MCC submits feedback to the 2024/2025 herring IFMP

The David Suzuki Foundation and the MCC have repeatedly expressed deep concern regarding the state of herring spawning in the Strait of Georgia. The herring fishery has undergone substantial truncation in both spatial and temporal extent, such that spawning is now minimal south of Dodd Narrows and concentrated in March. In 2024, the temporal extent…

MCC submits feedback on the 2024-25 Draft IFMP for salmon

The MCC has submitted its feedback on salmon fisheries (PDF), recovery and management issues to DFO for the the 2024-2025 fishing season. We address species and population concerns for all 5 commercially managed salmon species, as well as steelhead. We also identify concerns for management decisions in light of freshwater migration conditions.

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MCC response to the 2024 Herring IFMP

In our previousĀ letterĀ for the proposed 2023/2024 Food & Bait and Special Use fisheries, we provided the rationale for a closure of commercial herring fisheries in Area 17, a cap on the proportion of the Strait of Georgia (SoG) Total Allowable Catch (TAC) that is allocated to the Food & Bait fishery, and a maximum 7%…

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MCC response to the 2023/2024 Herring Fishery

On November 13, 2023, the Pacific Marine Conservation Caucus (MCC) submitted the following letter in response to the draft 2022/2023 Pacific herring Food & Bait and Special Use (FB/SU) commercial fishery plans. In this submission, we reiterate our concern regarding the ongoing loss of herring spawning in the southern Strait of Georgia, with a specific…

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MCC submission to the 2023/2024 Salmon IFMP

The salmon subcommittee of the Marine Conservation Caucus submitted its comments on the draft Integrated Fisheries Management Plan for Pacific salmon. Our comments fall into the following Areas: 0 Defining Recovery and Rebuilding 0.1 Recovery 0.2 Rebuilding 1. Chinook 1.1 Northern BC Chinook 1.1.1 North Coast and Skeena 1.1.2 Central Coast 1.2 Southern BC Chinook…

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MCC submission on proposed Mark Selective Chinook Fisheries in 2023

The MCC has submitted its feedback to DFO on the mark selective Chinook fisheries proposed to start in the spring of 2023. Mark Selective Fisheries target “marked” hatchery Chinook that are missing their adipose fin. Many of these fisheries would increase the sport fishery effort at a time when endangered Fraser stream-type Chinook are migrating…

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Press Release: Fisheries minister must stop new fishery that will harm endangered Chinook salmon and killer whales

The MCC, along with First Nations from Vancouver Island, issued a press release on March 2, 2023 calling on DFO to halt its proposed Mark Selective Fisheries on Chinook salmon. The fishery will harm both endangered Chinook and endangered killer whales

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MCC Position on 2022/2023 IFMP for Pacific Herring

The MCC has submitted feedback on the 2022/2023 Integrated Fisheries Management Plan for Pacific Herring. The main points are summarized below and the letter is provided for more details. Strait of Georgia: We reiterate our position that Strait of Georgia (SoG) herring are showing several signs of concern, and that these issues, when considered together,…

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MCC Response to draft 2022/2023 Pacific Herring Food and Bait and Special Use Plans

On November 16, 2022, the Pacific Marine Conservation Caucus (MCC) submitted the following letter in response to the draft 2022/2023 Pacific herring Food & Bait and Special Use (FB/SU) commercial fishery plans. Unlike previous years, the draft 2022/2023 FB/SU plans do not include an initial amount for proposed quota allocations to these fisheries. Therefore, we…

Feedback on proposed Chinook Mass-Marking and Mark-Selective Fisheries

Through the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative (PSSI), DFO is proposing to expand mass-marking (MM) of hatchery fish and implement more mark-selective fisheries (MSF). In June, DFO distributed a discussion paper identifying considerations around expansion of MM and MSF in BC. In late September, the MCC Salmon Subcommittee submitted feedback to DFO in response to their…

DFO to expand Mass Marking and Mark Selective Fisheries

In late June, DFO released a letter and discussion paper on their proposed expansion of Mass Marking (MM) and Mark-Selective Fisheries (MSF). The discussion paper provides context and information on their intent, as well as many considerations on MM and MSF. Feedback on this is requested by September 30, 2022. Cover letter and discussion paper…

MCC submits comments to 2022/23 IFMP for BC salmon fisheries

The salmon subcommittee of the Marine Conservation Caucus has submitted its comments on the draft Integrated Fisheries Management Plan for Pacific salmon. Our comments fall into the following 12 Areas: PSSI Evaluation criteria and proposed long-term closures Southeast Alaskan interceptions of BC Salmon Southern Resident killer whales Recreational Chinook Fisheriesa. Fraser Chinook Managementb. Skeena and…

Verifiable monitoring and assessment of BC’s south coast Recreational Chinook Fisheries

On February 17, the MCC Salmon Sub-Committee of the Marine Conservation Caucus sent a letter to the Honourable Joyce Murray, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coastguard, regarding concerns around expansion of marine recreational fishing in southern BC. Importantly, the Salmon Sub-Committee of the Marine Conservation Caucus believes that there should be no expansion…

Southeastern Alaska catch of BC salmon: summary and reports

Alaskan fisheries in Southeast Alaska (SEAK) intercept salmon returning to British Columbia (BC) rivers. Given the current depressed status of many BC wild salmon populations, and in the context of changing marine and freshwater environments due to climate change; there is growing concern that as Canadian salmon abundance declines, and Canada closes or restricts its fisheries,…

MCC input to draft 2021-22 IFMP for salmon fisheries

The salmon committee of the MCC has submitted its comments on the draft Integrated Fisheries Management Plan for salmon. Concerns have been identified for the lack of recovery of at-risk populations that continue to be fished, concerns for proposals that move Canada toward U.S. style fisheries that rely on hatcheries, concerns for mixed-stock ocean fisheries that should move more catch to terminal areas, and concerns for wildlife and ecosystems that depend on wild salmon reaching their natal streams