Resource: Review of the Draft MSC Assessment of British Columbia Fraser River Sockeye Salmon Fisheries

Authors / Publisher: Ken Wilson, for Watershed Watch Salmon Society

Date: November 2007

PDF: Review of the Draft MSC Assessment of British Columbia Fraser River Sockeye Salmon Fisheries

Summary:

Maintaining the biodiversity and abundance of Fraser sockeye populations is fundamental to the ability of Fraser sockeye to adapt to change, and their capacity to support fisheries over the long term. The question is not whether DFO is doing their best to manage Fraser sockeye fisheries in a sustainable way with the resources at hand, but rather is the current management process protecting the abundance and genetic integrity of Fraser sockeye while respecting the Aboriginal and Treaty rights of First Nations as well as the National and international obligations that Canada has assumed.

This report assesses whether Fraser sockeye fisheries meet the MSC criteria as sustainably managed fisheries under the MSC guidelines. The report focuses on the SCS rankings and where a previous assessment by the author differs substantively from the assessment team’s findings.