Question Period Note: Pacific Salmon

Pacific Salmon

The protection of wild Pacific salmon populations is a priority for our government, especially given complex challenges facing the species, including climate change and human induced impacts such as pollutants and changes in land and water use.

Supported by the $647.1 million investment in Pacific salmon, we are focused on delivering the comprehensive, long-term approach that is required.

We are committed to working collaboratively with our partners including Indigenous groups, the B.C. and Yukon governments and other stakeholders.

B.C. Floods
Our thoughts are with those who have been impacted.

The Department’s immediate focus is to continue to work with Emergency Management B.C., and other federal departments, to respond to the immediate emergency situation.

Assessment of impacts to DFO sites will occur as access restrictions are lifted. Once the impacts have been fully assessed, short and long term planning will be undertaken to address both damage to key salmon program infrastructure, and to determine key salmon restoration needs for damaged salmon watershed systems.

Big Bar Landslide
Sustained efforts have been undertaken to reduce the impact of the landslide on future salmon stocks.

While a permanent fishway had been proposed as the best solution to restore fish passage, and a contract had been awarded in 2020 for design and construction, the contractor has been unable to complete the project due to safety issues at the site.

Alternative fish passage systems have been implemented, including a ‘nature-like fishway’ to help fish move past the slide site during the 2021 migration season.

The emergency conservation enhancement of at-risk upper Fraser salmon stocks and a comprehensive monitoring program will remain an integral part of the remediation efforts.

Chinook Salmon
The challenges facing at risk Fraser River Chinook salmon stocks are multi­faceted. The road to recovery requires a long-term view and the collaboration of all interested parties.

Chinook salmon management measures enacted in recent years have been difficult for harvesters, but will be necessary for many years to support conservation and rebuilding of these stocks.

The measures for Fraser River Chinook were developed following consultation with Indigenous communities, recreational and commercial fishing organizations, and environmental organizations.

Recreational Fisheries
Fisheries and Oceans Canada recognizes that recreational fisheries represent a significant economic value to British Columbia, especially the Chinook salmon fishery.

As part of the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative, the Department plans to modernize and stabilize salmon fisheries.

Further consultation with the recreational sector is planned regarding the sectors views and interests in the implementation of the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative

Impacts of Covid 19
We understand the economic hardship that the fishing and ecotourism industries have experienced in regards to the conservation measures placed on recreational fishing and the potential impacts due to Covid-19.

Those economically impacted by Covid-19 should explore the numerous support programs that have been announced for small to medium businesses.

Mark Selective Fisheries
Some hatchery fish are marked before they are released.

Careful evaluation is required as marked-selective fisheries involve a number of considerations, included the possibility of increased impacts on the wild stocks we are trying to protect, additional costs to mark fish, and the importance of maintaining the integrity of scientific stock assessments.

Compensation for Recreational Stakeholders
We acknowledge that conservation measures have had negative economic impacts on harvesters, including the recreational sector.

We have worked with our partners and stakeholders to consider actions that help minimize these impacts while also achieving our conservation objectives.

In 2021, as always, our measures will take into account the feedback we receive from our partners and stakeholders.

Petition to the Government of Canada to Ban Gill Nets
Our government is committed to the implementation of sustainable fisheries management practices that protect our aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity, including the conservation of salmon populations.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada takes into consideration any impacts on conservation objectives when prescribing the type of gear that can be used by harvesters participating in a fishery.

Fisheries management decisions are based on the best available science, and are taken in consultation with all stakeholders and Indigenous peoples.

Pinniped predation on salmon
Fisheries and Oceans Canada takes an ecosystem-based approach to oceans management.

Our priority is to ensure that the best science is reflected, in consideration of the role seals and other marine species play in sustaining a healthy and productive aquatic ecosystem.

While seals and sea lions do eat salmon, salmon represent a small proportion on average of their diet.

• There were limited salmon returns in many fisheries in 2019. Commercial fishing opportunities were particularly poor, causing many in the province’s fishing industry to ask for emergency relief. In 2020, Fraser River sockeye returns were the lowest ever recorded (less than 300 thousand) and no directed fisheries were provided for First Nations, recreational or commercial fisheries. The Fraser River forecast for 2020 is also poor at less than a million fish (less than the full FSC allocation amount of ~1.1 million).
• In 2019, poor chum returns and new fishery management measures to protect interior Fraser river steelhead, designated as endangered by Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), also resulted in virtually no commercial chum fisheries in Southern British Columbia (B.C.). In 2020, Southern BC Chum fisheries have not yet started and will begin in October.
• The Department does have programs that provide some opportunity for harvesters to exit the industry, should they choose to do so; these are the licence and quota relinquishment processes through the Pacific Integrated Commercial Fisheries Initiative and the Allocation Transfer Program.
• The province of BC declared a state of emergency on November 17,, 2021, in response to significant flooding throughout the province. The purpose is to mitigate impacts on transportation networks and movement of essential goods and supplies, and to support the province wide response and recovery effort.While the situation is improving, community impacts remain widespread and severe. DFO is working to determine the extent of damage to DFO sites if and as access restrictions are lifted, and will continue to work on assessing the impacts to salmon populations and salmon habitat.
• Damage assessments of DFO infrastructure in areas hardest hit remain an ongoing challenge due to logistical and safety concerns; most areas are closed to all but emergency services personnel. Impacted DFO facilities remain stable and are improving, although access and supply chain issues continue to be an immediate area of significant concern. DFO staff are still unable to access a number of sites to conduct assessments due to access restrictions.
• The Salmonid Enhancement Program (SEP) continues to complete emergency erosion protection works and work to maintain water flows into hatcheries Impacts to First Nations and other community-managed salmon hatchery, enhancement and stock assessment infrastructure still also needs to be assessed. Significant impacts are expected to juvenile salmon and salmon eggs laid in gravel of impacted rivers and streams across the Squamish watershed, Lower Fraser River watershed and tributaries and the Thompson and Nicola rivers near Merritt. Further assessments will be conducted.
• The full extent of impacts will not be known until after spring freshet has passed. (Spring freshet is the result of snow and ice melt into rivers when water levels rise and flows increase over a period of several weeks, sometimes resulting in significant inundation or even flooding, as the snowpack melts in the river's watershed.
• DFO was notified of a landslide near Big Bar Creek, B.C. on June 23, 2019, and investigated this remote area of the Fraser River on June 25. The Big Bar incident command post was established on June 29 in Lillooet, B.C. with experts and response specialists from the Government of Canada, the Province of B.C. and First Nations.
• Big bar landslide investments have included a $188.8M contract to Peter Kiewit & Sons ULC, for the design and construction of a permanent fishway; however, construction was halted due to safety issues.
• Winter 2021: Multiple unforeseen rock fall incidents and extreme weather events impacted worker safety, disrupting projected timelines
• Slope stability assessments concluded that the conditions are unpredictable and the installation of a permanent fishway would only be possible by 2023 or 2024 at double the cost
• Summer 2021: DFO suspended further construction on the permanent fishway; implemented alternative fish passage systems; and partnered with First Nations on emergency enhancement programs
• Alternative fish passage systems included an improved temporary “nature-like” fishway and a “truck and transport” program
• Due to favourable river conditions and improvements made to the “nature-like” fishway, nearly 2 million salmon have volitionally moved passed the slide site in 2021; initial analysis indicates increased passage thresholds for Chinook and sockeye compared to 2020
• Despite this success, focus remains on developing a long-term solution promptly to help vulnerable, early-migrating stocks reach their spawning grounds; planning for alternative fish passage systems and enhancement efforts are underway for the 2022 migration season in the short-term
• DFO, in collaboration with First Nations and Provincial partners, are pursuing a structured decision making (SDM) process to review options for a long-term solution through an analysis of gathered data
• This process involves: In-depth review of the problem using 2021 data, redefining objectives, and a comprehensive analysis of options
• The SDM process will take 1-2 years to complete. While preliminary options are expected to be developed by 2022, it is unclear when there will be concrete options to bring before Cabinet.
• At this time, a Terms of Reference has been developed in partnership with the Joint Executive Steering Committee.
• All but one of 16 southern B.C. Chinook runs have been designated as endangered, threatened, or of special concern by the COSEWIC in Canada.
• Management measures for 2020 Chinook were developed following consultation with Indigenous groups, recreational and commercial fishing organizations and environmental organizations. These measures are one component of a larger strategy for sustainability of at risk Pacific salmon populations. The measures include the following:
- Commercial fishing: commercial troll fisheries for Chinook was closed until August 20 in Northern B.C., and August 1 on the west coast of Vancouver Island to avoid impacting Fraser Chinook stocks and to support conservation priorities;
- Recreational fishing: the 2020 management measures for recreational fisheries where at risk Chinook stocks may be encountered were designed to avoid impacts on Fraser Chinook stocks of concern. The measures for recreational fishing ranged from no retention during certain periods, no fishing for salmon near the Fraser River, reduced daily limits, and maximum size limits (i.e. to protect large female spawners). For the Fraser River, recreational fisheries are closed to salmon fishing.
• First Nations Food, Social and Ceremonial fisheries: in-river fisheries, which have a constitutionally protected priority, were managed with very limited opportunities when at risk Chinook were present. To ensure the maximum possible number of Chinook salmon that manage to pass through the Big Bar landslide barrier successfully reach their spawning grounds, DFO is working with First Nations in these areas to minimize Chinook harvests above the slide site.
• Mass Marking/Mark Selective Fisheries: Many hatchery fish have been marked by the removal of the adipose fin that has been clipped off before fish are released from the hatchery. U.S. and Canadian hatchery marked Chinook are indistinguishable and in most areas there are much larger numbers of U.S. hatchery marked Chinook given mass marking programs in U.S. hatchery facilities. Some hatchery marked Chinook also contain coded-wire tags (CWT) that are extracted from Chinook heads turned in from the fishery or collected on spawning grounds to provide stock assessment information used to manage the fishery. Fishery opportunities where hatchery origin Chinook are retained and wild Chinook are released are known as mark selective fisheries (MSF).
• The Department has not authorized widespread MSF in 2020 due to several concerns, but some local opportunities were considered where Fraser River Chinook could be avoided.
• MSF are expected to increase fishing effort and increase release mortalities (approximately 20 per cent) for unmarked, wild Chinook, including endangered Fraser River Chinook for which there are significant conservation concerns.
• During the spring months Canadian hatchery marked fish returning to the Fraser (including Nicola and Chilcotin) may be required to help sustain some endangered Fraser Chinook populations where few wild fish return. For example, hatchery origin, marked Chinook made a high contribution to Nicola spawners in 2018 and helped to sustain the population given very weak wild Chinook returns. Hatchery origin Chinook also return to the Chilcotin.
• In times and areas where the encounter rates of marked Chinook in the fishery are not well above 20 per cent, this can mean additional mortality of wild fish can be expected due to release mortality if anglers must handle more fish to keep a hatchery fish. The department has recreational catch data, including encounters of marked and unmarked Chinook rates by month and statistical area, that is used to assess this.
• Gill nets are the most widely used and implemented salmon harvesting tool on the Fraser River by First Nations and commercial harvesters.
• Salmon stocks of concern and sturgeon are frequently and negatively impacted by the non-selective nature of gill nets, succumbing to significant physical damage and regular mortality.
• Fully attended nets can provide effective and expeditious release, and in general, species are unharmed.

Recent Salmon related investments
• The 2018 Fall Economic Statement also reiterated the Government’s commitment to the sustainability of wild Pacific salmon, and made two key announcements: 1) to support stock assessment and rebuilding efforts for priority Pacific salmon stocks, including $107.4 million over five years, starting in 2019–20, and $17.6 million per year ongoing, to support the implementation of stock assessment and rebuilding provisions in a renewed Fisheries Act for priority fish stocks across Canada, including priority Pacific salmon stocks; and, 2) $105 million over six years, starting in 2018–19, to create a British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund (BCSRIF), which includes a contribution to the Pacific Salmon Endowment Fund of $5 million in 2018–19.
• The federal-provincial joint BCSRIF was officially launched on March 15, 2019. The total fund amounts to $142.85 million over five years: $100 million from Canada and $42.85 million from B.C. The fund is now open to proposals from Indigenous groups, conservation groups, commercial organizations in the wild fisheries and industry sectors, recreational fisheries, as well as non­commercial organizations such as universities and academia, industry associations and research institutions.
• Impacts of Aquaculture: Petition e-2367 was recently posted on January 9, 2020 and closed for signature on March 9, 2020. The Member of Parliament sponsoring e-2367 is Gord Johns, Courtenay-Alberni, New Democratic Party. The petition focuses primarily on aquaculture operations but states that wild Pacific salmon are under serious threat from pathogens, pollutants, and sea lice originating from open net-cage fish farms. The Government response was tabled on May 25, 2020.
• Budget 2021 provides an additional investment of $647.1 million over five years, starting immediately in 2021-22, to Fisheries and Oceans Canada to stabilize and conserve wild Pacific salmon populations. This investment is to implement initiatives over the next five years (2021/22 – 2025/26) organized under four pillars: Conservation and Stewardship (habitat-related work); Salmon Enhancement (hatcheries-related work); Harvest Transformation (harvest-related work); and, Integration and Coordination (internal and external integration of planning and collaboration with others).
• Predation: There has been increasing interest on the Pacific coast about the impacts of seals and sea lions on salmon populations, including a call for a cull and a commercial fishery.
• Along with academics, Indigenous groups, and US partners, DFO participated two expert workshops in May and November 2019 to summarize what is known about potential impacts of pinniped predation on salmon. There was a high degree of uncertainty about the role pinnipeds have on salmon abundance trends. DFO is continuing research into this topic.
• While there is currently no commercial access or plans for a cull, DFO does work with First Nations to secure access to seals and sea lions for Food, Social and Ceremonial purposes.

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