Government of Canada working to rebuild Pacific salmon populations

VANCOUVER, BC, Dec. 14, 2022 /CNW/ - Threats like climate change, habitat degradation, pollution, land and water use, acute events like toxic spills and landslides, and fishing pressures have left many Pacific salmon populations at historically low levels. Action is needed to protect and recover this iconic species – for thousands of workers in rural and coastal communities, and hundreds of First Nations communities in British Columbia and Yukon for whom salmon is central to their identity. The Government of Canada is taking decisive action to address challenges facing the species and support conservation through the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative (PSSI).

Launched in 2021, this $647-million program helps to slow the decline of priority Pacific salmon populations, supports the rebuilding of ecosystems, and transforms the Pacific salmon harvesting sector with the goal of improving the sustainability of a vital fish stock.

Today, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Joyce Murray, announced the next phase of a transformed harvesting sector with the launch of a voluntary Pacific Salmon Commercial Licence Retirement Program. This program will ensure commercial licence holders seeking to exit the sector will receive market value from the Department to retire their licences. In addition to retiring their licences, those who wish to dispose of their commercial fishing vessel and gear in an environmentally responsible way will also be eligible to access Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)'s Derelict Vessel Mitigation and Gear Disposal Program. The Minister also noted the Department will conduct a staged rollout of the Pacific Salmon Indigenous Communal Commercial Licence Alternation Program in the coming months to support holders of this type of licence who wish to shift from salmon to non-salmon commercial licences. This latter program will be introduced once details have been finalized.

Voluntary licence retirement will help drive the transition to a smaller, more financially viable and sustainable fishery for remaining harvesters and reflects the consultations DFO held with commercial and First Nations harvesters throughout the late fall and winter of 2021-22 on the overarching objective of the PSSI to rebuild vulnerable Pacific salmon populations for the benefit of future generations.

Further details on the closures and retirement/alternation programs can be found in the attached backgrounder.

Quotes:

"Climate change, habitat degradation, pollution, land and water use, acute events like toxic spills and landslides, and fishing pressure have wreaked havoc on many Pacific salmon stocks, and we must address this crisis head on. It will take time but, I believe that, with the will and contribution of everyone with a stake in the future of Pacific salmon, we can protect and rebuild their numbers. The PSSI is exploring innovative ways to achieve this objective, while supporting a more sustainable and economically resilient harvesting sector for the long term."

The Honourable Joyce Murray, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

Quick Facts

• Despite substantially reducing the harvest of weak Pacific salmon stocks over the past decade, many continue to face challenges due to ongoing declines in productivity. Climate change and threats caused by human activities, including deteriorating habitat, pollutants, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, changes in how land and water are used, and international fishing pressures are affecting Pacific salmon negatively at every stage of their lifecycle.
• In 2019, DFO's State of Pacific Salmon report outlined how salmon are responding to climate and habitat changes. The planet is warming, and the most recent five years have been the warmest on record.
• Many Pacific salmon stocks are declining to historic lows; 60 Pacific salmon populations in Southern BC have been assessed for potential listing under the Species at Risk Act, by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Twenty-four have been assessed as Endangered, ten as Threatened, and seven as Special Concern.
• As with licence retirement programs offered in the past, the Department plans to retire licences based on market values using a voluntary process. The Pacific Salmon Commercial Licence Retirement Program, Pacific Salmon Indigenous Communal Commercial Licence Alternation Program and Derelict Vessel Mitigation and Gear Disposal Program are funded up to a total of $123 million as part of the PSSI. Fund allocation is flexible and based on the extent of interest in each program. There is an additional $8.36 million dollars remaining in the Pacific Salmon Treaty mitigation program that will be used to continue to support retirement of commercial Pacific salmon troll licence eligibilities.
• The PSSI is building upon previous and ongoing initiatives related to Pacific salmon, in order to transform the harvest sector for greater adaptability and economic viability and to support the many BC communities whose jobs and way of life rely on them. These concurrent initiatives include: the Wild Salmon Policy 2018-2022 Implementation Plan, Coastal Restoration Fund, BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund , Salmon Allocation Policy review, implementation funding for the renewed Pacific Salmon Treaty, and the renewed Fisheries Act.

Associated Links

• Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative
• Pacific Salmon Commercial Licence Retirement Program
• Pacific Salmon Indigenous Communal Commercial Licence Alternation Program
• Derelict Vessel Mitigation and Gear Disposal Program
• Pacific Salmon Facts
• State of Pacific Salmon Report

Backgrounder

Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative (PSSI) Harvest Transformation

The Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative (PSSI) launched by the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard on June 8, 2021, is the largest, most transformative investment Canada has made in salmon. This $647-million investment aims to stem the devastating historic declines in key Pacific salmon stocks. The Initiative has four key pillars:

• Conservation and stewardship;
• Salmon enhancement;
• Harvest transformation; and
• Integration and collaboration.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) took immediate steps under the harvest transformation pillar in 2021 by implementing closures to commercial salmon fisheries to support a more precautionary approach in areas with significant stocks of conservation concern. Following the 2021 closures, the Minister committed to consulting with commercial licence holders on long-term closures for salmon stocks that would be implemented in 2022. Final 2022 salmon Integrated Fishery Management Plans (IFMPs) identify commercial fisheries where longer-term commercial closures or additional mitigations for stocks of significant conservation concern are being implemented. These are detailed below. 

To mitigate the impact of long-term closures, DFO began consultations in 2022 on the transition to a smaller commercial harvesting sector through a salmon licence retirement program, as well as consulting with First Nations harvesters to shift to more selective fishing gear or, where available, to alternate species access. 

Salmon Fishery Closures 2022

From January to May 2022, DFO engaged with Indigenous groups and commercial licence holders on longer-term closures. The Department also sought feedback on proposed longer-term closures during regular consultations on draft IFMPs.

There are over 150 unique commercial fisheries in British Columbia (BC) and Yukon that target all five species of Pacific salmon in different areas. Many use gillnet gear, while the remainder use purse seine, troll, or other gear (e.g., beach seine, fish wheels).

Nearly all of these fisheries encounter mixtures of salmon populations — i.e., their target species as well as incidental harvest or by-catch, which often includes salmon stocks of conservation concern. By-catch is the inadvertent harvest of different species. The inadvertent harvest of stocks of concern within the same species (i.e., Cultus Lake Sockeye when harvesting Summer Run Sockeye) is referred to as incidental harvest. Both by-catch and incidental harvest are factored into the development of fishing plans to manage impacts on stocks of concern.

While selective fishing measures to avoid stocks of concern are required in all commercial fisheries, additional commercial closures were considered where stocks of conservation concern could not easily be avoided. This also addresses mortalities from fish that have been released from fishing gear.

Thirteen new closures were implemented for the 2021 salmon fishing season (no opening was considered for that season). After consultation with stakeholders through the winter and spring, 22 long-term closures have been identified beginning in the 2022 season. These longer-term closures are expected to remain in place until there are clear signs that populations are rebuilding (a minimum of one to two salmon generations or five to 10 years).

• Long-term closures include two in the Yukon Area, two in the Transboundary Area, eight in the North Coast Area, and 10 in the South Coast Area.
  
  
• Long-term closures are being implemented in fisheries where there are risks to stocks of conservation concern that cannot be protected sufficiently through selective fishing practices. These closures are a precautionary response to protect the most fragile stocks of concern across the Pacific region and support rebuilding in conjunction with other measures.

A full list of fisheries affected in 2022 was included in the salmon IFMPs. A Fishery Notice with a link to the plans can be found online at https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/ifmp-eng.html

All other commercial fisheries remain closed unless conditions are met to permit the fishery to open.  Specific harvest guidelines used to identify commercial fishery opportunities are identified in the salmon IFMPs. If these conditions are not met, the fisheries remain close.

Pacific Salmon Commercial Licence Retirement Program

The Pacific Salmon Commercial Licence Retirement Program is a voluntary program that allows commercial salmon licence eligibility holders to retire their licences for market value. The term 'retirement' in relation to the Pacific Salmon Commercial Licence Retirement Program means the commercial salmon licence eligibility will be permanently removed (or 'retired'). By retiring commercial salmon licence eligibilities, harvesters will no longer be able to participate in the commercial troll, gillnet or seine fishery. All commercial salmon licence eligibility holders who hold full or reduced fee salmon troll, gillnet, or seine licences (i.e., Category A and Category AI) are eligible to participate in this initiative.

This program offers an opportunity for commercial salmon licence eligibility holders to retire from the sector, as declining Pacific salmon returns have made economic viability in this industry a significant challenge. In addition to providing an opportunity for commercial salmon licence eligibility holders to exit the industry, this program will transition the fisheries to a smaller commercial harvesting sector over time which is intended to support the long-term sustainability and financial viability for harvesters who remain in the fisheries.

Pacific Salmon Indigenous Communal Commercial Licence Alternation Program

To mitigate socio-economic impacts on Indigenous commercial harvesters, the Department will soon be rolling out the Pacific Salmon Indigenous Communal Commercial Licence Alternation Program (Alternation Program). 

The program will provide the opportunity for First Nations and Indigenous groups to voluntarily exchange their communal commercial salmon licences (Categories F and N) for funding based on equivalent value and other considerations to acquire alternative commercial fisheries access (i.e., non-salmon species).

The funding provided may also be used to support gear, vessel upgrades/modifications, and training linked to the development of capacity to harvest newly acquired access.  

Once participants have acquired new access, the exchanged communal commercial salmon licence eligibility/ies will be retired permanently. 

The Alternation Program will prioritize funding to Indigenous communal commercial salmon licence eligibility holders who have been affected by the long-term closure of salmon fishing in areas of concern in BC and Yukon. However, all eligible applications received will be evaluated and considered. 

Derelict Vessel Mitigation and Gear Disposal Program

Those commercial licence holders who retire the licences issued in their name and wish to dispose of their commercial fishing vessel and gear in an environmentally responsible way may access the Derelict Vessel Mitigation and Gear Disposal Program. 

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SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Region

Kevin Lemkay, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, 613-992-3474, [email protected]; Media Relations, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 613-990-7537, [email protected]