Summary: socio-economic analysis of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) listing decision for Alouette, Coquitlam, Nahatlatch, and Francois-Fraser Sockeye Salmon

Report date: October 2024

• Region: Pacific
• Populations: Alouette, Coquitlam, Nahatlach, and Francois-Fraser sockeye
• Scientific name: Oncorhynchus nerka
• COSEWIC status: Special Concern
• SARA status: Under consideration

Context

The Nahatlatch and Francois-Fraser populations of sockeye salmon were first assessed in 2017 as Special Concern by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), which initiated the current SARA process. Alouette and Coquitlam sockeye were later assessed by COSEWIC as Special Concern in 2021 and were added to the current listing process. Under SARA, a Special Concern species is defined as species that “may become a threatened or an endangered species because of a combination of biological characteristics and identified threats”. Risks to Alouette, Coquitlam, and Nahatlatch sockeye populations include declining marine and freshwater habitat quality and incidental mortality from Pacific Salmon fisheries. Francois-Fraser sockeye are threatened by declines in habitat quality in both marine and freshwater areas.

A socio-economic analysis (SEA) has been completed to inform the current SARA listing decision for Alouette, Coquitlam, Nahatlatch, and Francois-Fraser sockeye. The SEA considers incremental costs and benefits relative to a baseline of activity that accounts for management measures in place, or known to be coming into force, in the absence of the proposed regulation (i.e., without vs. with listing).

Baseline management and economic profiles

The management measures and economic activities that are currently on-going constitute the baseline scenario. Alouette, Coquitlam and Nahatlatch sockeye are managed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) together with additional sockeye populations as part of the Fraser River Early Summer population aggregate. Francois-Fraser sockeye are managed by DFO as part of the Fraser River Summer population aggregate. Spawning escapement targets and harvest rules are developed annually for these management groups. Current management strategies are detailed in the Southern Salmon Integrated Fisheries Management Plan 2024/2025.

In recent years, window closures and other fishing restrictions have been required in commercial, recreational, and First Nations fisheries to meet management objectives for the Fraser River sockeye populations. In 2023, a 5-week rolling closure was implemented from June 26 to August 21, to provide protection for Early Summer stocks (Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2023).

Management scenarios

If Alouette, Coquitlam, Nahatlatch, or Francois-Fraser sockeye are listed as Special Concern, the SARA prohibitions (for example, prohibitions against killing, harming, and capturing) would not apply. However, listing would result in the development of a SARA management plan for the DUs and their habitats that would include appropriate conservation measures. Regardless of the SARA listing decision, Alouette, Coquitlam, Nahatlatch, and Francois-Fraser sockeye will continue to receive protection under the Fisheries Act.

Costs of "lists" and "do not list" scenarios

Under the "list" management scenario, SARA requires the preparation of a management plan subsequent to listing a species as special concern. The development of this plan would support actions towards public awareness, education and stewardship. SARA general prohibitions that would make it an offence to kill, harm, harass, capture, take, possess, collect, buy, sell or trade an individual of a species do not apply to species listed as special concern. As such, the costs are assumed to be low and likely negligible, although they are unavailable at the time of this report.

Under the "do not list" management scenario, no incremental actions have been identified. Therefore, no costs are expected to result from any actions.

Benefits of the "list" and "do not list" scenarios

Under the "list" management scenario, the management plan will include measures for the conservation and opportunities for research. Listing the species would also make it eligible for Species at Risk program funding. If the level of risk to the population were to be reduced as a result of listing the species of Special Concern, there may be some incremental benefits to the species and Canadians resulting from the development and implementation of the plan.

Under the "do not list" management scenario, no incremental actions have been identified. Therefore, no benefits are expected to result from any actions.

Summary

Overall, the incremental costs under the "list" scenario are assumed to be low and likely negligible. Benefits provided through the establishment of a management plan could exceed the monetized costs, provided the recovery objective is achieved.

References

• COSEWIC. 2017. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Sockeye Salmon Oncorhynchus nerka, 24 Designatable Units in the Fraser River Drainage Basin, in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. xli + 179 pp.
• COSEWIC. 2021. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Sockeye Salmon Oncorhynchus nerka, Alouette-ES population (original), Coquitlam-ES population (original), Adams-ES population (original), Momich-ES population (original), Fraser-ES population (original), North Barriere-ES population (original) and Seton-S population (original) in the Fraser River Drainage Basin, Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. xxxiv + 49 pp.
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada. 2023. Southern Salmon Integrated Fisheries Management Plan 2024/2025. 23-2280: 639p.