Fisheries Report

Over a period of 11 years, the Pacific Fisheries Resource Conservation Council has provided public information and offered strategic advice to ministers responsible for protecting and sustaining wild salmon and steelhead stocks and habitats. This report summarizes many of the key findings and recommendations contained in the 69 background papers, advisories and other Council publications. It presents the Council’s recommendations to ministers on the most significant current issues, and it outlines the strategies that should drive government decisions towards achieving more effective salmon conservation.

In 2009, the Pacific Fisheries Resource Conservation Council published a report which recommended that Canada participate in the Salmon Stronghold Partnership in order to test the Salmon Strongholds approach in Canada, including the scientific evaluation and ranking of a potential stronghold (Beeson, 2009).

Note: The report is accompanied by a plain-language brochure.

Fisheries ecosystem modelling could be a useful tool to complement present approaches to salmon research and management on Canada’s west coast. Ecosystem modelling refers to a computer application that simulates, through time, biological changes such as biomass, mortality, catch, feeding and competition in managed species. The models emulate such changes by considering factors like environment, predation, competition or fisheries effects. Because these models capture both ecosystem and species changes over time, they offer a potential guide to future changes.

A public summary of this report is also included here.