Salmon Steward is the official publication of the Pacific Salmon Foundation in British Columbia, Canada
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/300930
Sincerely, Terry M. Lanigan, Chairman, Pacific Salmon Foundation Board of Directors chair's message O nly five per cent of Canadians rank the quality of the environment as a top national issue, according to a poll conducted in 2013 for the RBC Royal Bank. Clearly, it's up to conservation organizations like the Pacific Salmon Foundation to elevate the importance of the environment, and Pacific salmon in particular. But for people to value something, they need to be empowered with the best information. Indeed, there are still many mysteries about factors that reduce Pacific salmon abundance. To help provide clarity, the Foundation approved a plan for 2013-2015 that includes a new goal to expand our work in the field of science and research. It began in 2013 with three major projects. Run-of-RiveR PoweR and Salmon In October 2012, Clean Energy BC asked the Foundation to conduct an independent scientific review of run-of-river hydroelectric projects and their potential impacts on Pacific salmon. Our research found that the effects on salmon are inconclusive at this time, but the information gaps discovered allowed us to present recommendations focused on obtaining and assessing better data. Read our full report at psf.ca/programs. unRavelling the mySteRieS of Salmon health In 2013, the Foundation embarked on a first-of-its-kind partnership with Genome BC and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. This research effort was started primarily to help understand the high loss of young salmon as they enter salt water. There is a belief that disease may be a factor, but not enough is known about which diseases affect salmon in their natural habitats. To date, our partners have collected both hatchery-produced and wild salmon samples, and taken action to obtain farmed samples from the aquaculture industry. (Read more on pages 8 and 9.) ReStoRing Coho and Chinook in the SaliSh Sea Many salmon lovers will recall vibrant Coho and Chinook salmon fisheries in the Strait of Georgia, which began to plummet in the mid-1990s. Remarkably, despite the historic importance of these fisheries, no comprehensive science program was ever conducted to understand this loss. Until now. The Foundation is starting a $20-million research project with Seattle-based Long Live the Kings and others to help restore our Coho and Chinook. At present, 60 per cent of the project's budget is committed, but another $4 million is still needed to fund this vital endeavour. (See pages 14 and 15.) PaRtneRShiPS eSSential to Salmon SCienCe Many people say that the responsibility for salmon science rests solely with government agencies, and that cuts to their budgets will greatly undermine Pacific salmon in B.C. However, the Foundation and our supporters are proving that critical salmon research can occur with contributions from multiple partners, including government, non-profits, industry associations and concerned citizens. Science and research are critical not only for salmon, but for everyone in B.C. After all, Pacific salmon were chosen as an official symbol of our province because they embody our collective past. Only with the best research possible can we make the decisions to guide our collective future. n Salmon Science: A New Priority for the Foundation the Pacific Salmon endowment fund Society was created in 2001 by the Government of Canada to manage a $30-million endowment fund. Since then, the fund has created a wealth of opportunities for Pacific salmon conservation and restoration through partnership with the Pacific Salmon Foundation. The Society is an integral part of the Foundation's ability to maximize the impact of donor dollars as its support covers much of the Foundation's capacity and core costs. As a result, 90 per cent of donations are allocated to fund grants and science-driven conservation projects. Recently, we have also become partners in the Foundation's research and restoration efforts in the Strait co-EDIToRs Michael Meneer Elayne sun EDIToRIAL cooRDINAToR Matt currie ART DIREcToR Laurel MacLean coNTRIbuTINg wRITERs Tiffany sloan Ryan stuart ELEcTRoNIc IMAgINg Mandy Lau Laura Michaels PRoDucTIoN cooRDINAToR Tammy Nguyen PRoDucTIoN MANAgER Kristina borys ADvERTIsINg PRoDucTIoN Allison griffioen chris sherwood AccouNT MANAgER Katherine Kjaer Salmon Steward is published for The Pacific salmon Foundation by canada wide Media Limited. 4th Floor-4180 Lougheed Highway burnaby, b.c. v5c 6A7 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. V6J 4S6 T: 604.664.7664 | F: 604.664.7665 support@psf.ca | www.psf.ca canadian Publications Mail Product sales Agreement No. 40065475 Printed on Fsc ® certified paper. www.psf.ca | 2014 Edition salmon Steward magazine 5 p04-05Chair_PSEFS.indd 4 14-04-16 3:04 PM