Vancouver
- Geoff Regan, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, today announced
adoption of the Wild Salmon Policy and committed $1.1
million to its implementation and related salmon science.
The policy, released as a
living document, defines a new approach to salmon conservation
in the Pacific Region. It advances the Government of Canada's
agenda for reform of Pacific fisheries.
"The Wild Salmon Policy
significantly transforms the management and conservation of wild
salmon, their habitats and dependent ecosystems," Mr. Regan
said. "It provides the foundation for other initiatives
currently underway to reform fisheries and habitat management in
the Pacific Region."
"First Nations, the fishing
industry and environmental organizations have all made their
voices heard throughout the policy's development. I'd like to
thank them all for their dedication to the future of Pacific
salmon," said B.C. Senator Jack Austin, Leader of the Government
in the Senate, who attended the announcement.
The $1.1 million is initial
funding for this year. It includes $400,000 that was part of the
$5.2 million investment that the Minister announced last week to
revitalize Pacific fisheries management. This $1.1 million will
be used to support salmon science and to put the Wild Salmon
Policy into action.
The following are key elements
of the new approach:
Conservation is unequivocally affirmed as the
highest priority for resource management.
Management will
shift to focus on stewardship of essential building blocks of
genetic diversity necessary for
future continuance of wild salmon, rather than managing large,
mixed aggregates.
New, more
effective strategies will be adopted for the monitoring and
protection of the habitat necessary to sustain salmon.
Ecosystem
considerations will be incorporated in decision-making.
An inclusive
planning process will be established to ensure that
conservation decisions reflect societal values.
Conservation
goals will be clearly defined, and our progress in achieving
them will be publicly evaluated.
A blueprint for Pacific
Fisheries Reform was introduced by the Minister on April 14,
2005, to address the underlying problems that face the salmon
fishery and some of the specific concerns related to the Fraser
River. The four themes identified for Pacific Fisheries Reform
are:
Sustaining
strong salmon populations;
Strengthening
DFO programs;
Making progress
on increasing First Nations' access to economic fisheries; and
Improving the
economic performance of fisheries.
The Wild Salmon Policy
advances the first theme of fishery reform: sustaining strong
salmon populations by setting clear conservation objectives
for each fishery.
"During the past decade, the
management of Pacific salmon has become more and more complex,
and it has been increasingly evident that new approaches are
required to respond to contemporary challenges. The Wild
Salmon Policy provides the policy and program blueprint that
is necessary to secure a healthy future for Pacific salmon," Mr.
Regan said.
The policy responds to
feedback received from significant consultation. After the
December 2004 draft was made available, DFO listened to feedback
received at information sessions with First Nations and other
interested parties as well as at a multi-interest dialogue forum
March 2-3, 2005. The Department also received 246 written
submissions. After considering this input, DFO presented a
revised policy to a First Nations forum on April 29 and a
multi-interest forum on April 30, 2005. The policy was then
finalized.
"This policy is not designed
to be set in stone," the Minister said. "The Wild Salmon
Policy will grow and develop with the challenges of the
future and longer-term conservation strategies will be shaped by
input from First Nations and stakeholders."
First Nations, stakeholders
and other interested parties were first asked to comment on a
Wild Salmon Policy in 2000, when the initial draft was
released. At that time, the Department held 16 public forums in
communities across British Columbia, six meetings with
stakeholder groups and an information process for First Nations.
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For information:
Carrie Mishima
Communications
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
(604) 666-0392
Brian Underhill
Director of Communications
Minister's Office
(613) 992-3474
For further details on the
Wild Salmon Policy, please see accompanying
backgrounder.
Wild Salmon Policy:
http://www-comm.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/publications/wsp/default_e.htm
