Good afternoon to the members of the committee. Thank you for having invited me.
My name is Myriam Bergeron, and I'm a biologist and the director general of the Fédération québécoise pour le saumon atlantique, the FQSA, which represents fishers and managers of salmon rivers in Quebec, and to which management is delegated by the provincial government. We also take part in national and international conservation and promotional efforts on behalf of Atlantic salmon.
The main reason for my presence here today is our expertise in salmon management. The rigorous approach of Quebec's internationally recognized model for Atlantic salmon management allows for river-by-river detailed management of the salmon resource. At this level of management we can adjust our fishing activities and limits on the basis of resource variability, in collaboration with the provincial government, first nations and local management organizations.
The scientific models for setting target conservation thresholds for runs are complex, and annual monitoring is carried out on many rivers. In fact, the runs are counted on approximately 40 rivers each year, in addition to sampling and measurements of individuals, which are used to calculate the number of salmon required for the fall spawn. Fishers are also required to declare their catches, which allows us to track things effectively.
Catch-and-release sport fishing is becoming increasingly popular. Thanks to substantial awareness investments, we have thoroughly educated our community of fishers on best practices. Thus 90% of releases are being declared with an observed survival rate of 97%. In 2020, 69% of catches were released and we observed a 19% increase in total runs compared to the average for the past five years. Rapidly growing interest in sport fishing has also led to significant economic benefits in the regions.
I'd like to take advantage of this opportunity to mention that the addition of Atlantic salmon to the endangered species list, which is currently being studied by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, the COSEWIC, and by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, would threaten the work being done by this network on the management and monitoring of salmon populations. Wildlife management performance requires the involvement of fishers, the salmon river management organizations, and the provincial and federal governments. Indeed, the presence of fishers generates significant revenue that is directly reinvested in resource conservation and monitoring. Correlating the promotion of sport fishing with conservation activities is clearly useful. Adding salmon to the endangered species list will not necessarily work for salmon.
The FQSA recommends the development of integrated management for Atlantic salmon, as is the case for the different species of Pacific salmon, because the threats are interrelated, not only for conservation, but also the sustainable development of these fisheries. These include environmental issues, climate change and aquaculture, as you were discussing earlier.
It's essential to pull together and work with the various levels of government to design flexible management frameworks suited to regional realities by applying the principles of subsidiarity and sustainable development. Even though Atlantic salmon populations have stabilized, it's important to take action now by investing in effective management methods, as was the case for Pacific salmon species.
Thank you once again for having invited me to appear this afternoon. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.