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,…
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…
Fisheries Related Incidental Mortality is becoming more widely accepted as an potential significant contributor to Total Mortalities from fisheries. To continue discussion, we looked at Fraser River Spring and Summer 42/52 Chinook in one fishery to examine FRIM and TMs.
Many more endangered Fraser River Chinook salmon
were killed in fisheries last year than promised by Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
On November 12, 2019, the salmon committee of the MCC submitted a letter to the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau detailing Pacific mandate priorities. Key components of the mandate are detailed below: Review and update DFO management structures and processes to account for unprecedented low returns, increasing climate change impacts, and implementation of First Nations co-management…
On August 22nd, the DFO released a new report examining broad scale trends in Pacific salmon. They found that species that spend more time in freshwater (chinook, coho, sockeye) are declining more than those that do not (chum, pink), in general. Read the abstract below, or download the full article. Report Abstract: At DFO’s first…
The MCC Salmon Subcommittee has released a letter to Fisheries and Oceans Canada with recommendations for monitoring in SC recreational fisheries. In summary, with management measures moving to non-retention of chinook in many areas, there are concerns around the Fisheries Related Incidental Mortality (FRIM) still being high and impacting stocks of concern like Fraser River…
Full story in the Times Colonist via The Canadian Press April 16, 2019 VANCOUVER — The federal government has announced commercial and recreational fishing restrictions in British Columbia as a way to conserve chinook salmon returning to the Fraser River this season. The Fisheries Department’s regional director general Rebecca Reid says urgent protection measures include…
Full Story in The Star Vancouver by Wanyee Li April 16, 2019 VANCOUVER—The critically endangered southern resident killer whales may have more chinook salmon to eat this summer, as Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced stricter fishing quotas for British Columbia’s coast on Tuesday. Fisheries and Oceans Canada — often called the Department of Fisheries and…
Globe and Mail, April 16 2019 Story by Brenda Owen Ottawa has announced stronger measures to preserve endangered populations of Fraser River chinook salmon, placing new restrictions on commercial and recreational fishing. Last year, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans aimed to restrict wild chinook harvesting across B.C. by 25 per cent to 35 per…
Today, Fisheries and Oceans Minister the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson announced management actions for 2019 to help address the decline in Fraser River chinook salmon. Fisheries and Oceans has released a news release and backgrounder on the issue. Fisheries management measures for the 2019 fishing season will include: Commercial fishing: Commercial troll fisheries for Chinook will…
On April 15th, the MCC Salmon Subcommittee sent a letter to the Honourable Jonathon Wilkinson, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, detailing measures required to protect endangered, threatened and at risk Fraser River chinook salmon. Background: In 2018, COSEWIC identified seven populations of Fraser Chinook salmon as endangered, four as threatened and one as special concern….
The MCC submitted feedback on the draft 2019/2020 Northern and Southern Integrated Fisheries and Management Plans today. The letter details MCC’s recommendations on Fisheries Risk Assessments and Fishery Management and Catch Reporting, Chinook Fisheries and incidental mortality, Interior Fraser Coho, and sockeye, chum and pink fisheries across the province. MCC submission re IFMP development April…
The MCC has produced a discussion paper titled: Incorporating Fisheries Related Incidental Mortality (FRIM) of Fraser River Spring/Summer 42/52 Chinook in the Estimation of Total Mortalities in Marine Recreational Fisheries (DFO Management Areas 18,19,20,29,121,123). The intent of this discussion paper is to stimulate conversation and engage with technical experts around the application of guidance provided…
The draft Northern and Southern Integrated Fisheries Management Plans for Salmon in BC have been released. Comments are due by April 8. DRAFT Southern Salmon IFMP 19-20 – February 2019 DRAFT Northern Salmon IFMP 19-20 – February 2019