Salmon Steward is the official publication of the Pacific Salmon Foundation in British Columbia, Canada
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1408862
ON THE COVER: Louis and Eddie Julian from the Matsqui First Nation on the fish wheel they're using to research salmon migration for PSF's climate adaptation studies. Photo courtesy of Sombilon Studios. EDITOR Elayne Sun CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Allison Colina Michael Meneer ART DIRECTOR Rick Thibert EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Matt Currie PRODUCTION MANAGER Landon Marie Spenrath Salmon Steward is published quarterly for the Pacific Salmon Foundation by Canada Wide Media Limited. 230, 4321 Still Creek Drive Burnaby, British Columbia Canada V5C 6S7 Telephone: 604.299.7311 canadawide.com No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. Pacific Salmon Foundation 300 – 1682 West 7th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6J 4S6 T: 604.664.7664 | F: 604.664.7665 salmon@psf.ca | psf.ca CDN Charitable Registration No. 119075638RR0001 Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement No. 40065475 Printed on FSC ® certified paper. 2 FALL 2021 PSF.CA SOMBILON STUDIOS PSF.CA | FALL 2021 CLIMATE CHANGE is one of the biggest threats facing wild Pacific salmon. While there are some factors we cannot control, there are many we can. That's why our 2020-2023 Strategic Framework prioritized a Climate Adaptation Program. This summer we've already seen record-shatter- ing temperatures, and forest fires are raging across the province. Salmon are sure to suffer the consequences because they are the proverbial "canary in the coal mine" of our ecosystem. However, developing a comprehensive climate adaptability plan is complex because salmon face pressures across all of their habitat and life cycles, from freshwater to estuary to open ocean. Layered onto this are the overlapping jurisdictional respon- sibilities for "managing" Pacific salmon shared by federal, Indigenous, provincial and local governments; plus, the hundreds of stewardship groups and envi- ronmental NGOs providing grassroots leadership. With our B.C.-wide network, the Pacific Salmon Foundation is uniquely positioned to leverage re- sources and expertise, and provide leadership so that efforts are coordinated. Through the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project, more than 200 individuals from 60 entities in the U.S. and Canada studied an entire ecosystem. The payoff was an unprecedented depth of understanding of the complex, interlocking pressures facing salmon within A Message From the CEO Who Are We? THE PACIFIC SALMON FOUNDATION (PSF) is the independent, thoughtful leader and catalyst in the conservation, restoration and enhancement of Pacific salmon and their ecosystems through strategic partnerships and leveraged use of resources. PSF was established in 1987 as a non-governmental charitable organization to protect, conserve and restore Pacific salmon in B.C. and the Yukon. Our vision is to ensure healthy, sustainable and naturally diverse populations of Pacific salmon for the benefit of ecosystems and Canadians for generations to come through effective stewardship of natural resources that involve communities in decisions affecting Pacific salmon. Web Resources: PSF.CA SALMONWATERSHEDS.CA SOGDATACENTRE.CA SALMONEXPLORER.CA HELP US REDUCE PAPER AND MAILING COSTS! Contact salmon@psf.ca to sign up for digital copies of Salmon Steward. What we can control the context of climate change. However, this research was limited to impacts in estuaries and nearshore habitat in the Salish Sea. There is pressing need for more decision-based science in freshwater habitat to identify how we can help salmon adapt to climate change throughout their life cycles. There's much doom and gloom when it comes to salmon headlines in B.C. But we want people to remember that wild Pacific salmon have been adapt- ing for millennia and have an army of people who care deeply about their future. With our partners, we are taking the necessary actions to ensure salmon will continue to nourish future generations of ecosys- tems and people. And thanks to the joint federal and provincial B.C. Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund, our Climate Adaptation Program is becoming a reality; read all about it on the next page. n Michael Meneer President & CEO, Pacific Salmon Foundation Michael Meneer visits salmon and sturgeon habitat near Herrling and Carey Islands.