Species at Risk Act management scenarios summary for Chinook Salmon, Designatable Unit 2: Lower Fraser, Ocean, Fall population (Harrison Chinook)
This is a summary of the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) management scenarios for the potential listing of the Lower Fraser, Ocean, Fall population of Chinook salmon (hereafter Harrison Chinook) as threatened under the Species at Risk Act (SARA).
How this works
The do not list scenario outlines potential measures to be implemented if Harrison Chinook are declined for listing.
The list scenario outlines potential measures to be implemented if Harrison Chinook are listed under SARA, beyond the automatic prohibitions and other requirements for species listed as threatened under SARA.
The scenarios are informed by the threats and limiting factors that limit the survival or recovery of Harrison Chinook, identified in the Recovery Potential Assessment (Doutaz et al. 2021).
Measures described are used as part of the advice that supports a decision by the Governor in Council (GiC).
Confirmation of specific actions will follow the listing decision.
Keep in mind
DFO is unable to commit to specific actions on behalf of other federal agencies, the Government of British Columbia, Indigenous partners, or stakeholders.
Protections under the Fisheries Act remain in place in either listing scenario, as does the Pacific Salmon Treaty (PST): Chapter 3 – Chinook Salmon, commercial salmon fishery requirements (for example, mandatory catch reporting, revival boxes), First Nations fisheries communal licence conditions, and other fisheries requirements.
| Activity | Do not list scenario (non-SARA management) | List scenario (under SARA) |
|---|---|---|
SARA general prohibitions |
Not applicable |
No person shall kill, harm, harass, capture, take, possess, collect, buy, sell, or trade Harrison Chinook (s. 32); and, no person shall damage or destroy the residence of Harrison Chinook (s. 33) Activities affecting a listed species, any part of its critical habitat, or the residence of its individuals may be permitted (s. 73/74) subject to meeting certain purposes, pre-conditions, and/or exception/exemption (s. 83) requirements set out in SARA, including that the activity will not jeopardize survival or recovery of the species |
SARA recovery planning |
Not applicable |
Development of a recovery strategy within 2 years of listing (s. 37), and action plan if recovery is deemed feasible (s. 40 and 47) Critical habitat identification to the extent possible (s. 41[c][c.1]) and protection (s. 58[4], [5]) |
Grants and contributions (G and C) |
Activities supporting Harrison Chinook would remain eligible for some SARA-related G and C funding (Aboriginal Fund for Species at Risk and Habitat Stewardship Program), but at a lower priority than listed species or those that remain under consideration for listing |
Activities supporting Harrison Chinook would be eligible for all SARA-related G and C funding (Aboriginal Fund for Species at Risk, Habitat Stewardship Program, and Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk [if renewed beyond March 2026]) |
General fisheries management |
Continued management as currently set out in the Southern Salmon Integrated Fisheries Management Plan. Harrison Chinook is managed to exceed the PST escapement objective of 75,100 spawners, or below a Canadian individual stock based management (ISBM) calendar year exploitation rate (CYER) of 11.0% |
Based on science advice (Weir et al. 2022), there is some scope for allowable harm to Harrison Chinook without jeopardizing survival or recovery of the population. Fisheries that operate within this allowable harm threshold may be eligible for permits or exemptions and could remain open under a list scenario. However, fisheries with impacts that exceed the sustainable exploitation rate are unlikely to qualify and may face closures or restrictions to avoid jeopardizing the species’ survival or recovery. Regardless of impact level, fisheries may not retain Harrison Chinook for sale purposes, as listed species cannot be bought or sold under s. 32(2) Decisions for permits and exemptions will be made following a listing decision and will be guided by SARA permitting requirements, recent estimates of fishing mortality, the allowable harm assessment, and the Salmon Allocation Policy Anticipated fisheries measures are outlined in the sections below |
First Nations salmon fisheries |
No specific incremental First Nations salmon fisheries actions are expected |
Food, social, and ceremonial (FSC) fisheries and treaty domestic use fisheries that encounter Harrison Chinook would require permits, exceptions or exemptions to continue It is anticipated that all FSC and treaty domestic use fisheries that encounter Harrison Chinook will meet the requirements for permitting and exemptions Additional restrictions or closures to FSC and treaty domestic use fisheries are not anticipated |
Recreational salmon fisheries |
No specific incremental recreational salmon fisheries actions are expected |
Recreational salmon fisheries that encounter Harrison Chinook would require permits or exemptions to continue Mortality impacts from Strait of Georgia recreational fisheries have exceeded the scope for allowable harm, and as a result, individual stock based management fisheries in Pacific Fishery Management Areas (PFMAs) 13 through 19, 20-3 to 20-7, 28, 29-1 to 29-5, and 29-8 are anticipated to be closed to Chinook retention |
Commercial salmon fisheries |
No specific incremental commercial salmon fisheries actions are expected |
The following closures to commercial fisheries are anticipated:
Commercial fisheries that encounter Harrison Chinook as bycatch would be unable to retain Chinook for sale purposes and would require permits or exemptions to continue |
Commercial groundfish trawl |
The enhanced salmon monitoring program that began in September 2022 was funded until March 31, 2025. Future funding opportunities are being assessed A new salmon bycatch management plan was implemented for the 2024/2025 groundfish Option A trawl fishery, including a Chinook bycatch cap of 9,500 pieces. This will continue for the 2025/2026 groundfish fishing season |
While the impact of the 2024 measures on the mortality of Harrison Chinook is not is fully understood, mortality from this fishery is estimated to be within the scope for allowable harm. Further, any capture of Harrison Chinook is incidental to the carrying out of the activity, therefore the Option A trawl fishery is likely to meet the requirements for a permit or an exemption |
Provincial fisheries management for freshwater species |
No specific incremental provincially-managed recreational freshwater fisheries actions are expected |
No specific incremental provincially-managed recreational freshwater fisheries actions are expected. Provincially-managed recreational freshwater fisheries should be managed to avoid interactions with SARA-listed species |
Enhancement |
No specific incremental enhancement activities are expected |
Enhancement activities that support stock assessment objectives for Harrison Chinook are likely to meet requirements for permits or exemptions |
Research and monitoring |
No specific incremental research and monitoring activities are expected |
DFO may authorize research activities that benefit Harrison Chinook through the issuance of permits or exemptions Retention of listed species for sale purposes would be prohibited as listed species cannot be bought or sold under s. 32(2). Restrictions to test fisheries may apply |
Other federal measures |
No specific incremental measures are expected |
DFO would need to consider SARA prohibitions in regulatory review decisions, including for SARA permits or Fisheries Act authorizations that also act as SARA permits for some activities (s. 73[2][b], [c]) DFO would monitor for contraventions of the SARA general prohibitions (for example, s. 32 and 33) and critical habitat protections (s. 58), and enforce SARA as appropriate with respect to listed aquatic species Parks Canada would support management and recovery planning for listed species that occur within aquatic areas under the jurisdiction of the Minister responsible for Parks Canada (s. 2[1][a]). Harrison Chinook may migrate through the waters of Fort Langley National Historic Site; Gulf Islands National Park Reserve (NPR); Pacific Rim NPR; and Gwaii Haanas NPR, National Marine Conservation Area, and Haida Heritage Site |
Other provincial measures |
No specific incremental measures are expected |
For other activities managed by the Government of British Columbia that may impact Harrison Chinook (for example, activities related to water resource use, pollution, and aquatic invasive species), provincial regulations should take into account SARA prohibitions (s. 32) and support the protection of critical habitat (s. 58) |