data, right from your browser.

Underwater camera Sonar smolt

Choose an underwater-camera clip and watch the model draw boxes around salmon, classify the species, and count individuals.

Waking up the live demo…

In Partnership with First Nations

First Nations across the North and Central Coast of British Columbia are at the heart of SalmonVision — contributing data and expertise to train the models, and leading their use for salmon stewardship within their own territories.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tap a question to see the answer.

Our Partners

SalmonVision is built and sustained through close collaboration with leading conservation organizations, research institutions, and industry partners.