Mr. Speaker, with regard to the decision of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, DFO, that “recreational fishing for Chinook salmon will be closed on the Skeena River watershed and all rivers and lakes in Region 6 flowing into PFMAs 3 to 6, not including the Kitimat River and Nass River watersheds”, (a) DFO relies on “An Allocation Policy for Pacific Salmon (1999)” as the guiding framework to determine allocations among harvest groups for anadromous Pacific salmon in British Columbia and Yukon. As per the policy, directed recreational fisheries for Chinook may be permitted when abundance is sufficient to meet conservation objectives and subject to the priority for first nations food, social and ceremonial fisheries. As with many northern British Columbia and southeast Alaska Chinook salmon stocks, the population of Skeena River Chinook salmon has experienced a prolonged decline in abundance over the last two decades. The number of adult fish returning to the watershed to spawn in the past six seasons has been particularly low. In support of conservation and first nations allocation priorities, the department has implemented restrictions and/or prohibited retention of Skeena River Chinook salmon in recreational and commercial fisheries during this period.
In response to (b), DFO develops and implements management measures for Pacific salmon on the basis of pre-season forecasts and, where available, in-season information on abundance. Due to changes in large-scale environmental conditions, the variability between pre-season and in-season estimates of abundance has increased. For Skeena River Chinook salmon, pre-season forecasts of expected abundance are developed utilizing information on prior year parent spawning abundance and the relationship between adult spawners and returning adults four and five years later. When the estimated pre-season abundance indicates that the number of Chinook salmon may not be sufficient to achieve conservation or first nations food, social and ceremonial allocations, restrictions are implemented to reduce or avoid interception in lower-priority recreational and commercial fisheries.
In response to (c), declining and variable rates of survival observed between the egg to adult life stage of Chinook salmon in northern British Columbia over the past two decades, referred to as the spawner recruit relationship, indicate that fewer Chinook salmon are surviving to adulthood than in the past. During periods of declining recruitment, ensuring that sufficient numbers of Chinook salmon are allowed to reach their spawning grounds is a primary fishery management objective intended to support future production. Prohibiting retention of Chinook salmon in recreational and commercial fisheries allows fish that would otherwise have been captured to pass to spawning areas or provide opportunities for first nation food, social and ceremonial fishery harvest. Restriction of fisheries and/or prohibition of retention of Chinook salmon is the primary means of protecting Chinook salmon that have reached maturity and are migrating to spawning areas.
With respect to part (d), over the past six seasons, in response to the two-decades long decline of Chinook salmon in the Skeena River watershed, DFO has implemented a precautionary approach to the administration of fishery opportunities directed at Skeena River Chinook salmon. In accordance with “An Allocation Policy for Pacific Salmon (1999)”, opportunities for recreational fishery harvest of Chinook salmon are permitted if conservation needs and first nations food, social and ceremonial fishery allocations are likely to be met. During periods of poor Chinook salmon production and/or survival, the opportunity to harvest Chinook salmon in recreational fisheries will be reduced to achieve these priorities.
In response to part (e), management of the U.S. southeast Alaskan commercial fishery harvest of Skeena River Chinook salmon is administered through the Pacific Salmon Treaty, or PST, chapter 3. The treaty establishes conservation objectives and harvest parameters for both Canadian and U.S. fisheries on the basis of aggregate abundance indices for mixed stock fisheries and indicator stocks. U.S. commercial fisheries do not specifically target Skeena River Chinook salmon; rather, fish are intercepted in mixed-stock fisheries targeting southeast Alaska, southern U.S. and British Columbia Chinook salmon stocks. Declining abundance of Chinook salmon in northern British Columbia and southeast Alaska has resulted in lower total allowable harvests permitted in these fisheries under PST harvest provisions. In other words, as abundance declines, more restrictive, precautionary measures have been implemented in both U.S. and Canadian fisheries for Chinook salmon administered pursuant to the PST. The total annual harvest of Chinook salmon in southeast Alaskan commercial fisheries has declined by about 50% in the past two decades. The majority of Chinook salmon captured in southeast Alaskan commercial fisheries originate in the southern U.S. Columbia River, non-Skeena River British Columbia and southeast Alaska Chinook salmon stocks. Of the total annual southeast Alaska aggregate abundance-based management, or AABM, fishery Chinook salmon harvest, approximately 1.7-3.0% is estimated to be comprised of Northern B.C.- Chinook salmon. Of the total annual mortalities of Skeena Chinook, harvest in AABM southeast Alaska fisheries accounts for approximately 15% of total Skeena Chinook mortalities.
In response to part (f), for 2024, the following measures are being implemented to reduce impacts to Skeena River Chinook: The Skeena River in-river recreational fishery is closed to the retention of Chinook salmon, and for the marine area and approach waters adjacent to the Skeena River, a series of recreational harvesting restrictions are being implemented to reflect the fact that any Chinook salmon present are of mixed-stock origins, with tighter restrictions being implemented around the historical peak timing of Skeena Chinook salmon migration. That is, from June 14-22, 2024, the retention limits for Chinook salmon were reduced from two per day to one per day; from June 23 to July 17, 2024, no retention of Chinook salmon was permitted; from July 18 to August 10, 2024, retention was limited to one Chinook salmon per day; and from August 11, 2024 to March 31, 2025, retention is limited to two Chinook salmon per day. Further, there are no targeted commercial fishing opportunities for Skeena Chinook salmon; retention of Chinook salmon in any commercial gillnet or seine fisheries as bycatch is not permitted; and the area F commercial troll fishery start date is delayed to mid-August and will occur after Skeena Chinook have historically transited the fishing area.
