2016 Conservation Stamp, Esther Semple. Dr. Brian Riddell, Pacific Salmon Foundation, Vancouver, B.C. Contacts:

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1 2016 Conservation Stamp, Esther Semple Dr. Brian Riddell, Pacific Salmon Foundation, Vancouver, B.C. Contacts:

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3 Our Work Grant Making: Community Salmon Program / Bursaries Research: Salish Sea project Skeena River program Independent reviews Fund raising: Events, Corporate, Foundations, Individuals, and Government. Education & Awareness: Website, Communications, Social Media, Salmon Safe certification, Government Relations.

4 Core Program since 1989: Community Salmon Program Investing federal Salmon Conservation Stamp funds in B.C./Yukon Since 1989 $14.6 million Funds granted via PSF Community Salmon Program $101 million Total value of projects with volunteers & fundraising! $7 Amount generated by volunteers for every $1 granted 1,827 Projects funded across B.C. and Yukon In recent years, $1.5 million unmet need annually in grant requests 4

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6 PSF Strategic Plan Strategic Priorities Conservation Community Salmon Program (Stamp) Science Salish Sea Marine Survival Project, Strategic Salmon Health Initiative, UBC Institute of Oceans and Fisheries Leadership Water Management, First Nations, Yukon, Wild Salmon Policy, Climate change agenda Public Awareness Voice for Salmon, Fundraising 6

7 Government Relations and communications are essential!

8 Reasons for developing this program: 90 to 95% decline in local Chinook and Coho fisheries, occurred in (2 years!) little recovery Resulted in major loss of $$ to local communities Numerous other ecological changes observed around the Strait of Georgia No focused effort to understand these impacts or fix Early marine survival of Pacific salmon in the Strait of Georgia is the likely cause but mechanisms not understood. 8

9 SSMSP is an ecosystem-based, international science program to understand the annual determinants of salmon production in the Salish Sea. ( , $20M between US/Canada) In Canada, 80% privately funded to-date, 20% in 2015 federal budget. 9

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11 PROJECT GOALS: 1. Re-build production of wild Pacific salmon and Steelhead through a program that is ecosystem based, considers hatchery effectiveness, and engages communities. 2. Promote sustainable fisheries and increase their value to local communities, and 3. Provide a foundation for long-term monitoring of the Salish Sea and salmon health. 11

12 2015 The Project, 33 projects engaging 30 different partners see report

13 Citizen Science. Oceanographic sampling Community Fishers mobile app Ocean Network Canada, UVic 9 vessels x ~10 sites x 20 days = 1,800 sampling events in 2015

14 Strategic Salmon Health Initiative (Genome BC - PSF DFO Science) How can genomic technologies be applied to study infectious disease in salmon, impacts on wild salmon productivity, and interactions between cultured and wild fish? 96 x 96 cell array = 9,219 results per array! Dr. Kristi Miller-Saunders

15 Acoustic Arrays

16 PIT Tag Detectors for Seals measuring predation directly on tagged Coho salmon. Developers: Austin Thomas UBC, Brian Battaile, UBC and Wildlife 27/04/2016 Computers, Redmond, WA. 16

17 Micro-trolling for juvenile salmon

18 Micro-trolling? Will Duguid, PhD student, Uvic & Kevin Pellet, BCCF If mortality is highest immediately after entry to coastal waters, how can we differentiate the effects of dispersion from mortality losses?

19 Communications feedback!

20 FUTURE initiatives: Climate change adaptation (CSP) plus BC Water Sustainability Act implementation (ecological flows, water councils, ) Evaluation and Monitoring in CSP (required, PSF) World Fisheries Congress, support Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC (Victoria, BC July 2017) PSF Community Visions Conference (Canada 150 celebration)

Climate change and marine environments for Pacific Salmon Estuaries: Sea level rise and interaction with extreme flows (frequency of flooding?

21 Climate change and marine environments for Pacific Salmon Estuaries: Sea level rise and interaction with extreme flows (frequency of flooding?), impacts on tidal marshes and grasses, and inter-tidal zones. Strait of Georgia: acidification, O2 depletion zones, +Temperature, Biological communities (composition & seasonality) Pacific Ocean: Atmospheric connections, coastal up-wellings, N Pacific feeding area (past warming periods have not been good to B.C. s salmon)

23 What s good for salmon is likely good for BC, but the opposite is also true! THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION

24 Pacific salmon have a complex life history using freshwater, estuary, and marine environments. Homing adaptation to local habitats has led to many different populations within each species. Over 9,300 combinations of species and streams in BC and Yukon. But after 120 years of harvest, habitat losses, and development pressures; ~85% of the original spawning groups remain and provide the critical diversity in salmon to face the future. But there is no question that BC s salmon are under increasing pressures! > 99% of weight from Ocean environment

25 Strait of Georgia Data Centre (UBC, Sitka, PSF) Data Collation, Security & Sharing (on-going)

26 Justice Cohen s Elephant in the room concerning the sustainability of Fraser River sockeye salmon was climate change.

Rivers Inlet Salmon Initiative

Rivers Inlet Salmon Initiative 5-YEAR BUSINESS PLAN C AS E F O R S U P P O R T M AR C H 2 0 1 5 Dedication Rick Hansen had been inspired to go to Rivers Inlet in July 2010 by his good friend, and fellow