Salmon Steward is the official publication of the Pacific Salmon Foundation in British Columbia, Canada
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1379981
salmon Steward magazine 3 2020 demonstrated that even in challenging times, our long-standing donors will still step up to support Pacific salmon! For them, we are very grateful. It also showed the resiliency of the B.C. salmon community, as volunteers persevered in their critical work while observing necessary social distancing and COVID protocols. Given the challenges of the past year, our appreciation for volunteers, partners and our staff has only grown. As we transition into a new year, the Pacific Salmon Foundation continues to be hopeful and strive for healthy, sustainable and naturally diverse populations of Pacific salmon for the benefit of ecosystems and Canadians for generations to come. The PSF team has successfully navigated COVID-19 to date by altering practices both in office and at home through enhanced communication and safety protocols. Our first-ever Virtual Gala and annual appeal were hugely successful and raised awareness among new audiences across the province. PSF continued strong relationships with local and federal governments, including renewal of the Conservation Stamp agreement (p. 8) and by providing leadership through participation on various advisory committees. PSF also saw innovative advancements in our work through the Strait of Georgia Data Centre (p. 6) and the Pacific Salmon Explorer online data visualization tool, which both aim to provide unfettered public access to salmon intel. A Message From the CEO We continued our support for the transition from open net-pen aquaculture influenced by findings from our Strategic Salmon Health Initiative. PSF has also followed up on recent high-profile research in Puget Sound about tire rubber contaminants and effects on Coho mortality, urging the tire industry and government to take action on this issue. Finally, we fostered and enhanced relationships with First Nations communities across the province by collaborating on "salmon priority setting" for salmon monitoring in the B.C. Central Coast with leadership from our Salmon Watersheds team. PSF is optimistic that amidst these challenging times we can continue to be resilient for the benefit of Pacific salmon now and in the future. n Be safe, be well, Michael Meneer, President & CEO, Pacific Salmon Foundation PSF CEO Michael Meneer during a socially distanced trip to Mount Douglas on Southern Vancouver Island. SUPPORTER SPOTLIGHT The Pacific Salmon Endowment Fund Society (PSEFS) was founded in 2001 to manage a $30-million endowment fund established by the Government of Canada for Pacific salmon conservation. Thanks to an additional $5-million top-up funded by the federal government in 2019, the PSEFS is able to continue operating as an independent entity that partners with the Pacific Salmon Foundation to help restore and conserve wild salmon populations in B.C. and the Yukon. With support from the Society, PSF is able to allocate more than 90 cents of every dollar donated to salmon projects directly to grants for restoration work and science-driven conservation projects. This support covers most of PSF's capacity and core costs. In 2020, the Society continued backing the new priorities outlined in PSF's Pacific Salmon Endowment Fund Society Strategic Plan. These projects include (but are not limited to): n More than $260,000 to various initiatives through PSF's Marine Science Program (p. 5). n Almost $93,000 for large-scale recovery of salmon habitat in the B.C. Interior impacted by the Plateau wildfire. n $500,000 to the extension and expansion of the Pacific Salmon Explorer online tool into new regions. n More than $33,000 towards salmon conservation and restoration projects in the Yukon. The Pacific Salmon Endowment Fund Society will continue its partnership with PSF into the future so that your dollars can be applied directly to the scientific research conserving and restoring salmon stocks. n TERRY LANIGAN Chairman Pacific Salmon Endowment Fund Society The Pacific Salmon Endowment Fund Society is managed by an independent board of directors. The Society began 2020 with a fund balance of $40.4 million and ended with a fund balance of $41 million. (Funds include a $5-million top-up from the federal government.) PSEFS Board of Directors Terry Lanigan Chair Roger Flowerdew Secretary/Treasurer Members David Elliott, Robert Gayton, John Hodgins, George Hungerford, Anne Kinvig, Doug Knight, John Woodward