Returning Salmon: Integrated Planning and the Wild Salmon Policy of B.C.

Published by: David Suzuki Foundation
Authored by: Marc Nelitz, Carol Murray, Katherine Wieckowski

Oceans and fresh water salmon, policy and regulation, British Columbia, fisheries and aquaculture, Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area (PNCIMA), water systems

The federal Wild Salmon Policy provides an excellent opportunity to both greatly improve salmon management and to achieve significant progress in meeting other ecosystem management commitments. So far, Fisheries and Oceans Canada staff have built a strong scientific foundation for the policy, but an urgent need remains for the federal government to commit more money and personnel to ensure the policy benefits wild Pacific salmon. This report evaluates implementation of the WSP and looks at how other federal and provincial government initiatives, such as the Great Bear Rainforest Agreement and Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area (PNCIMA) planning process, can be brought together. The report concludes that improved integrated planning, with clear integration objectives, should be the immediate focus.