Wild Salmon Policy Update Yukon River Panel March 23, 2011.

Wild Salmon Policy Update

Yukon River Panel

March 23, 2011

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Presentation Outline• Overview of the Wild Salmon Policy (WSP)• Update and next steps for WSP Strategies:

1. Standardized monitoring of wild salmon status2. Assessment of habitat status3. Inclusion of ecosystem values and monitoring4. Integrated strategic planning

• WSP – New Management Approaches for DFO• Key contact information

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• The goal 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”

• WSP places conservation of salmon and their habitats as the first priority for resource management

• Successful WSP implementation is dependent on support from partners and stakeholders

Wild Salmon Policy (WSP)

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Managefisheries for sustainable

benefits

Safeguard thegenetic diversity ofwild Pacific salmon

2) Assessment of habitat status

1) Standardized monitoring of wild salmon status

3) Inclusion of ecosystem values and monitoring

Maintain habitat and ecosystem

integrity

Restore and maintain

healthy and diverse salmon populations and

their habitats for the benefit and enjoyment of the people of Canada in perpetuity

Goal

Objectives

Strategies

Conservation of wild salmon and

their habitat is the highest priority

Obligations to First Nations Sustainable UseGuiding

Principles

4) Integrated strategic planning

5) Annual program delivery

6) Performance Review

Open and transparent

decision-making

Wild Salmon Policy Overview

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Strategy 1 Action Steps:1.1. Identify Conservation Units

1.2. Develop criteria to assess CUs and identify benchmarks to represent

biological status

1.3. Monitor and assess status of CUs• Conservation Unit (CU): A group of wild salmon sufficiently isolated from other groups that, if

extirpated, is very unlikely to re-colonize naturally within an acceptable timeframe.• Approximately 20 salmon conservation units (CUs) identified in the Yukon and approximately

420 identified in British Columbia.• Benchmarks and status assessment methodology paper finalized (Holt et. al.)

Next steps:• Consultations on Yukon CUs• Completion of the new stock assessment framework.• Engagement of stakeholders and First Nations in identification of benchmarks and monitoring

activities.

Strategy 1: Standardized Monitoring of wild salmon status

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Strategy 2: Assessment of habitat status

Strategy 2 Action Steps:

2.1 Document habitat characteristics within CUs

2.2 Select indicators and develop benchmarks for habitat assessment

2.3 Monitor and assess habitat status

2.4 Establish linkages to develop an integrated data system for watershed management

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• A suite of habitat indicators has been developed and peer reviewed. (eg. water extraction, stream length, water temperature.)

• Habitat characteristics documentd for Sarita (Barkley Sound), Lower Harrison River, and the Cowichan River.

• WSP Web-mapping tool was launched and provides public access to CU maps and will house other spatial WSP data generated in the future.

Next steps:• Completion of habitat status reports for the Somass, Bedwell and San Juan

to support the Barkley Sound WSP pilot• Improve the search capabilities and convert the webmapping application to

a platform similar to Google maps.

Strategy 2: Assessment of habitat status

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Habitat Elements

Salmon CU

Other species Salmon

Ecosystem

Strategy 3: Monitoring Ecosystem StatusStrategy 3 Action Steps

3.1: Indentify indicators to monitor status of freshwater ecosystems3.2 Integrate climate and ocean information into annual salmon management processes

• Testing of ecosystem-based management concepts in pilot areas, such as Barkley Sound, Cowichan and the Okanagan.

• Integrated salmon information into annual State of Oceans reports

Next Steps:• Complete and submit ecosystem

concept paper for peer review• Discuss ways to link ecosystem monitoring

(Strategy 3) with CU status monitoring (Strategy 1) and habitat monitoring (Strategy 2).

• Continue to integrate salmon information into annual State of Oceans reports.

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Strategy 4 Action Steps:4.1. Implement an interim process for management of priority CUs4.2. Design and implement a fully integrated planning process for

salmon conservation

• WSP integrated strategic planning will cover all stages of Pacific salmon life history.

• The WSP proposes a five step planning process for the development of the strategic plans:

1. Identify planning priorities2. Identify resource management options and alternative management strategies3. Establish biological, social, and economic performance indicators4. Assess the likely impacts of management alternatives5. Select the preferred management alternative

Strategy 4: Integrated Strategic Planning

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• It is expected that the planning and governance model will draw on existing structures, processes and information where possible (e.g. local watershed roundtables, Integrated Harvest Planning working groups etc.)

• Integrated strategic plans under the WSP will need to be nested within the integrated fisheries management plans.

• DFO is completing several initiatives to test different geographic scales for planning – Barkley Sound, Cowichan, Fraser and Skeena

Next Steps:• Continue to implement pilot projects.• Development of an integrated planning and governance toolkit based

on best practices and lessons learned.

Strategy 4: Integrated Strategic Planning

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WSP has led to New Management Approaches

• Transition to ecosystem based management• Protecting biodiversity – shift to weak stock management• Adopting precautionary risk management approaches• Balancing socio-economic and biological factors for sustainable

benefits• Integrated planning – linking science, habitat and fisheries

management – egg to egg planning• Transition to collaborative monitoring and management –

shared responsibilities across four orders of government, stakeholders and non-governmental organizations.

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For more information:DFO Wild Salmon Policy website http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/species-especes/salmon-saumon/wsp-pss/index-eng.htm

WSP CoordinatorTelephone: 604-666-3657 e-mail: [email protected]

Key contact information