Protecting salmon fisheries

The wild Pacific salmon fishery has shaped communities across Western Canada and is an important part of the economy of many coastal communities. It supports commercial and sport fishers as well as First Nations. All told, it’s worth $184.4 million a year and continues to provide economic benefit.

What are the threats to the fishery?

Intensive mixed-stock fishing and production-scale hatcheries have contributed to the loss and decline of distinct salmon populations. Attempts to improve fisheries management have been inconsistent, slow to implement and lacking in adequate financial and political support to ensure the protection of salmon.

To provide the greatest opportunity for salmon to thrive, fisheries must protect salmon diversity, be precautionary and allow salmon to support their ecosystems.

Salmon diversity protects salmon from changing environmental conditions, including human impacts such as climate change and habitat loss. To preserve diversity, endangered salmon stocks must be protected and restored.

The diversity of salmon and their habitat makes it very difficult to predict their abundance and behaviour. As a result, fisheries must be precautionary to make sure they don’t over-harvest any salmon stocks.

Last but not least, salmon are critical components of their ecosystems, providing a key marine-derived resource to inland animals and plants while also feeding whales, seals and other fish in the ocean. Fisheries must ensure enough salmon escape the fishery to continue playing this role.

The David Suzuki Foundation is working to conserve salmon fisheries

The DSF is actively involved in a range of activities aimed at preserving and enhancing salmon fisheries. Our main focus areas are on:

- Doing the best research possible and getting it to the public and decision-makers
- Meeting with interested groups, individuals and government bodies
- Getting the federal government to implement existing policy

The David Suzuki Foundation participates in multi-stakeholder committees and publishes research on the status of fisheries policy. We recently published a report that clearly demonstrates the need to reform the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans with increased funding and a stronger political will to protect salmon (The Will To Protect). The DSF is actively engaged in improving the implementation of the federal Policy for the Conservation of Wild Pacific Salmon in Canada and supporting conservation interests at the salmon Integrated Harvest Planning Committee.