DFO committed to developing a plan by 2025 to transition from open-net pen aquaculture in British Columbia coastal waters. The FNFC supported First Nations in BC to engage on the open-net pen transition plan by convening a series of First Nation working group meetings and regional workshops. First Nations provided input on what the transition […]
Canada is working to improve aquaculture management in BC as a key part of its Blue Economy economic strategy. Working with the Aquaculture Coordinating Committee (ACC) and the AFN’s National Aquaculture Working Group (NAWG), FNFC supports First Nations collaborative engagement in various province-wide and national aquaculture policy and regulatory activities and processes to inform how
Many First Nations have limited capacity to effectively participate in species-at-risk processes and respond to multiple and concurrent Species at Risk Act (SARA) assessments, listings, and recovery planning activities. As aquatic species such as Pacific salmon stocks continue to decline, the demand is only expected to grow. First Nations can benefit from opportunities to share
Under the Fisheries Act’s Fish Stock Provision, DFO has a legal requirement to (1) maintain sustainable fish stock levels, (2) develop and implement rebuilding plans for stocks that have declined to a critical zone, and (3) prescribe a list of major stocks to which these conditions apply.
Protecting and rebuilding wild salmon stocks is critically important to First Nations. While many First Nations have their own rebuilding processes and strategies, barriers such as lack of funding and capacity have hindered the implementation of rebuilding activities. Meanwhile, federal agencies also struggle to respond to First Nations requests, or enter into collaborative partnerships for
FNFC provides support to the Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC) First Nations Caucus, including the development of work plans, meeting logistics, and strategic planning. The PSC is responsible for implementing the Pacific Salmon Treaty (PST), an agreement between Canada and the US on research, management, and enhancement for Pacific salmon that swim across international borders. FNFC
Starting in 2015, the Commercial Salmon Allocation Framework (CSAF) small working group, comprised of participants from DFO, the Commercial Salmon Advisory Board (CSAB), and the FNFC Salmon Coordinating Committee (SCC), worked collaboratively to develop a draft evaluation framework for reviewing submitted demonstration fishery proposals to DFO. Demonstration fisheries are pilot commercial fisheries that may be
FNFC is working to develop mechanisms and processes to support First Nations engagement and participation in fisheries management processes and decision making. First Nations have clearly expressed that DFO consultation and/or discussions about potential infringement of Section 35(1) Aboriginal and Treaty Rights cannot be held in a Tier 3 (multi-stakeholder) environment; however, existing DFO mechanisms
Canada’s Policy for Conservation of Wild Pacific Salmon, also known as the Wild Salmon Policy (WSP), was released by DFO in 2005 as an innovative and strategic policy to guide the conservation and protection of wild salmon. WSP implementation lagged in the following years, and the 2012 Cohen Commission called on DFO to develop a
FNFC is supporting a co-designed process to review and update DFO’s Pacific regional policy An Allocation Policy for Pacific Salmon (1999). FNFC will convene and support First Nations in BC to review the policy and provide recommendations to DFO. The Salmon Allocation Policy (SAP) provides operational guidelines for DFO’s allocation of Pacific salmon among First