The Pacific Marine Conservation Caucus (MCC) views the Salmon Allocation Policy (SAP) as a central instrument for conserving and recovering wild Pacific salmon, not merely a framework for allocating harvest among user groups. We believe salmon must be managed in the broad public interest, while equally upholding Indigenous rights. OverviewThe current SAP (1999) predates the…
The MCC has repeatedly expressed concern regarding changes to the distribution of herring spawn in the Strait of Georgia (SoG), and the lack of consideration for this issue in the current assessment and management approach. We understand that this concern is shared by many stakeholders and First Nations in the SoG. For this reason, the…
This letter is submitted as feedback to DFO on options for prey management through Southern Resident killer whales critical habitat. The MCC’s submission is framed within three intersecting contexts: enhanced recovery efforts for endangered killer whales; recovery efforts for threatened, endangered, and at-risk spring and summer stream-type Chinook salmon returning to the Fraser River; and…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
On March 18, the MCC submitted the following letter to Minister Jordan describing the potential impacts of mark selective fisheries on endangered Chinook populations, and detailing concerns around DFO’s proposed catch, release, compliance, and stock composition monitoring and evaluation. While there may be limited opportunities for MSF fisheries in BC recreational Chinook fisheries, most of…
In preparation for development of the 2021-22 Integrated Fisheries Management Plans for Northern and Southern BC, DFO released the Department’s letter on key planning priorities. DFO’s priorities include First Nations FSC fisheries, COSEWIC and SARA processes, the Big Bar landslide, and CSAF demonstration fisheries. For southern BC, priorities are for Southern BC Chinook, Southern Resident…
The MCC recommends a transition of Pacific herring management toward an ecosystem based fishery through lowering the harvest rate and implementing operational control points to maintain the biomass at a higher level.
On March 2, 2020, Fisheries and Oceans Canada released a letter that intended to communicate their approach for developing fisheries management actions to address conservation concerns for Fraser River Chinook over the next year. On April 9, the MCC submitted a letter in response detailing our Management Recommendations, Rationale and Evaluation. In it we detail…
The MCC recommends an intentional transition of Pacific herring management toward an ecosystem-based fishery through lowering the harvest rate and implementing control points to maintain the biomass at a higher level (Healthy Zone). This approach will reduce risk to herring and reliant predators, acknowledge uncertainties in the population structure, and allow fishing opportunities when higher…