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 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…

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MCC Letter to Fisheries Minister re: MSF Fisheries

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…

2021 IFMP planning priorities for the MCC salmon committee

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…

2020 Chinook Management Proposal

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…

Clarification – Mortalities of Fraser Chinook in South Coast Rec Fisheries

In a press release and backgrounder sent out on February 5th, 2020, the MCC provided an estimate of total mortalities of endangered and threatened Fraser 42 and 52 Chinook in south coast recreational fisheries. This estimate was based on the recreational fishery in Areas 17, 18, 19, 20, 29 and 121 (roughly Juan de Fuca,…