Question Period Note: Pacific Salmon

• Pacific salmon populations are in serious decline due to climate change impacts, pollutants, changes in land and water use, and illegal harvesting.
• To meet these challenges, the Government has invested $686 million over five years to implement decisive steps under the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative.
• Targeted actions to date include: retiring over 300 Salmon licence eligibilities through the Pacific Salmon Commercial Licence Retirement Program, investing in an additional 58 projects through the BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund, ongoing response to climate change impacts on salmon and their habitats in coordination with First Nations and partners, and also more than 18.5 million metres of salmon habitat restored.

BACKGROUND

• Budget 2021 provided a transformational investment starting in 2021-22, to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to stabilize and conserve wild Pacific salmon populations as part of the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative (PSSI).
• The PSSI was launched by the former Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard in June 2021, with the goal of stemming the severe and ongoing decline of key Pacific salmon stocks on Canada’s West Coast and restoring them to a sustainable level for future generations of Canadians.
• This investment is to implement initiatives over five years (2021/22 – 2025/26) organized under four pillars: Conservation and Stewardship (habitat and rebuilding-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). The long-term initiative is unprecedented in both value and scope, and the work will require the efforts of not only the Department, but of those whose lives and interests are affected by the state of Pacific salmon.
o Under the Conservation and Stewardship pillar, recent work underway includes BC Flood Recovery and the launch of the British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund 2.0, Pacific high seas inspection for illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and Pacific salmon rebuilding planning.
o Through the Salmon Enhancement pillar, the Department has focused on development and engagement on a new policy framework for salmon enhancement, which will guide DFO’s work on hatchery investments to support conservation priorities. The Department is also planning new DFO and community-based hatcheries through collaborative efforts with Indigenous groups and other partners.
o The Harvest Transformation pillar’s activities include recent longer-term conservation-based closures for commercial fisheries, launch of the Pacific Salmon Commercial Licence Retirement Program, funding First Nations partners on projects to support salmon monitoring and transitioning to more selective fishing techniques, and initiation of pilot mark selective fisheries.
o Lastly, work advancing under the Integration and Collaboration pillar is intended to advance integration and collaboration with Indigenous peoples, harvest groups, environmental groups and others to support Pacific salmon conservation. This included the creation of the PSSI Secretariat and ongoing engagement with First Nations, as well as BC, the Yukon, and other stakeholders, on approaches for collaborative processes moving forward.
• The 2018 Fall Economic Statement reiterated the Government’s commitment to the sustainability of wild Pacific salmon, supporting stock assessment and rebuilding efforts through a renewed Fisheries Act for priority fish stocks, and announcing the launch of the first iteration of the British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund (BCSRIF).
• The federal-provincial joint BCSRIF was officially launched on March 15, 2019 originally allocating $142.85M over five years: $100M from Canada and $42.85M from BC. The second phase of the BCSRIF was announced in August 2022, with an additional $100M funded via PSSI. This brings the total funding of BCSRIF to $285M ($85M from BC), with an extended program end date of March 31, 2026.
• The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada has assessed 43 populations of Pacific salmon to be at risk (Endangered, Threatened, or of Special concern). These populations are under consideration for listing under the Species at Risk Act.
• On July 31, a significant landslide occurred, blocking the Chilcotin River and likely disrupting the upstream migration of adult Chinook and sockeye salmon. The Province of British Columbia has been leading the emergency response efforts, working closely with other agencies including Tŝilhqot'in National Government (TNG). Once the site has been evaluated and deemed safe, the Department will work with TNG and other partners to monitor, assess, and consider options regarding the implications of this event on key Fraser River Chinook and Sockeye salmon stocks and their habitat in the area.

If Pressed, on investments to date in the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative
• As of March 31, 2024, the Department has invested $201.5 million in targeted actions to address Pacific salmon declines, of which $90.9 million was delivered through partners. So far in 2024-25, the Department has already spent $26 million, $11.1 million of which was delivered through partners.
• Key activities include support for new and innovative Indigenous harvesting practices, licence retirements for eligible commercial harvesters, projects to address severe flooding and drought impacts, as well as ongoing efforts in response to the recent Chilcotin River landslide and its disruption to the upstream migration of adult Chinook and sockeye salmon.
• Targeted efforts are also being made in the Yukon, including First Nations selective salmon fishery programs and integrated salmon rebuilding planning. The Department has invested approximately $800K in grants and contributions funding in fiscal year 2023-24 for First Nations partners and other stakeholders in the Yukon.
• Over 2024-25, the Initiative will continue to advance Pacific salmon rebuilding, in collaboration with partners.