Grant: Strategic Projects - Group

Abundant Pacific salmon stocks are important economically, ecologically, culturally and politically to Canada. New federal fisheries policy and management strategies have shifted large amounts of salmon harvesting from marine to coastal river locations where First Nations, recreational, and commercial fisheries all occur. Despite the use of different gear (e.g. gillnets, beach seines, angling), all sectors involved in freshwater Pacific salmon fisheries will capture non-targeted or non-desirable fish. Being able to release these fish and ensure their survivability is paramount to achieve harvest allocations, stock conservation, and the sustainability of these fisheries. Using lower Fraser River fisheries as the model, we propose studies to quantify sub-lethal disturbances and mortality rates of different species relative to gear type and to identify and test potential strategies for improving recovery of fish released from different gear. Specifically, we will evaluate the use of a flow-through box, in-river holding pen, and soft-mesh sack to facilitate recovery of fish by coupling physiological approaches with field-based telemetry studies. We will also provide fishers with tools for assessing fish condition easily and reliably by validating and refining the use of reflex impairment indicators (e.g., loss of equilibrium) as predictors of mortality. Such information would help fishers to decide when to release and when to hold onto fish for recovery. Because all resource management issues must include a thorough understanding and management of human (i.e. fisher) behaviour, we will also study the factors that would influence fisher adoption and use of different recovery tools and the tradeoffs that they would be willing to make with respect to different legislated or voluntary actions. Collectively, the proposed research will provide information to management agencies to reduce uncertainty in current management approaches that could provide fishers with increased fishing opportunities Moreover, credible scientific research and a more thorough understanding of the human dimension should help to reduce conflict between stakeholders so that efforts can focus on common goals such as ensuring that in-river Pacific salmon fisheries are sustainable.