441-00396 (Fisheries)

The Community Economic Development Program (CEDP) was created by Fisheries and Oceans Canada in 1977-78 as a component of the Salmon Enhancement Program (SEP). The original mandate of this program was to restore depleted Salmonid stocks in BC, and to improve self-reliance, independence, and social and economic stability of the Indigenous and other communities in BC. Currently, 20 projects are in operation throughout BC, each operated by various First Nations (FN) groups or community volunteers, and these projects are focused on salmon enhancement for harvest, conservation and rebuilding, stock assessment and stewardship. Through the SEP, DFO provides $3.22M annually to these projects by a targeted Grants and Contribution Program. In addition to direct financial support, SEP also holds the required Pacific Aquaculture licenses, provides technical, operational, veterinary and fish health care support to ensure successful operations of these facilities. DFO also facilitates and supports access to other funding sources such as the BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund, and the Pacific Salmon Foundation Community Salmon Program. This program is supported by a network of SEP staff based in communities across the region.

The Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF) is a non-profit charitable organization, established in 1987, to partner with governments, industry, and communities on conservation and restoration activities for Pacific salmon and associated habitats. The PSF delivers a variety of salmon conservation and restoration programs that support the core responsibilities of DFO in the Pacific Region. It is both an important partner and stakeholder for both Pacific salmon conservation and fishery issues in British Columbia. The Salmon Conservation Stamp fee was introduced in 1988 to help fund the PSF. The fee is paid by recreational anglers who retain wild caught salmon. It generates approximately $1.4 million per year which is transferred annually by DFO to the PSF via a contribution program, typically in five year agreements. Through the terms of the agreement, the majority of these funds are directed to the PSF’s Community Salmon Program which is an annual application-based program that re-distributes these funds to other not-for-profit organizations engaged in stewardship, enhancement, restoration, and education activities in support of Pacific salmon.

The PSF Community Salmon Program is a grant based program that supports volunteer and community driven organizations that undertake salmon stewardship, conservation, and restoration projects in British Columbia and the Yukon. Through this program, the PSF selects recipients through an application process and awards annual grants totaling the revenue received from the sale of the stamp. DFO supports the grant process by providing technical review, input, and coordination with other partners, but the funding decisions are made by the PSF. The PSF Community Salmon Program funds eligible recipients up to 50 per cent of their project value to leverage funds from other sources. To date, the PSF Community Salmon Program has provided grants to more than 1,900 projects, engaged more than 35,000 volunteers, and rehabilitated more than 1.45 million square meters of streams and estuaries. Every $1 granted through the Community Salmon Program results in an additional $7 raised by local communities. Through these arrangements, amounts equivalent to the revenue of the Salmon Conservation Stamp fee collected each year are directed to salmon stewardship efforts.

In Budget 2021, the Government of Canada announced the Pacific Salmon Strategic Initiative (PSSI). The objective of this initiative is to lead a long-term coordinated response that will help to stem Pacific salmon declines and rebuild stocks to a level adequate to allow for sustainable harvest opportunities, prioritizing First Nations’ food, social, and ceremonial fisheries. The PSSI has four pillars: Conservation and Stewardship; Salmon Enhancement; Harvest Transformation; and Integration and Collaboration. The Budget 2021 funding earmarked for PSSI is $647.1M over five years.

The enhancement-focused theme under PSSI recognizes that enhanced salmon and habitat will contribute to ecosystem health and economic productivity. Salmon management objectives have evolved over time, and the PSSI is proposing a significant shift in enhancement programming towards a conservation mandate, away from the present large-scale production for commercial harvest of mixed stocks. PSSI will respond to new salmon conservation and harvest priorities through initiatives to improve hatchery oversight and governance, increase scientific tools and expertise, modernize facility design and capacity, and increase the flexibility and adaptability of facilities to allow for shifts in hatchery production over time. Modernized Hatchery Management proposes to advance integrated enhancement activities in BC and Yukon, using the most up-to-date science, technology, and policy to support a responsible shift to conservation and selective harvest-focused hatchery production.

In relation to the CEDP program, PSSI will invest in both existing and new community-based hatchery infrastructure, operating funding, and support staff. The intended outcomes are tied to the broader shifts in enhancement programming to improve contributions to conservation, rebuilding and terminal or selective fisheries, and to increase the geographic reach of enhancement programming. PSSI investments will support new community hatcheries, improve existing facilities and operations, and increase DFO’s capacity for technical support and engagement with communities, indigenous organizations and user groups involved in or interested in the CEDP programming. These investments and engagement will be aligned with the broader PSSI transformative agenda responding to declines in Pacific Salmon.