Wild Salmon Policy 2018 to 2022 Implementation Plan:
Annual Report 2020 to 2021

On this page

• Executive summary
• Introduction and context
• Overall Progress on WSP implementation
• WSP activity highlights
• Update on other Pacific salmon initiatives over 2020-21
• The state of Pacific salmon and measuring departmental performance
• WSP Moving Forward: 2021-22
• Conclusion
• Annex A: Wild Salmon Policy Implementation Resources and Acronyms
• Annex B: WSP Implementation Tracker

Executive summary

On October 11, 2018, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard released the Wild Salmon Policy 2018-2022 Implementation Plan (the Plan). This document outlines nine overarching approaches and 48 activities the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) is committed to undertaking over a five year period in order to implement Canada’s Policy for Conservation of Wild Pacific Salmon – also known as the Wild Salmon Policy (WSP). In the spirit of ‘what gets measured, gets done’, and in line with the Government of Canada’s commitment to openness and transparency, the Plan includes DFO’s commitment to performance review, including annual public reporting on the status and progress of key actions. While annual review of work plans and post-season operations happens as a normal course of business, the public reporting on the status of activities in the Plan keeps partners and the public informed of progress in a timely manner, provides early warning of challenges that need to be addressed, and reflects on lessons learned. This is DFO’s third annual report and builds upon the annual reports published in 2019 and 2020.

In 2021, DFO published an Addendum to the Plan, which includes newly identified Activities 49 to 54. The Addendum is a result of the commitment DFO made under Activity 48 of the Plan to “coordinate the addition of new activities into the WSP Implementation Plan based on the renewed Fisheries Act”. This is intended to ensure the Plan reflects the work currently underway as part of the implementation of the modernized Fisheries Act, which received Royal Assent in 2019.

Over 2020-21 the Department continued to make progress on the overarching approaches and a number of key activities in the Plan that advance monitoring of wild salmon stocks, habitat and ecosystem assessment and monitoring, integrated strategic planning, program delivery, as well as continued collaboration with First Nations, the Province of British Columbia, Yukon Territory and stakeholders.

This Annual Report highlights the Department’s progress on activities, performance indicators, and provides the status of each activity, including information to provide context and mitigation strategies for activities that are delayed and/or facing challenging.

Introduction and context

Background

Wild Pacific salmon are an iconic part of the life and culture of West Coast Canada. They hold tremendous value for natural ecosystems, cultural and spiritual practices, recreational enjoyment, and jobs along the coast and inland watersheds of the Pacific Region. Pacific salmon are a keystone species in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems. Many species of fauna and flora – from killer whales to black bears to Douglas Fir – depend on migrating Pacific salmon for their survival and well-being. Salmon are also inextricably linked to Indigenous communities in British Columbia (BC) and Yukon, not only as a traditional food source, but also as a vital component of spiritual, cultural, social and economic well-being.

The protection of wild Pacific salmon stocks is a key priority for DFO, particularly given the complex challenges facing the species. Many Pacific salmon populations are suffering losses at every life stage due to a combination of factors including climate change and warming waters; habitat degradation, changes in land and water use, and pollutants; acute one-time events (toxic spills and landslides); and illegal, unreported, and unregulated international fishing pressures. Currently, 39 different Pacific salmon populations are under consideration for listing under the Species At Risk Act (SARA)and more are pending assessment by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).

When it was released in 2005, the Wild Salmon Policy marked a major turning point in the management of Pacific salmon by articulating a conservation ethic to preserve genetic diversity as well as salmon abundance. The ultimate goal of the WSP is to: “…restore and maintain healthy and diverse salmon populations and their habitats for the benefit and enjoyment of the people of Canada in perpetuity.” To meet this goal, the WSP identified six strategies, including Strategy 6 which committed DFO to ongoing review of the implementation and success of the Policy. The Implementation Plan outlines nine overarching approaches and 48 specific activities DFO would undertake over a five-year period to advance the long-term goal and objectives of the WSP. It also grouped the strategies into three interrelated themes: assessment; maintaining and rebuilding stocks; and accountability.

In 2021, DFO published an Addendum to the Plan which introduced six new activities derived from new programming under the renewed Fisheries Act. Informed by extensive consultations with the public, industry, environmental groups and Indigenous peoples, the renewed Fisheries Act improves the protection of fisheries and the aquatic ecosystems that sustain them. In order to ensure alignment with the renewed Act, the Plan contains a commitment, captured in Activity 48, to “coordinate the addition of activities into the WSP Implementation Plan based on the renewed Fisheries Act.”

As the Plan moves towards the end of its five year period in 2022, DFO continues to focus on the protection and conservation of wild Pacific salmon stocks. The January 2021 supplementary mandate letter to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard highlighted a commitment to work in close collaboration with relevant ministers, as well as with First Nations, provincial and territorial authorities, fishing and stewardship organizations and implicated communities across the Pacific Region to bring forward a Pacific Salmon Strategy. Budget 2021: A Recovery Plan for Jobs, Growth, and Resilience identified $647.1 million over five years (plus $98.9M in amortization) for initiatives aimed at protecting and conserving Pacific salmon stocks. DFO has begun work regionally and nationally on the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative (PSSI), and is committed to working with First Nations, provincial and territorial authorities, and key salmon stakeholders to improve our understanding of trends in salmon stocks, identify and pursue opportunities for collaborative action to protect and conserve salmon habitats, and support the sustainability of Canada’s salmon populations.

Impacts from climate and environmental changes

Climate change has emerged as the key driver of salmon population trends, affecting the freshwater and marine ecosystems that salmon use throughout their lives. Prolonged marine heatwaves are reducing the quality of food for salmon near the base of their food webs. Summer river temperatures are more frequently too warm for salmon. Although these climate related effects will generally increase over time, impacts will vary by salmon population based on the unique ecosystems, fisheries, and other factors salmon experience cumulatively over their lives. Factors such as habitat changes, fisheries, disease, and pollutants can act alone or cumulatively to affect salmon population trends and are all embedded within this climate change context.

COVID-19

Throughout 2020-2021, the COVID-19 pandemic continued to impact Canadians in an unprecedented manner. The economic and social disruptions triggered by COVID-19 has affected fisheries management and conservation efforts at local, national and global scales. In 2020, the Department adapted quickly to continue delivering critical services and operations while working to minimize transmission. With respect to the Plan, a number of activities were delayed due to COVID-19. For example, teams were unable to undertake field work and consultation became challenging as communities, as well as DFO, had to shift resources to address COVID-19 related priorities.

International context

The Pacific Salmon Treaty (PST) is the principle agreement that commits Canada and the United States (U.S.) to cooperate bilaterally on matters pertaining to the conservation, management and international allocation of Pacific salmon. The Treaty commits the Parties to cooperate on science, stock assessment, salmon enhancement, and to develop specific conservation and harvest sharing arrangements for specific salmon stocks and fisheries. These conservation and harvest sharing arrangements are outlined in several “fishing chapters” in Annex IV of the Treaty, which are organized by geographic area and/or salmon species, and are periodically renegotiated by the Parties (typically on a 10-year cycle).

On May 3, 2019, the Parties implemented a new 10-year agreement for a number of these fishing chapters, which are now in force through 2028. Chapter 4, which addresses the management of Fraser River Sockeye and Pink salmon, expired on December 31, 2019 and Canadian-U.S. negotiators reached agreement-in-principle on proposed amendments in February 2019. The new amendments officially came into force in February 2021 and will also remain in place until 2028. Consultations were held with First Nations and stakeholders leading up to, and throughout, these negotiations. The Department also continues to schedule consultation sessions and meetings, as needed, to identify, discuss, and help mitigate potential concerns regarding the agreement.

To support Canada in meeting new obligations under the Treaty, in September 2019, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard announced $15 million in additional annual funding to support wild Pacific salmon research and management. Funding focuses on improving our understanding of climate change, harvest, and other factor’s impacting wild Pacific salmon stocks through specific activities, including: stock assessment; coded-wire tagging (CWT) and recovery; and catch monitoring and reporting. These investment also ensure that the Department is working closely with First Nations and stakeholders to manage Pacific salmon fisheries and improve our understanding of trends in salmon stocks for the conversation and sustainability of Pacific salmon. In this regard, new grants and contribution funding has led to approximately 64 agreements being signed with First Nations , from 2019 to 2021, to support their role in implementing the Treaty.

Importance of collaboration

Healthy Pacific salmon populations today and in the future depend on work being done by many important regulators, First Nations, communities and organizations. Accordingly, federal, provincial/territorial, local, and Indigenous partnerships are essential components of an integrated approach to Pacific salmon management and conservation. The jurisdictional framework for Pacific salmon includes separate legislated authorities for habitat management, integrated resource management, and land protection, as well as local management plans and zoning. Given this complex landscape, the Department works with different partners depending on the implicated authorities and the spatial scale of the activity being undertaken.

DFO’s work with partners on Pacific salmon and salmon habitat is guided by the Government of Canada’s commitment to a renewed, nation-to-nation relationship with Indigenous peoples, and by several key policies including the Precautionary Approach to Fishery Decision-Making and the Wild Salmon Policy. The principles of the Wild Salmon Policy – focusing on conservation, working with First Nations, making decisions that ensure sustainable use, and making decisions in an open and transparent process – guide the work the Department undertakes.

While this report showcases progress on actions that the Department is taking or leading, DFO recognizes that partners across BC and Yukon are actively contributing themselves towards the Wild Salmon Policy goal to maintain and restore wild salmon populations.

Modernized Fisheries Act

Under the Fisheries Act, DFO is responsible for managing Canadian fisheries resources and for managing, conserving, and protecting Canadian fish and fish habitat. On February 6, 2018, the Government of Canada introduced proposed amendments to restore lost protections and incorporate modern safeguards into the Fisheries Act. On June 21, 2019, Bill C-68, An Act to amend the Fisheries Act and other Acts in consequence received Royal Assent. The amendments were developed following extensive consultations. The Department heard from Indigenous peoples, provincial and territorial governments, industry, stakeholders, and the public from across the country, who asked for strong, fair and clear legislation that protects Canada’s environment, oceans and water bodies. It was recognized that a healthy and sustainable fishing sector is of vital importance to Canada’s economy. Moving forward, there are two key aspects resulting from the modernized Fisheries Act:(1) the introduction of Fish Stocks Provisions for prescribed major fish stocks; and (2) the transformation of the Fisheries Protection Program into the Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program (FFHPP) with an enhanced mandate and resourcing.

New fish stocks provisions

The amendments established binding commitments on the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to:

• Implement measures to maintain major fish stocks at levels needed to promote sustainability, and
• Develop and implement plans for stocks that have declined to or below their limit reference point (LRP) – the stock level below which productivity is sufficiently impaired to cause serious harm.

These provisions only apply to stocks prescribed in regulation. On January 2, 2021, the Department pre-published regulations amending the Fishery (General) Regulations under the Fisheries Act. The proposed regulations would prescribe 30 fish stocks, including three Pacific salmon stocks: West Coast Vancouver Island (WCVI) Chinook, Okanagan Chinook and Interior Fraser Coho. Other major stocks will continue to be prescribed in future years.

The Fisheries Act requires rebuilding plans be put in place within 24 months after the Minister has prescribed the stock in regulation if the stock is already below its LRP, or within 24 months of the stock declining to or below its LRP.

Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program

The former Fisheries Protection Program was transformed into the Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program (FFHPP) to implement key elements of the modernized Fisheries Act. The FFHPP works to conserve, protect and restore fish and fish habitat, and aquatic ecosystems for Canadians, now and in the future. It does this by focusing on four primary work areas: (1) regulatory reviews and advice; (2) integrated planning; (3) engagement and partnerships; and (4) Indigenous engagement.

The FFHPP is responsible for administering the fish and fish habitat protection provisions of the Fisheries Act and certain provisions of the Species at Risk Act (SARA), and ensuring compliance with these provisions. The FFHPP’s regulatory activities include conducting regulatory reviews of proposed development activities, compliance monitoring of projects in and near water, and coordinating departmental advice into Impact Assessments (IAs) for projects undergoing federal impact assessments. The FFHPP’s Integrated Planning Division enables proactive planning, management, and coordination with Indigenous groups, partners, and stakeholders, and provides information to support more informed decisions for fish and fish habitat in freshwater and coastal ecosystems. The Engagement and Partnerships Unit engages with Canadians on policy, program and regulatory changes while working with partners and stakeholders to implement changes to the Fisheries Act. The Indigenous Engagement Unit continues to advance Indigenous reconciliation by providing guidance to staff and supporting a respectful approach to fulfilling the Crown’s duty to consult, including through consideration of Indigenous knowledge.

Much of the FFHPPs work involves collaboration with Indigenous groups as well as provincial, territorial and municipal/local governments on areas of shared interest to protect, conserve and restore fish and fish habitat, and to deliver capacity funding through grants and contribution programming.

2021 addendum to the WSP Implementation Plan

In order to ensure to alignment between the modernized Fisheries Act and the Plan, Activity 48 commits DFO to coordinating the addition of activities into the Plan based on the renewed Fisheries Act. DFO identified six new activities and published the Addendum to the Plan in 2021. The new activities are listed below.

Activity ID 49 –DFO Pacific Science to provide advice on methodology to estimate LRPs for salmon Stock Management Units (SMUs) comprised of one or more Conservation Units (CUs)

LRPs are a necessary pre-requisite for prescribing stocks under the Fish Stocks provisions. This activity includes identifying a method for defining LRPs for SMUs, which consist of an aggregate of CUs exposed to similar fisheries and other life history factors. SMUs are the scale at which the Fish Stocks provisions will be applied to Pacific salmon.

Activity ID 50 - Apply the national Policy Guidelines for Writing Rebuilding Plans per the Fish Stocks Provisions and the Precautionary Approach Policy to Pacific salmon in a manner consistent with the Wild Salmon Policy

National guidance on Fish Stocks provisions are being developed from the perspective of one stock-one rebuilding plan. DFO Pacific’s Science branch will transfer this guidance to SMUs of Pacific salmon and provide guidance on the scale of planning for harvest, hatcheries and habitat (e.g., watershed, ecosystem, etc.).

Activity ID 51 - Coordinate implementation of Fish Stocks provisions for Pacific salmon

DFO Pacific’s Fisheries Management Branch will coordinate and develop plans to implement requirements of the Fish Stocks provisions for Pacific salmon stocks that are prescribed in regulations. The activity includes identification of SMUs for prescription under the Fish Stocks provisions and work-planning to support regulatory requirements (including rebuilding plans) for prescribed stocks.

Activity ID 52 – Study Coho salmon habitat use, productivity and response to land use change in the North Thompson watershed

Coho salmon in the North Thompson River are part of the Interior Fraser Coho population, which is assessed as ‘threatened’ by COSEWIC. However, there remain substantial unknowns regarding their early life history in freshwater. This work includes a series of investigations to identify areas of high habitat use, discern levels of habitat productivity, and examine how habitats are being impacted by land use activities.

Activity ID 53 – Engage with external partners and stakeholders on Cumulative Effects, Habitat Offsetting and Banking, Prescribed Works and Waters Regulations, Fisheries Act Registry, Codes of Practice and Engagement Framework

DFO’s FFHPP is seeking input from Indigenous peoples, governments and regulators, the regulated community and conservation groups to modernize and develop new policies, frameworks, instruments and guidance to further implement the fish and fish habitat protection provisions of the modernized Fisheries Act. In particular, FFHPP is undertaking engagement on the following:

• Codes of Practice: outline best practices for avoiding harmful impacts to fish and fish habitat. Section 34.2 of the Fisheries Act allows the Minister to establish Standards and Codes of Practice.
• Habitat Offsetting and Banking: offsetting is an action a proponent can take to counterbalance negative effects of their project on fish and fish habitat. Offsetting is used only after measures to avoid and mitigate any unresolved effects have been exhausted. Habitat banking allows a proponent to create conservation projects in a particular area to offset anticipated adverse impacts to fish and fish habitat. In an ongoing effort to improve the conservation and protection of fish and fish habitat, DFO is proposing to modernize its offsetting and habitat banking policies.
• Prescribed Works and Waters Regulation: The proposed prescribed works and waters regulation would provide an additional tool for DFO to manage potential impacts to fish and fish habitat in Canada. This regulation could establish, or “prescribe”, conditions for certain types of routine projects or projects in certain kinds of minor waterbodies. Subsection 34.4(4) of the Fisheries Act provides the authority for DFO to develop this regulation.
• Cumulative Effects: Occurs where the impact of multiple pressures overlap and a system does not have adequate time to recover. In so doing, cumulative effects can create a larger impact than that of any of the individual pressures—which might otherwise be considered negligible. DFO is developing a Policy Framework for the Consideration of Cumulative Effects to provide guidance to staff on interpreting legislative obligations and to provide clarity to partners and stakeholders on how cumulative effects will be considered by the Department in regulatory decision-making. The renewed Fisheries Act obligates DFO to consider the cumulative effects of regulatory decisions as they relate to fish and fish habitat.
• Fisheries Act Registry: DFO is working towards establishing a full Fisheries Act Registry portal to provide more information and tools to better support the Government’s goals around transparency, access, and accountability. The renewed Fisheries Act also includes a commitment to report to Canadians.

Activity ID 54 – Review and update the WSP Implementation Plan to ensure consistency of definitions with the renewed Fisheries Act

The Department will review the Plan to identify any inconsistencies in definitions between the Plan and the Fisheries Act. The scope of this activity is limited and will not include a fulsome review of the Plan.

Overall progress on WSP implementation

Over 2020-2021, the Department continued to make progress on the activities outlined in the five-year Plan. However, some activities continued to face delays from previous years as a result of unanticipated challenges. Overall, 100% of the overarching approaches and 78% of the activities are either completed or on-track. This represents a continued effort by the Department, and signals DFO’s ongoing commitment to meeting the goal of the WSP to restore and maintain healthy and diverse salmon populations and their habitat.

For the 32 activities with a target completion date (the blue chart below), 21 are now either complete or on- track to be completed by their target date, and 11 are delayed. For the 22 ongoing activities (the purple chart below), 21 are on-track and are being routinely delivered as planned, with only one facing delivery challenges.

For detailed information on the overarching approaches and progress on individual WSP activities, including additional context and mitigation strategies, please see the Annex B at the end of this report.

WSP Implementation Plan activity highlights

While Annex B outlines the status of all activities, this section provides specific snapshots of WSP implementation for:

• activities targeted for completion in 2018-19 and 2019-20 which were delayed at the time of previous Annual Reports
• activities targeted for completion in 2020-21

Theme 1: Assessment

The activities under this theme relate to the assessment and monitoring of Pacific salmon, its habitats and ecosystems. Assessment work is considered the foundation of successful management and is a critical first-step in integrated planning.

2018-19 and 2019-20 activity highlights

Activity ID 6: Apply and refine an approach for identifying and prioritizing CUs or groups of CUs for biological status assessments

Target Completion Date: March 31, 2020

Delayed: Stock Management Units (SMUs) (groups of CUs) were identified for implementation of the Fish Stocks Provisions of the revised Fisheries Act to enable a coordinated approach for program delivery and to reduce duplication and manage workload. The 69 SMUs will be used to group CUs for planning purposes, including the prioritization of CUs for biological status assessments. There is now a better understanding of the work required to complete ‘biological status assessments’.

The development, review and acceptance of a risk-based tool that applies to SMUs for the purpose of prioritizing status assessments and the appropriate forum for this purpose has proven challenging due to the fact that this activity may require significant and ongoing coordination amongst sectors. One issue still to be resolved is the extent to which applying a prioritization tool is a collaborative process that engages stakeholders and the appropriate forum for doing so. Previous risk-based prioritization work for Management Units (MUs) may be helpful in informing prioritization efforts and existing tools could be refined for Wild Salmon Policy status assessments as well. Status assessments may require a tiered approach based on the intended use of the assessment in order to permit cost-effective prioritization efforts with available resources. It should be possible, in a relatively short period, to apply risk criteria/tools to SMUs using the Salmon Assessment Coordinating Committee for an initial internal review. Broader First Nation and stakeholder engagement will require a workshop approach.

Activity ID 16: Publish report on Risk Assessment Methods for Salmon (RAMS) to assess potential for disturbance events or regimes in freshwater & marine ecosystems to control CU status and trend patterns.

Target Completion Date: March 31, 2019

Delayed: Three draft documents have been completed and are under revision to be available as an integrated set. The documents are:

1. RAMS origins/development and relevance to Wild Salmon Policy
2. RAMS application and results for Cowichan Chinook
3. General Guidebook for RAMS applications

Activity ID 17: Publish report(s) on results from initial application(s) of RAMS from one or more workshops (e.g. Cowichan Chinook, Barkley Sockeye)

Target Completion Date: March 31, 2020

Delayed: Draft reports have been completed, but finalization of reports has been delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions and the impacts on completing consultations with local groups.

Activity ID 23: Develop options and recommended actions through the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project to address human threats and biological limiting factors affecting survival of Chinook and Coho in the Salish Sea

Target Completion Date: December 1, 2019

Completed: The Salish Sea Synthesis committee published the full synthesis and summary final reports in 2021. They are available here: Research Findings - Salish Sea Marine Survival Project.

2020-21 activity highlights

Activity ID 11: Work with the Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF) to document salmon habitat characteristics (in freshwater); and

Activity ID 12: Use information from Activity ID 11 regarding habitat status indicators to inform freshwater elements of a risk assessment framework in order to explain status and trend patterns exhibited by a CU or groups of CUs (e.g. WCVI Chinook)

Target Completion Date: March 31, 2021

Delayed: During the 2020-21 fiscal year, progress on these activities was delayed due to COVID-19 and the emergence of unexpected priorities. However, the Central West Coast Forest Society (CWFS) is reviewing local habitat indicators and comparing them to coarser scale regional indicators available in the Pacific Salmon Explorer as the basis for WCVI salmon CU risk assessments. There is an opportunity to collaborate with CWFS and West Coast Aquatic groups on future risk assessments. Additional effort can be invested from South Coast Area and Core Science to coordinate these activities through local area roundtables and a RAMS process.

Activity ID 18: Use results from Activity ID 17 to identify potential actions and address key threats and limiting factors in any rebuilding plans for subject CUs (e.g. WCVI Chinook)

Target Completion Date: March 31, 2021

Delayed: Cowichan work is summarized in a report entitled “Cowichan Watershed and Chinook Health Initiative.” Implementation of key factors, especially water/flow are being addressed by local government and Cowichan Tribes. This work was also incorporated into Southern BC Chinook Initiative. Progress has been delayed due to COVID-19 related restrictions.

Activity ID 21: Report on indicator utility to compare the role(s) of major freshwater and marine ecosystem drivers in controlling status and trend patterns exhibited by data rich CUs and associated CU aggregates originating from two or more major biogeoclimatic zones in Canada’s Pacific Region.

Target Completion Date: March 31, 2021

Delayed: The major report indicated by this activity has been delayed. The reporting is part of the annual business cycle of the State of the Salmon program. Information on the major drivers that impact the status and trend patterns of salmon CUs is provided in the annual State of the Salmon Reports and the State of the Pacific Ocean Reports.

Theme 2: Maintaining and rebuilding stocks

The Maintaining and Rebuilding Stocks theme details work regarding progressive and integrative planning and annual program delivery, including how information from assessment activities can be used to manage, maintain and rebuild stocks and habitats.

2018-19 and 2019-20 activity highlights

Activity ID 29: Map CUs, freshwater and marine ecosystems, Fishery Management Units, and Outlook Units to clarify connections and nesting

Target completion date: March 31, 2019

Delayed: Work is underway and CU maps have been updated, but some verification work remains and Yukon CUs need to be added. The production of SMU maps, which aggregate CUs has been initiated and is expected to proceed quickly. Mapping Fishery Management Units will be the final step after some conceptual work to address the scale of these maps. Completion is expected in winter 2021.

Activity ID 34: Document SEP program activity by CU (enhancement, community involvement, habitat restoration)

Target completion date: June 2019

Delayed: All hatchery enhancement is documented in a regional database by CU. In 2020-21, the Salmonid Enhancement Program (SEP) worked with other DFO teams to develop and populate the Pacific Restoration Tracker. This tracker maps restoration projects and activities supported by DFO’s transfer payment programs. For ease and clarity (i.e. visual representation) restoration projects and activities are mapped by watershed rather than CU. Additional work is required to complete the documentation of community involvement activities. As SEP activities are ongoing and adaptive, we see this documentation activity as an integral and ongoing contribution to WSP implementation.

2020-21 activity highlights

Activity ID 31: Develop a WCVI Chinook rebuilding plan

Target completion date: December 31, 2020

Delayed: Ten risk assessment workshops have been completed and work is underway to address key knowledge gaps identified during these sessions. A joint DFO-Nuu-Chah-Nulth steering committee was established to guide development of the rebuilding plan and a marine risk assessment workshop is planned for fall 2021.

As a result of COVID-19, field activities and the risk assessment workshops were delayed. In addition, there is a need to align the SARA listing process with the Rebuilding Plan process due to COSEWIC’s assessment of WCVI Chinook as ‘threatened’. Completion is expected by March 31, 2022.

Theme 3: Accountability

The Accountability theme commits DFO to completing activities and reporting publicly on progress to ensure that activities and governance structures in the Plan are operationalized and effective. This reflection will enable DFO to adjust activities to better meet the WSP goal over time.

2020-21 activity highlights

Activity ID 48: Coordinate the addition of activities in the WSP Implementation Plan based on the renewed Fisheries Act

Target completion date: March 31, 2021

Completed: On June 21, 2019, the modernized Fisheries Act received Royal Assent and became law. The new provisions and stronger protections will better support the sustainability of Canada’s marine resources for future generations. The Department has published an Addendum to the Plan which identifies six new activities all targeted for completion by March 31, 2022. The proposed activities were developed through dialogue with Indigenous groups and stakeholders including the Salmon Coordinating Committee under the First Nations’ Fisheries Council.

Update on other Pacific Salmon Initiatives over 2020-2021

Climate change and other stressors are contributing to concerning trends among Pacific salmon populations and the ecosystems they rely on throughout their lives. Further, the Big Bar Landslide continues to pose challenges for upper Fraser salmon and steelhead migration. Unfortunately, sustained harvest reductions over the past 30 years have not reversed declining trends.

Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative

DFO recognizes that a bold and targeted response with concrete actions is required to effectively address the steeply declining trends in many Pacific salmon populations, and rebuild the species where possible.

Budget 2021 announced a historic $647.1 million over five years (plus $98.9 million in amortization) for the PSSI which will advance targeted actions through four key pillars:

1. Conservation and Stewardship: improved habitat monitoring and assessment, and integrated ecosystem planning and restoration with partners.
2. Salmon Enhancement: new hatchery facilities and enhanced scientific expertise to support salmon conservation where most needed to support stocks, and targeted fishing opportunities.
3. Harvest Transformation: transformation of salmon fisheries to improve stability and resilience in the harvest sector.
4. Integration and Collaboration: collaboration with Indigenous, provincial, territorial and international governments.

The PSSI builds on and supports the years of engagement, consultations, and work that Indigenous communities, commercial and recreational fishers, grassroots organizations, scientists and others have contributed to protect and recover Pacific salmon. The four pillars provide a holistic framework and are supported by five horizontal principles:Indigenous Reconciliation; Innovative Solutions; Prioritization; Enhanced Transparency, Data and Trust; and Partnerships and Collaboration.

As part of the PSSI, on June 29, 2021 the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and Canadian Coast Guard announced significant commercial salmon closures for the 2021 season. These conservation-driven management decisions provide strong protections for the most fragile stocks of concern across the Pacific region and form an important part of the harvest transformation pillar. Engagement and consultations with affected First Nations and harvesters on the approach for long-term closures, as well as mitigation measures for those affected by the closures, is anticipated to begin in 2021.

The PSSI will be advanced in collaboration with First Nations, provincial and territorial governments, harvesting groups, stakeholders, communities, and others who depend on Pacific salmon and who have been calling for transformative long-term action. Early engagement has already begun with a focus on how First Nations, partners, and stakeholders want to be engaged. As more details of the Initiative are released, further engagement on implementation and enhanced collaborative processes will commence.

The PSSI is a long-term initiative that recognizes that Pacific salmon populations take time to recover. The PSSI will have a combination of short, medium and long-term milestones to ensure we are making meaningful progress in protecting and rebuilding Pacific salmon and salmon habitat in the Pacific region. Since Pacific salmon recovery depends on many factors, it is important to understand that collective efforts to rebuild Pacific salmon stocks will take time to fully show results, as long as 10-15 years. The Department has undertaken initial work on PSSI milestones and targets for the next five years, with further refinement occurring as the implementation details are determined in collaboration with First Nations and other partners.

BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund update

The BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund (BCSRIF) was launched on March 15, 2019. BCSRIF is a cost-shared federal/provincial program that supports the protection and restoration of wild Pacific salmon and other B.C. fish stocks, as well as projects to ensure the fish and seafood sector in B.C. is positioned for long-term environmental and economic sustainability. When the program was originally launched, total funding amounted to $142.85 million over five years. The federal government provides 70% of the funding and 30% comes from the Province of B.C. Budget 2021 proposed doubling the federal funding to BCSRIF with an additional $100 million in funding.

Funding priorities are collaboratively developed and approved by DFO and the Province of B.C. annually to reflect key areas of each party's interests and support current government priorities. Examples of projects include:

• The Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium (University of Victoria) is conducting research to improve our understanding of potential threats posed to Pacific salmonids and their habitats posed by climate change and developing risk assessment tools to support adaptive regional management approaches.
• The Pacific Salmon Foundation and partners are developing a monitoring and evaluation framework to determine survival bottlenecks in freshwater and marine environments for hatchery and wild Chinook, Coho and Steelhead. Research, monitoring, and evaluation activities will help to maximize the performance of hatchery and wild stocks; and the installation of new infrastructure will support adaptive management of hatchery programs to meet harvest, conservation, and sustainability objectives.
• The Nature Trust of BC is partnering with local First Nations, environmental organizations and academic institutions to implement the “Enhancing Estuary Resilience: An Innovative Approach to Sustaining Fish and Fish Habitat in a Changing Climate”. This project involves monitoring and research to assess estuary resilience to sea level rise and other climate impacts across the coast of BC using the Marsh Resiliency to Sea Level Rise (MARS) tool, followed by restoration projects to restore core natural estuarine processes.

COVID-19 has had an impact on BCSRIF-funded projects. However, many recipients have developed innovative strategies to mitigate COVID-19 challenges and project delays. For example, planned in-person meetings have been held virtually and local staff have been hired to conduct activities where access to some BC communities has been restricted, providing a valuable source of employment during the COVID-19 health crisis. BCSRIF will continue to work with clients to find innovative ways to adapt to emerging challenges facing the sector.

Response to the Big Bar Landslide

On June 23, 2019, a significant landslide was reported in a remote stretch of the Fraser River near Big Bar, north of Lillooet, BC, in the area of the traditional territories of the Secwepemc and St’at’imc Nations. The landslide created a barrier which prevented migrating Pacific Fraser salmon from reaching their spawning grounds in the upper Fraser River watershed for the 2019-20 season. Over summer 2019, DFO worked in collaboration with Indigenous partners and the Province of BC to respond to the slide. The collaborative efforts to clear the blockage have continued through 2021 and the government-to-government-to-government collaboration remains an integral part of ongoing efforts.

On December 31, 2019, DFO announced that the engineering company Peter Kiewit Sons ULC (Kiewit) was awarded a $17.6 million contract to undertake extensive winter rock remediation work at the landslide site before river levels begin to rise in the spring.

The work included blasting and removing rock at the site of the landslide to improve passage for Pacific salmon and steelhead stocks during the May through November migration season. Additionally, planning for other fish transport methods, to be used during the 2020 Fraser salmon migration season, was initiated including methods to assist passage of salmon above the slide site. Emergency conservation enhancement planning was also launched.

On December 9, 2020, DFO announced that Kiewit was awarded a $176.3 million contract to design and construct a permanent fishway at the slide. This contract also included protecting the site from extensive rock fall hazards, improving access routes and assisting DFO with interim measures to move fish during the spring and summer of 2021. However, due to changing site conditions and extreme weather which impacted the safe and timely implementation of the fishway, DFO has suspended further construction, and the contract with Kiewit was terminated following the completion of summer site operations and Kiewit’s demobilization. The tripartite remediation team (Indigenous, federal and provincial representatives) is undertaking an analysis to review options and alternatives to establish a long-term solution to safely restore natural fish passage through the area.

Salmon Allocation Policy review

The Department is currently undertaking a collaborative process with First Nations and stakeholders to review and update the 1999 Pacific Salmon Allocation Policy (SAP). This process of updating the SAP is being conducted in a manner that is intended to respect Canada’s Nation-to-Nation relationship with Indigenous peoples and engage stakeholders.

The SAP sets out a series of principles for allocating salmon in BC among three harvest groups (First Nations food, social and ceremonial; commercial; and recreational). Since it was first developed, there have been significant changes to fisheries management, policy, and Indigenous rights, including the 2018 BC Supreme Court Ahousaht decision, which found the SAP principle of priority of allocation to the recreational fishery for Chinook and Coho over the right-based economic fishery of five Nuu-chah-nulth Nations (Ahousaht, Ehattesaht/Chinekint, Hesquiaht, Mowachaht/ Muchalaht, and Tla-o-qui-aht) to be an unjustified infringement of their Aboriginal rights.

In response, then Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, directed DFO to review the SAP and committed that “we will work in collaboration with Indigenous groups and all stakeholders to renew and co-develop this policy.”

In 2019, the Department initiated a phased approach to develop an updated SAP involving a high degree of collaboration with First Nations, the recreational and commercial fishing sectors. The phases for the Review include: (1) collaborative development of a Terms of Reference outlining process and scope of the policy review; (2) information gathering, sharing of perspectives through broad engagement and conducting analysis to support the development of options; (3) collaborative development and consideration of policy options to best meet objectives and interests; and (4) collaborative development of policy recommendations. As of spring 2021, DFO was completing Phase 1 of the review process and finalizing the Terms of Reference (ToR) outlining the scope and process for the review.

In 2019 and 2020, an independent facilitation team led multiple meetings with a working group of Indigenous aggregate fisheries organizations assembled by the First Nations Fisheries Council (to provide recommendations on the SAP review process and draft ToR), the five Nuu-chah-nulth Nations involved in the Ahousaht decision, the Commercial Salmon Advisory Board, the Sport Fishing Advisory Board and DFO. The draft Terms of Reference developed by the facilitation team based on these discussions were the focus of broad consultations with First Nations and stakeholder organizations in late 2020 and early 2021. Significant input was received from First Nations and stakeholder organizations, contributing to the finalization of the ToR.

The current focus is on seeking ministerial approval of the final Terms of Reference before shifting to focus on Phase 2 - gathering information and conducting analysis to inform the development of policy options.

An updated Policy will provide harvesters with increased predictability and transparency, which will support more resilient and sustainable Pacific salmon fisheries. Overall, the review will be aligned with other initiatives and will be an important element of the PSSI as it advances a transparent approach to managing salmon in the Pacific Region.

The state of Pacific salmon and measuring departmental performance

In order to understand if the activities committed to in the Plan were leading to improved conditions for salmon populations and their habitats, DFO committed to reporting on key performance indicators within the Plan’s annual reports. Quantitative performance indicators are intended to complement qualitative and narrative data, as well as the work being conducted in various science forums.

State of Pacific salmon

There are five species of wild Pacific salmon managed by DFO: Sockeye (Oncorhynchus nerka), Pink (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha), Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), Coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and Chum (Oncorhynchus keta). These species are anadromous, meaning they spend the first part of their lives in freshwater as eggs and juveniles, and the latter part of their lives in the Pacific Ocean before they return to freshwater to spawn as adults.

Pacific salmon species and populations exhibit considerable biological variation. Many Sockeye and Chinook populations, and all Coho populations, rear in freshwater for one to two years as juveniles, before migrating to the ocean. Other Sockeye and Chinook populations, and all Chum and Pink populations, migrate to the ocean shortly after hatching and emergence, with only a limited freshwater juvenile stage. Salmon are adapted to the particular freshwater and marine conditions they experience throughout their life-cycles. Population traits can vary such as the age they return to spawn, their distribution in freshwater and the ocean, and the timing of their migrations.

Some general trends in Canadian Pacific salmon abundances are emerging. These were identified in DFO’s 2019 State of Canadian Pacific Salmon report. Chinook numbers are declining throughout their BC and Yukon range, and Sockeye and Coho numbers are declining, most notably at southern latitudes. Salmon that spend less time in freshwater, like river-type Sockeye, ocean-type Chinook, odd year Pink, and Chum are generally doing better. Though in the last two years Chum have also started to return in poorer numbers in British Columbia. More information is presented in Figure 1.

Figure 1: recent trends in salmon numbers

Key performance indicators

As part of DFO’s suite of programs contributing to wild salmon conservation, the Department has already identified and reports on a number of performance indicators on an ongoing basis. These indicators support a greater understanding of the Department’s overall efforts on assessment and monitoring, as well as integrated strategic planning to support the restoration and maintenance of healthy salmon populations and their habitats. This information is included in the key performance indicator table below. DFO will continue to refine these key performance indicators, and develop new indicators as required to better articulate progress.

WSP moving forward: 2020-21

In 2021-22, the Department continues to work towards completion of many activities. The activities below are a snapshot of the work that the Department will undertake over the course of the year, in addition to continuing work on activities that have been delayed or are ongoing. The 2020-21 work includes new activities (49 to 54) recently published in the Addendum to the Plan, which have been captured in the relevant themes below. As 2022 is the last year of the Plan, DFO will also be undertaking a five-year review.

Look ahead to activities targeted for completion in 2020-21

Meeting the goal of the Wild Salmon Policy is complex and the broader themes of Assessment, Maintaining and Rebuilding Stocks, and Accountability demonstrate that individual strategies are not autonomous. Successful integration of work under all themes is necessary to ensure its success. In addition to delivering on the targeted date activities listed above, DFO will continue to meet the nine overarching approaches and 22 ongoing activities.

Conclusion

DFO is continuing to move forward with our commitment to protect wild salmon populations, alongside key partners. The work that DFO has undertaken to implement the WSP makes it well-positioned to support the modernized Fisheries Act and also sets a solid foundation for the PSSI moving forward. This work, along with the efforts by so many others in BC and Yukon, are important steps toward reaching the evergreen goal of restoring and maintaining diverse salmon populations for the benefit of the people and ecosystems of Canada in perpetuity. At the same time, ongoing environmental and climate change issues, plus unforeseen challenges, such as the Big Bar landslide and the COVID-19 pandemic, are contributing to the broader landscape within which salmon restoration and protection efforts are taking place. This requires us all to constantly be learning, reflecting and adapting our ongoing work, in order to restore and maintain healthy and diverse Pacific salmon populations and their habitat.

Annex A: wild salmon policy implementation resources and acronyms

Resources

• Wild Salmon Policy
• Wild Salmon Policy 2018-2022 Implementation Plan
• Wild Salmon Policy Implementation Plan highlights, 2005-2017
• Wild Salmon Policy Implementation Plan annual reports
• International Year of the Salmon
• Government of Canada Open Data Portal
• Species at Risk Act
• Framework for reviewing and approving revisions to Wild Salmon Policy conservation units
• Modernized Fisheries Act
• Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS)
• CSAS Science Advisory Reports:
  • Fraser River Sockeye
  • Southern BC Chinook
  • Interior Fraser River Coho
• State of the Salmon report
• Salish Sea Marine Survival Project – Research Findings
• NuSEDS-New Salmon Escapement Database System

Select abbreviations

• ADGT: Aquatic Diagnostics, Genomics and Technology
• BCSRIF: BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund
• COSEWIC: Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada
• CSAS: Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat
• CU: Conservation Unit
• CWT: Coded Wire Tag
• DU: Designatable Unit
• DFO: Fisheries and Oceans Canada
• ESD: Ecosystem Science Division
• FFHPP: Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program
• IA: Impact Assessment
• IFMP: Integrated Fisheries Management Plan
• IKS: Indigenous Knowledge Systems
• LRP: Limit Reference Point
• MPA: Marine Protected Area
• MU: Management Unit
• NuSEDS: New Salmon Escapement Database Systems
• OSD: Ocean Science Division
• PNCIMA: Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area
• RAMS: Risk Assessment Method for Salmon
• RMPD: Resource Management Program Delivery
• RPA: Recovery Potential Assessment
• SAP: Salmon Allocation Policy
• SARA: Species At Risk Act
• SEP: Salmonid Enhancement Program
• SMCS: Salmon Management and Client Services
• SMU: Stock Management Unit
• SSHI: Strategic Salmon Health Initiative
• StAR: Stock Assessment and Research
• PSF: Pacific Salmon Foundation
• PSSI: Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative
• PST: Pacific Salmon Treaty
• WCVI: West Coast Vancouver Island
• WSP: Wild Salmon Policy

Annex B: WSP Implementation Plan tracker

This is the detailed companion document that outlines specific activity status and key work to date. Additionally, the below table will outline any challenges faced by activities and explains any mitigation strategy in place to restore activities that are ‘delayed’ or ‘facing challenges’ back to ‘on-track’ status.

Overall approaches

Activity tracker