Salmon Steward

22 2017 psf.ca S almon first hooked me when I was a little girl and my parents took me to the Adams River. I was restless from the long ride, so when we got there I jumped out of the car and ran down to the river. There was a big fish right in front of me and just as I got there, she died. I saw the life fade from her eyes. My mom clipped me on the back of the head for running out of the car, and I turned around with big, tear-filled eyes and asked, "Are they all going to do that?" It's a powerful memory and I haven't missed a major Sockeye run on the Adams River since. I volunteer at the Sa lute to the Sockeye Festiva l that is held ever y four yea rs. The festiva l celebrates the domina nt run of Sockeye returns to the Ada ms. Ever y four yea rs, we expect a ver y la rge run with the following three yea rs decreasing in size. This pattern of abunda nce helps set the predator numbers, because when there is less food available, predators have less offspring. The yea rs offspring numbers a re at their lowest, the Sockeye numbers a re at their pea k. Isn't our natura l world a mazing ? Sa lmon a re a n astonishing f ish! Community volunteers are pretty astonishing too. So much dedication, knowledge, passion and commitment. I began volunteering within the DFO's Salmonid Enhancement Program (SEP) in 1988, creating a salmon stream in 1990 in North Vancouver; I became a board member of the Salmonid Enhancement and Habitat Advisory board in 1991; I assisted in editing the DFO Streamkeepers Program monitoring protocols and helped coordinate the SEP Community Workshop in 1993; and I became a founding member of the North Shore Streamkeepers in 1995. These positions laid the foundation for more boards, committees and the career that followed. Through my position at the Pacific Streamkeepers Federation, I work with thousands of streamkeepers and SEP volunteers across B.C. and the Yukon. The Federation oversees the Streamkeepers Program for DFO. I met Rich Chapple of the Pacific Salmon Foundation through my volunteer work at Morten Creek SEP and Paul Kariya during my time as a director on Fisheries Renewal BC. Paul mentored me to become an asset to a working board. He insisted that board members fully participate, not just in what you think of as your area of expertise, but in all the undertakings of the board and their decisions. It was an honour to be approached by Rich and Paul to join the Pacific Salmon Foundation's board of directors. With Paul at the helm as executive director, I joined this long-standing businessman's board as the Foundation's first woman director. The men on the board were wonderful to work with: all leaders in the business world and dedicated to the resource. We quickly found common ground in our desire to protect fish, their habitat and the volunteer community; I had a unique perspective on the board from my work with volunteers, and I was subsequently asked to be a voting member of the Foundation's grant review committee for the Community Salmon Program, on which I am still active. Partnerships between community, the Foundation, DFO, and a range of ENGOs, municipalities and First Nations have progressed the outlook for salmon on many fronts, but there are still challenges to overcome. The fisheries minister mentioned that $35 million has been taken out of the budget over the last few years, leading to the loss of 1,000 employees across Canada. Along with returned sta¦, we look forward to strong policies that are easy to read, understand and enforce. There are so many people who care about these slippery little fellows. Up at the Adams River, you see bus after bus arriving full of people who have come from all over the world to see the salmon. Because as long as salmon continue to amaze and inspire, there will be people willing to step up for them. n Who cares about salmon? Zo Ann Morten FORMER VOLUNTEER BOARD MEMBER, PACIFIC SALMON FOUNDATION & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PACIFIC STREAMKEEPERS FEDERATION hooKed on sAlMon Above: The resourceful Morten Creek volunteers repurposed this shipping container into a new hatchery. Below: Zo Ann Morten explains the importance of salmon to youngsters at a fry release on Morten Creek, named in honour of her restoration efforts. we salute the women directors of the foundation's volunteer board: Past daphne corbett, Independent Director, Pulse Seismic Inc. anne Kinvig, CEO, Pacific Blue Cross Zo ann morten, ED, Pacific Streamkeepers Federation Julie Paul current Brenda gaertner, partner, Mandell Pinder ann masse, Vice President, Goldcorp

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