44th Parliament222Presented to the House of CommonsMarch 18, 2024441-02236441-02236 (Fisheries)ElizabethMaySaanich—Gulf IslandsGreen PartyBCMarch 18, 2024October 12, 2023PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED We, the undersigned residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House to the following:WHEREAS:A public survey done in 2011 found that 70% of British Columbians agree with the statement that, "wild Pacific salmon are as important to British Columbians as the French language is to Quebeckers"; The Fraser River sockeye run unexpectedly collapsed in 2009, with only 1 million of the expected 10 million salmon returning to spawn; This collapse prompted the Government of Canada to launch a comprehensive Federal Commission of Inquiry, headed by the Honourable Bruce Cohen and released in 2012, to investigate the cause of this catastrophic decline; Among the 75 recommendations stemming from Justice Cohen's inquiry were:
  • The Government of Canada should remove from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans mandate the promotion of salmon farming as an industry and farmed salmon as a product,
  • The Department of Fisheries and Oceans should explicitly consider proximity to migrating Fraser River sockeye when siting salmon farms, should consider relocating existing salmon farms that are too close to existing salmon runs, and should consider prohibiting net-pen salmon farming altogether, especially in the Discovery Islands,
  • Department of Fisheries and Oceans should encourage British Columbia to require users of pesticides in forestry and agriculture to record, and report annually to the province, the areas where pesticides were applied and the amounts used, and
  • To improve future sustainability of the Fraser River sockeye, the Government of Canada should champion, within Canada and internationally, reasonable steps to address the causes of warming waters and climate change; and
Years later, the recommendations made by Justice Cohen in the Inquiry have yet to be implemented. THEREFORE, YOUR PETITIONERS call upon the House of Commons to act on the precautionary principle and immediately implement all of the 75 recommendations made by Justice Cohen to save our salmon.
Cohen CommissionFisheries policyFisheries stocksFraser RiverPacific fisheriesSockeye salmon
44th Parliament207Open for signatureFebruary 27, 2024e-4831e-4831 (Fisheries)MathieuMartinJoëlGodinPortneuf—Jacques-CartierConservativeQCFebruary 27, 2024, at 3:31 p.m. (EDT)May 27, 2024, at 3:31 p.m. (EDT)Petition to the <Addressee type="3" affiliationId="" mp-riding-display="1">Government of Canada </Addressee>Whereas: The successful reintroduction of striped bass into the St. Lawrence has resulted in an abundant and stable population; The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) does not assign a status to the current population; The extension of the COSEWIC assessment creates an inconsistency between its current assessment and the legal status assigned to striped bass; Delays in updating COSEWIC recommendations lead to a loss of confidence in Canada’s species-at-risk designation process; Biodiversity conservation is essential, and responsible fisheries management can coexist with species protection; and Allowing striped bass fishing in the St. Lawrence River and the Saguenay River will help support local communities and sport fishers while ensuring the sustainable management of this resource. We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to take immediate action to reassess and update the fishing status of striped bass in the St. Lawrence River and Saguenay River, based on current scientific data. Fisheries policySaguenay RiverSt. Lawrence RiverStriped bass44th Parliament223Government response tabledDecember 7, 2023441-01798441-01798 (Fisheries)ElizabethMaySaanich—Gulf IslandsGreen PartyBCOctober 24, 2023December 7, 2023February 8, 2023PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED We, the undersigned residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House to the following:WHEREAS:A public survey done in 2011 found that 70% of British Columbians agree with the statement that, "wild Pacific salmon are as important to British Columbians as the French language is to Quebeckers"; The Fraser River sockeye run unexpectedly collapsed in 2009, with only 1 million of the expected 10 million salmon returning to spawn; This collapse prompted the Government of Canada to launch a comprehensive Federal Commission of Inquiry, headed by the Honourable Bruce Cohen and released in 2012, to investigate the cause of this catastrophic decline; Among the 75 recommendations stemming from Justice Cohen's inquiry were:
  • The Government of Canada should remove from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans mandate the promotion of salmon farming as an industry and farmed salmon as a product,
  • The Department of Fisheries and Oceans should explicitly consider proximity to migrating Fraser River sockeye when siting salmon farms, should consider relocating existing salmon farms that are too close to existing salmon runs, and should consider prohibiting net-pen salmon farming altogether, especially in the Discovery Islands,
  • Department of Fisheries and Oceans should encourage British Columbia to require users of pesticides in forestry and agriculture to record, and report annually to the province, the areas where pesticides were applied and the amounts used, and
  • To improve future sustainability of the Fraser River sockeye, the Government of Canada should champion, within Canada and internationally, reasonable steps to address the causes of warming waters and climate change; and
Years later, the recommendations made by Justice Cohen in the Inquiry have yet to be implemented. THEREFORE, YOUR PETITIONERS call upon the House of Commons to act on the precautionary principle and immediately implement all of the 75 recommendations made by Justice Cohen to save our salmon.
Response by the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast GuardSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable Diane LebouthillierThe Government of Canada recognizes the importance of the Cohen Commission’s recommendations and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), along with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), and the Province of British Columbia (BC), have now taken actions to address all 75 of the recommendations.Many of the Cohen recommendations are broad reaching, and consequently, acting on many of the recommendations is an ongoing task. Ongoing work on many of the Cohen recommendations continues, particularly across several key areas, such as salmon stock assessment, health status assessment, habitat protection and restoration, precautionary approach to salmon aquaculture, and fisheries management.Commitment to ongoing action is reflected in the Wild Salmon Policy 2018-2022 Implementation Plan which outlines specific activities and approaches led by DFO over the last five years towards restoring and maintaining healthy and diverse Pacific salmon populations and their habitats. A five-year report of the Implementation Plan was published on September 21, 2023 (https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/salmon-saumon/wsp-pss/annual-annuel/5-year-annee-eng.html).Please see the 2018 Cohen Response Status Update Report and Annex (https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/cohen/report-rapport-2018-eng.htm) for more detail on DFO’s actions to date in response to the Cohen Commission recommendations and the Wild Salmon Policy 2018-2022 Implementation Plan(https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/salmon-saumon/wsp-pss/ip-pmo/index-eng.html). Additionally, the third Wild Salmon Policy Annual Report was released on February 4, 2022 (https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/salmon-saumon/wsp-pss/annual-annuel/2020-2021-eng.html). Furthermore, the Government of Canada recognizes that a bold and targeted response with concrete actions is required to address the historic declines facing Pacific salmon. In response, the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative (PSSI) establishes a more comprehensive and transformative approach to support Pacific salmon rebuilding in both the immediate and longer-term. Working collaboratively with Indigenous groups, partners and stakeholders across British Columbia and the Yukon, the main goal of this initiative is to conserve and restore wild Pacific salmon stocks and their ecosystems, for all that depend on them. The PSSI’s four pillars to achieve this goal are: conservation and stewardship; salmon enhancement; harvest transformation; and integration and collaboration.DFO has addressed the Cohen Commission’s Recommendation 3: “The Government of Canada should remove from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ mandate the promotion of salmon farming as an industry and farmed salmon as a product” as per the ‘Annex to the Cohen Response 2018 Status Update: recommendation response detail’ (http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/cohen/annex-annexe-2018-eng.htm).The petition highlights Cohen Commission’s Recommendation 15: “The Department of Fisheries and Oceans should explicitly consider proximity to migrating Fraser River sockeye when siting salmon farms” and Recommendation 17: “The Department of Fisheries and Oceans should apply revised siting criteria to all licensed salmon farm sites. Farms that no longer comply with siting criteria should be promptly removed or relocated to sites that comply with current siting criteria.” It is also important to note Recommendation 19 in consideration of responses to Recommendations 15 and 17: “ On September 30, 2020, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans should prohibit net-pen salmon farming in the Discovery Islands (fish health sub-zone 3-2) unless he or she is satisfied that such farms pose at most a minimal risk of serious harm to the health of migrating Fraser River sockeye salmon. The Minister’s decision should summarize the information relied on and include detailed reasons. The decision should be published on the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ website.”In response to Recommendation 19, the Department looked at the overall risk to Fraser River sockeye salmon from pathogens that can be found at Atlantic salmon farms, which was important in assessing whether current siting criteria are sufficient in the protection of wild salmon stocks, including migrating Fraser River sockeye. The Department completed risk assessments on nine known pathogens, assessing the risk of these pathogens coming from aquaculture operations in the Discovery Islands area to Fraser River sockeye. It was concluded that each pathogen posed no more than a minimal risk to Fraser River sockeye salmon abundance and diversity under the current fish health management practices (https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/cohen/recherche-aquaculture-research-eng.html). DFO continues to update its understanding of pathogens and pests and adapt its management in response. Siting of aquaculture operations is a shared and harmonized process in BC, requiring a provincial crown tenure, a federal navigable waters permit, and a federal aquaculture licence. Aquaculture applications are submitted through a single portal, where the Government of BC considers siting through the lens of granting leases for provincial crown lands, Transport Canada considers siting related to safe navigation, and DFO considers siting relating to potential impacts to fish and fish habitat, potential impacts to existing fisheries, and fish health and wild-farmed interactions, which includes consideration of the proximity to wild salmon migration routes.Siting guidelines inform a proponent and the public on how a new or amendment application will be assessed. Licence conditions for aquaculture set out the specific operational and reporting requirements to which licence holders must adhere in order to operate legally and be in compliance with the Fisheries Act and associated regulations. They also contain provisions to ensure that aquaculture sites are operated in an environmentally sustainable manner that minimizes the risk to wild fish stocks and the marine resource.In fall 2020, the Department consulted with First Nations in the Discovery Islands to hear their views and concerns with respect to the aquaculture sites in the area. These perspectives informed the former Minister Bernadette Jordan’s decision in December 2020 to phase out Atlantic salmon aquaculture in the area by June 2022. While the Federal Court ultimately struck down that decision, former Minister Joyce Murray decided in June 2022 not to reissue Atlantic salmon aquaculture licences in the Discovery Islands, and to consult with First Nations and industry on the future of licensing in the area. In February 2023, following six months of consultations, former Minister Murray decided not to reissue licences in the Discovery Islands. Industry and some of the First Nations in the area filed a judicial review in Federal Court in March 2023 which is still a matter before the courts.The Government is moving forward on the development of an Open-Net Pen Transition Plan for salmon aquaculture in B.C. The vision of the Transition Plan is to advance innovation and growth in sustainable aquaculture in BC to progressively minimize or eliminate interactions between farmed and wild salmon, while also taking into account social, cultural, and economic objectives.In developing the Transition Plan, DFO will rely on input from the Province of British Columbia, First Nations, industry, local governments, stakeholders, and British Columbians. The Government is committed to ensuring that the transition from open-net pen aquaculture is done in a manner that respects the rights and interests of Indigenous peoples.In July 2022, DFO released a discussion framework, which outlines the vision for open-net pen transition in BC. Members of the public were invited to participate by completing an online survey, which was available until October 27, 2022; details about this process are available on the aquaculture engagement webpage. Other activities included Ministerial roundtables with Indigenous leaders, key stakeholders, and conservation organizations; as well as bilateral meetings and engagement sessions with First Nations; local and provincial governments; industry, academics, conservation organizations; and other stakeholder groups. In May 2023, a What We Heard Report summarizing Phases 1 and 2 of engagement was released.  In July 2023, in response to requests from First Nations and others, the time period for consultation on the Transition Plan was extended. The feedback and input received during this engagement will be instrumental in the development of the final transition plan.In relation to the Cohen Commission’s Recommendation 54: “The Department of Fisheries and Oceans should encourage the Province of British Columbia:
  • to require users of pesticides in forestry and agriculture to record, and report annually to the province, the areas where pesticides were applied and the amounts used to develop; and
  • maintain a pesticide-use database (that includes information on location, volume / concentration, and timing of use) and make that information publicly available.”
BC has a system in place to monitor, report, and disseminate information on pesticide use across sectors (aquaculture, agriculture, forestry). The province requires users to report pesticide use, and has the ability to provide information on total use. Standards of use are consistent with Health Canada requirements. As part of the Fisheries Protection Program, DFO will continue to coordinate and work with the Province of BC on areas of common interest. Specific to pesticides used for aquaculture purposes, under the authority of the Aquaculture Activities Regulations, DFO collects all information regarding the deposit of deleterious substances, including both drugs and pesticides. Any use of registered pesticides, including Hydrogen Peroxide are reported to DFO through a 72 hour notification requirement, and a quarterly report include dates and amounts of product used.Both ECCC and DFO have taken action in response the Cohen Commission’s Recommendation 74: “To improve future sustainability of the Fraser River sockeye, the Government of Canada should champion, within Canada and internationally, reasonable steps to address the causes of warming waters and climate change.” DFO works to address climate change impacts in aquatic ecosystems as a part of an ECCC-led, whole-of-government effort. Through this work, the department conducts vulnerability assessments on Pacific species, including salmon, to warming waters and continues to monitor trends in sea surface temperature, oxygen levels, and ocean acidification in freshwater and marine areas. These monitoring data are important to understanding the causes of change and are used by DFO in studies to quantify the rate of change in freshwaters and marine waters inhabited by Pacific salmon.
Cohen CommissionFisheries policyFisheries stocksFraser RiverPacific fisheriesSockeye salmon
44th Parliament223Government response tabledNovember 8, 2023441-01653441-01653 (Fisheries)ElizabethMaySaanich—Gulf IslandsGreen PartyBCSeptember 25, 2023November 8, 2023June 7, 2023PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED We, the undersigned residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House to the following:WHEREAS:A public survey done in 2011 found that 70% of British Columbians agree with the statement that, "wild Pacific salmon are as important to British Columbians as the French language is to Quebeckers"; The Fraser River sockeye run unexpectedly collapsed in 2009, with only 1 million of the expected 10 million salmon returning to spawn; This collapse prompted the Government of Canada to launch a comprehensive Federal Commission of Inquiry, headed by the Honourable Bruce Cohen and released in 2012, to investigate the cause of this catastrophic decline; Among the 75 recommendations stemming from Justice Cohen's inquiry were:
  • The Government of Canada should remove from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans mandate the promotion of salmon farming as an industry and farmed salmon as a product,
  • The Department of Fisheries and Oceans should explicitly consider proximity to migrating Fraser River sockeye when siting salmon farms, should consider relocating existing salmon farms that are too close to existing salmon runs, and should consider prohibiting net-pen salmon farming altogether, especially in the Discovery Islands,
  • Department of Fisheries and Oceans should encourage British Columbia to require users of pesticides in forestry and agriculture to record, and report annually to the province, the areas where pesticides were applied and the amounts used, and
  • To improve future sustainability of the Fraser River sockeye, the Government of Canada should champion, within Canada and internationally, reasonable steps to address the causes of warming waters and climate change; and
Years later, the recommendations made by Justice Cohen in the Inquiry have yet to be implemented. THEREFORE, YOUR PETITIONERS call upon the House of Commons to act on the precautionary principle and immediately implement all of the 75 recommendations made by Justice Cohen to save our salmon.
Response by the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast GuardSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable Diane LebouthillierThe Government of Canada recognizes the importance of the Cohen Commission’s recommendations and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), along with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), and the Province of British Columbia (BC), have now taken actions to address all 75 of the recommendations.Many of the Cohen recommendations are broad reaching, and consequently, acting on many of the recommendations is an ongoing task. Ongoing work on many of the Cohen recommendations continues, particularly across several key areas, such as salmon stock assessment, health status assessment, habitat protection and restoration, precautionary approach to salmon aquaculture, and fisheries management.Commitment to ongoing action is reflected in the Wild Salmon Policy 2018-2022 Implementation Plan which outlines specific activities and approaches led by DFO over the last five years towards restoring and maintaining healthy and diverse Pacific salmon populations and their habitats. A five-year report of the Implementation Plan was published on September 21, 2023 (www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/salmon-saumon/wsp-pss/annual-annuel/5-year-annee-eng.html).Please see the 2018 Cohen Response Status Update Report and Annex (https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/cohen/report-rapport-2018-eng.htm) for more detail on DFO’s actions to date in response to the Cohen Commission recommendations and the Wild Salmon Policy 2018-2022 Implementation Plan (https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/salmon-saumon/wsp-pss/ip-pmo/index-eng.html). Additionally, the third Wild Salmon Policy Annual Report was released on February 4, 2022 (https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/salmon-saumon/wsp-pss/annual-annuel/2020-2021-eng.html).  Further, the Government of Canada recognizes that a bold and targeted response with concrete actions is required to address the historic declines facing Pacific salmon. In response, the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative (PSSI) establishes a more comprehensive and transformative approach to support Pacific salmon rebuilding in both the immediate and longer-term. Working collaboratively with Indigenous groups, partners and stakeholders across British Columbia and the Yukon, the main goal of this initiative is to conserve and restore wild Pacific salmon stocks and their ecosystems, for all that depend on them. The PSSI’s four pillars to achieve this goal are: conservation and stewardship; salmon enhancement; harvest transformation; and integration and collaboration.DFO has addressed the Cohen Commission’s Recommendation 3: “The Government of Canada should remove from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ mandate the promotion of salmon farming as an industry and farmed salmon as a product” as per the ‘Annex to the Cohen Response 2018 Status Update: recommendation response detail’ (http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/cohen/annex-annexe-2018-eng.htm).The petition highlights Cohen Commission’s Recommendation 15: “The Department of Fisheries and Oceans should explicitly consider proximity to migrating Fraser River sockeye when siting salmon farms” and Recommendation 17: “The Department of Fisheries and Oceans should apply revised siting criteria to all licensed salmon farm sites. Farms that no longer comply with siting criteria should be promptly removed or relocated to sites that comply with current siting criteria.” It is also important to note Recommendation 19 in consideration of responses to Recommendations 15 and 17: “ On September 30, 2020, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans should prohibit net-pen salmon farming in the Discovery Islands (fish health sub-zone 3-2) unless he or she is satisfied that such farms pose at most a minimal risk of serious harm to the health of migrating Fraser River sockeye salmon. The Minister’s decision should summarize the information relied on and include detailed reasons. The decision should be published on the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ website.”In response to Recommendation 19, the Department looked at the overall risk to Fraser River sockeye salmon from pathogens that can be found at Atlantic salmon farms, which was important in assessing whether current siting criteria are sufficient in the protection of wild salmon stocks, including migrating Fraser River sockeye. The Department completed risk assessments on nine known pathogens, assessing the risk of these pathogens coming from aquaculture operations in the Discovery Islands area to Fraser River sockeye. It was concluded that each pathogen posed no more than a minimal risk to Fraser River sockeye salmon abundance and diversity under the current fish health management practices (https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/cohen/recherche-aquaculture-research-eng.html). DFO continues to update its understanding of pathogens and pests and adapt its management in response. Siting of aquaculture operations is a shared and harmonized process in BC, requiring a provincial crown tenure, a federal navigable waters permit, and a federal aquaculture licence. Aquaculture applications are submitted through a single portal, where the Government of BC considers siting through the lens of granting leases for provincial crown lands, Transport Canada considers siting related to safe navigation, and DFO considers siting relating to potential impacts to fish and fish habitat, potential impacts to existing fisheries, and fish health and wild-farmed interactions, which includes consideration of the proximity to wild salmon migration routes.Siting guidelines inform a proponent and the public on how a new or amendment application will be assessed.  Licence conditions for aquaculture set out the specific operational and reporting requirements to which licence holders must adhere in order to operate legally and be in compliance with the Fisheries Act and associated regulations. They also contain provisions to ensure that aquaculture sites are operated in an environmentally sustainable manner that minimizes the risk to wild fish stocks and the marine resource.In fall 2020, the Department consulted with First Nations in the Discovery Islands to hear their views and concerns with respect to the aquaculture sites in the area. These perspectives informed the former Minister Bernadette Jordan’s decision in December 2020 to phase out Atlantic salmon aquaculture in the area by June 2022. While the Federal Court ultimately struck down that decision, former Minister Joyce Murray decided in June 2022 not to reissue Atlantic salmon aquaculture licences in the Discovery Islands, and to consult with First Nations and industry on the future of licensing in the area. In February 2023, following six months of extensive consultations, former Minister Murray announced her decision not to reissue 15 Atlantic salmon open-net pen licences in the Discovery Islands. Industry and some of the First Nations in the area filed a judicial review in Federal Court in March 2023 which is still a matter before the courts.The Government is moving forward on the development of the Open-Net Pen Transition Plan for salmon aquaculture in B.C. We are committed to developing a responsible transition plan that protects wild Pacific salmon, the environment, and the economy. The Transition Plan will ensure that salmon marine finfish aquaculture is conducted in a manner that progressively minimizes or eliminates interactions between cultured and wild salmon.In developing the Transition Plan, DFO will rely on input from the Province of British Columbia, First Nations, industry, local governments, stakeholders, and British Columbians. The Government is committed to ensuring that the transition from open-net pen aquaculture is done in a manner that respects the rights and interests of Indigenous peoples.In July 2022, DFO released a discussion framework, which outlines the vision for open-net pen transition in BC. Members of the public were invited to participate by completing an online survey, which was available until October 27, 2022; details about this process are available on the aquaculture engagement webpage. Other activities included Ministerial roundtables with Indigenous leaders, key stakeholders, and conservation organizations; as well as bilateral meetings and engagement sessions with First Nations; local and provincial governments; industry, academics, conservation organizations; and other stakeholder groups. In May 2023, a What We Heard Report summarizing Phases 1 and 2 of engagement was released.  In July 2023, in response to requests from First Nations and others, the time period for consultation on the Transition Plan was extended. The feedback and input received during this engagement will be instrumental in the development of the final transition plan.In relation to the Cohen Commission’s Recommendation 54: “The Department of Fisheries and Oceans should encourage the Province of British Columbia: to require users of pesticides in forestry and agriculture to record, and report annually to the province, the areas where pesticides were applied and the amounts used to develop and maintain a pesticide-use database (that includes information on location, volume / concentration, and timing of use) and make that information publicly available”, BC has a system in place to monitor, report, and disseminate information on pesticide use across sectors (aquaculture, agriculture, forestry). The province requires users to report pesticide use, and has the ability to provide information on total use. Standards of use are consistent with Health Canada requirements. As part of the Fisheries Protection Program, DFO will continue to coordinate and work with the Province of BC on areas of common interest. Specific to pesticides used for aquaculture purposes, under the authority of the Aquaculture Activities Regulations, DFO collects all information regarding the deposit of deleterious substances, including both drugs and pesticides. Any use of registered pesticides, including Hydrogen Peroxide are reported to DFO through a 72 hour notification requirement, and a quarterly report include dates and amounts of product used.Both ECCC and DFO have taken action in response the Cohen Commission’s Recommendation 74: “To improve future sustainability of the Fraser River sockeye, the Government of Canada should champion, within Canada and internationally, reasonable steps to address the causes of warming waters and climate change.” DFO works to address climate change impacts in aquatic ecosystems as a part of an ECCC-led, whole-of-government effort. Through this work, the department conducts vulnerability assessments on Pacific species, including salmon, to warming waters and continues to monitor trends in sea surface temperature, oxygen levels, and ocean acidification in freshwater and marine areas. These monitoring data are important to understanding the causes of change and are used by DFO in studies to quantify the rate of change in freshwaters and marine waters inhabited by Pacific salmon.
Cohen CommissionFisheries policyFisheries stocksFraser RiverPacific fisheriesSockeye salmon
44th Parliament223Government response tabledJune 20, 2023441-01472441-01472 (Fisheries)ElizabethMaySaanich—Gulf IslandsGreen PartyBCMay 18, 2023June 20, 2023February 8, 2023PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED We, the undersigned residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House to the following:WHEREAS:A public survey done in 2011 found that 70% of British Columbians agree with the statement that, "wild Pacific salmon are as important to British Columbians as the French language is to Quebeckers"; The Fraser River sockeye run unexpectedly collapsed in 2009, with only 1 million of the expected 10 million salmon returning to spawn; This collapse prompted the Government of Canada to launch a comprehensive Federal Commission of Inquiry, headed by the Honourable Bruce Cohen and released in 2012, to investigate the cause of this catastrophic decline; Among the 75 recommendations stemming from Justice Cohen's inquiry were:
  • The Government of Canada should remove from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans mandate the promotion of salmon farming as an industry and farmed salmon as a product,
  • The Department of Fisheries and Oceans should explicitly consider proximity to migrating Fraser River sockeye when siting salmon farms, should consider relocating existing salmon farms that are too close to existing salmon runs, and should consider prohibiting net-pen salmon farming altogether, especially in the Discovery Islands,
  • Department of Fisheries and Oceans should encourage British Columbia to require users of pesticides in forestry and agriculture to record, and report annually to the province, the areas where pesticides were applied and the amounts used, and
  • To improve future sustainability of the Fraser River sockeye, the Government of Canada should champion, within Canada and internationally, reasonable steps to address the causes of warming waters and climate change; and
Years later, the recommendations made by Justice Cohen in the Inquiry have yet to be implemented. THEREFORE, YOUR PETITIONERS call upon the House of Commons to act on the precautionary principle and immediately implement all of the 75 recommendations made by Justice Cohen to save our salmon.
Response by the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast GuardSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Mike KellowayThe Government of Canada recognizes the importance of the Cohen Commission’s recommendations and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), along with Environment and Climate Change Canada, and the Province of British Columbia, have now taken actions to address all 75 of the recommendations.Many of the Cohen recommendations are broad reaching, and consequently, acting on many of the recommendations is an ongoing task. Ongoing work on many of the Cohen recommendations continues, particularly across several key areas, such as salmon stock assessment, health status assessment, habitat protection and restoration, precautionary approach to salmon aquaculture, and fisheries management.Commitment to ongoing action is reflected in the Wild Salmon Policy 2018-2022 Implementation Plan which outlines specific activities and approaches led by DFO over the last five years towards restoring and maintaining healthy and diverse Pacific salmon populations and their habitats. A five-year report of the Implementation Plan will be published in 2023.Please see the 2018 Cohen Response Status Update Report and Annex (http://www.dfo- mpo.gc.ca/cohen/report-rapport-2018-eng.htm) for more detail on DFO’s actions to date in response to the Cohen Commission recommendations and the Wild Salmon Policy 2018-2022 Implementation Plan (https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/salmon-saumon/wsp-pss/ip-pmo/index-eng.html). Additionally, the third Wild Salmon Policy Annual Report was released on February 4, 2022 (https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/salmon-saumon/wsp-pss/annual-annuel/2020-2021-eng.html).
Cohen CommissionFisheries policyFisheries stocksFraser RiverPacific fisheriesSockeye salmon
44th Parliament223Government response tabledMarch 20, 2023441-01076441-01076 (Fisheries)ElizabethMaySaanich—Gulf IslandsGreen PartyBCJanuary 30, 2023March 20, 2023November 18, 2022PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED We, the undersigned residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House to the following:WHEREAS:A public survey done in 2011 found that 70% of British Columbians agree with the statement that, "wild Pacific salmon are as important to British Columbians as the French language is to Quebeckers"; The Fraser River sockeye run unexpectedly collapsed in 2009, with only 1 million of the expected 10 million salmon returning to spawn; This collapse prompted the Government of Canada to launch a comprehensive Federal Commission of Inquiry, headed by the Honourable Bruce Cohen and released in 2012, to investigate the cause of this catastrophic decline; Among the 75 recommendations stemming from Justice Cohen's inquiry were:
  • The Government of Canada should remove from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans mandate the promotion of salmon farming as an industry and farmed salmon as a product,
  • The Department of Fisheries and Oceans should explicitly consider proximity to migrating Fraser River sockeye when siting salmon farms, should consider relocating existing salmon farms that are too close to existing salmon runs, and should consider prohibiting net-pen salmon farming altogether, especially in the Discovery Islands,
  • Department of Fisheries and Oceans should encourage British Columbia to require users of pesticides in forestry and agriculture to record, and report annually to the province, the areas where pesticides were applied and the amounts used, and
  • To improve future sustainability of the Fraser River sockeye, the Government of Canada should champion, within Canada and internationally, reasonable steps to address the causes of warming waters and climate change; and
Years later, the recommendations made by Justice Cohen in the Inquiry have yet to be implemented. THEREFORE, YOUR PETITIONERS call upon the House of Commons to act on the precautionary principle and immediately implement all of the 75 recommendations made by Justice Cohen to save our salmon.
Response by the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast GuardSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Mike KellowayThe Government of Canada recognizes the importance of the Cohen Commission’s recommendations and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), along with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), and the Province of British Columbia (BC), have now taken actions to address all 75 of the recommendations.Many of the Cohen recommendations are broad reaching, and consequently, acting on many of the recommendations is an ongoing task. Ongoing work on many of the Cohen recommendations continues, particularly across several key areas, such as salmon stock assessment, health status assessment, habitat protection and restoration, precautionary approach to salmon aquaculture, and fisheries management.Commitment to ongoing action is reflected in the Wild Salmon Policy 2018-2022 Implementation Plan which outlines specific activities and approaches led by DFO over the last five years towards restoring and maintaining healthy and diverse Pacific salmon populations and their habitats. A five-year report of the Implementation Plan will be published in early 2023.Please see the 2018 Cohen Response Status Update Report and Annex (http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/cohen/report-rapport-2018-eng.htm) for more detail on DFO’s actions to date in response to the Cohen Commission recommendations and the Wild Salmon Policy 2018-2022 Implementation Plan (https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/salmon-saumon/wsp-pss/ip-pmo/index-eng.html). Additionally, the third Wild Salmon Policy Annual Report was released on February 4, 2022 (https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/salmon-saumon/wsp-pss/annual-annuel/2020-2021-eng.html).Further, the Government of Canada recognizes that a bold and targeted response with concrete actions is required to address the historic declines facing Pacific salmon. In response, the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative (PSSI) establishes a more comprehensive and transformative approach to support Pacific salmon rebuilding in both the immediate and longer-term. Working collaboratively with Indigenous groups, partners and stakeholders across British Columbia and the Yukon, the main goal of this initiative is to conserve and restore wild Pacific salmon stocks and their ecosystems, for those who depend on them. The PSSI’s four pillars to achieve this goal are: conservation and stewardship; salmon enhancement; harvest transformation; and integration and collaboration.DFO has addressed the Cohen Commission’s Recommendation 3: “The Government of Canada should remove from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ mandate the promotion of salmon farming as an industry and farmed salmon as a product” as per the ‘Annex to the Cohen Response 2018 Status Update: recommendation response detail’ (http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/cohen/annex-annexe-2018-eng.htm).Regarding the Cohen Commission’s Recommendation 15: “The Department of Fisheries and Oceans should explicitly consider proximity to migrating Fraser River sockeye when siting salmon farms” and Recommendation 17: “The Department of Fisheries and Oceans should apply revised siting criteria to all licensed salmon farm sites. Farms that no longer comply with siting criteria should be promptly removed or relocated to sites that comply with current siting criteria”, siting of aquaculture operations is a shared and harmonized process in BC, requiring a provincial crown tenure, a federal navigable waters permit, and a federal aquaculture licence. Aquaculture applications are submitted through a single portal, where the Government of BC considers siting through the lens of granting leases for provincial crown lands, Transport Canada considers siting related to safe navigation, and DFO considers siting relating to potential impacts to the aquatic environment. More specifically, DFO’s review process for siting salmon farms considers: potential impacts to fish, fish habitat and the environment; potential impacts to existing fisheries; and fish health and wild-farmed interactions, which includes consideration of the proximity to wild salmon migration routes.Licence conditions for aquaculture set out the specific operational and reporting requirements to which licence holders must adhere in order to operate legally and be in compliance with the Fisheries Act and associated regulations. They also contain provisions to ensure that aquaculture sites are operated in an environmentally sustainable manner that minimizes the risk to wild fish stocks and the marine resource.Recommendation 19 states: “On September 30, 2020, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans should prohibit net-pen salmon farming in the Discovery Islands (fish health sub-zone 3-2) unless he or she is satisfied that such farms pose at most a minimal risk of serious harm to the health of migrating Fraser River sockeye salmon. The minister’s decision should summarize the information relied on and include detailed reasons. The decision should be published on the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ website.” In response to this recommendation, the Department looked at the overall risk to Fraser River sockeye salmon from pathogens that can be found at Atlantic salmon farms. The Department completed risk assessments on nine known pathogens, assessing the risk of these pathogens coming from aquaculture operations in the Discovery Islands area to Fraser River sockeye. It was concluded that each pathogen posed no more than a minimal risk to Fraser River sockeye salmon abundance and diversity under the current fish health management practices. (https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/cohen/recherche-aquaculture-research-eng.html). DFO continues to update its understanding of pathogens and pests and adapt its management in response.From June to December 2022 DFO conducted extensive consultations with First Nations, industry and others with respect to the reissuance of marine finfish aquaculture licences in the Discovery Islands. On February 17, 2023 the Minister announced her decision not to renew 15 Atlantic salmon open-net pen aquaculture licences in the area, following her review of the submissions and other related information, including relevant science.Recent science indicates that there is uncertainty with respect to the risks posed by Atlantic salmon aquaculture farms to wild Pacific salmon in the Discovery Islands area, as well as to the cumulative effect of any farm-related impacts on this iconic species. Given the state of wild Pacific salmon, the Government of Canada is taking a highly precautionary approach to manage Atlantic salmon aquaculture in the Discovery Islands area. DFO is also taking the next steps to transition from open-net pen salmon aquaculture in BC’s coastal waters. We are committed to developing a responsible transition plan that protects wild Pacific salmon, the environment, and the economy. The transition plan will ensure that salmon marine finfish aquaculture is conducted in a manner that progressively minimizes or eliminates interactions between cultured and wild salmon.In developing the transition plan, DFO will rely on input from the Province of British Columbia, First Nations, industry, local governments, stakeholders, and British Columbians. The Department is committed to ensuring that the transition from open-net pen aquaculture is done in a manner that respects the rights and interests of Indigenous peoples.In July 2022, DFO released a discussion framework, which outlines the vision for open-net pen transition in BC. Members of the public were invited to participate by completing an online survey, which was available until October 27, 2022; details about this process are available on our aquaculture engagement webpage. Other activities included roundtables with Indigenous leaders, key stakeholders, and conservation organizations; bilateral meetings with local and provincial governments and national stakeholder groups; engagement sessions with First Nations; and targeted engagement with industry leaders. The feedback received will be instrumental in the development of the final transition plan, which is expected in summer 2023.In relation to the Cohen Commission’s Recommendation 54: “The Department of Fisheries and Oceans should encourage the Province of British Columbia: to require users of pesticides in forestry and agriculture to record, and report annually to the province, the areas where pesticides were applied and the amounts used to develop and maintain a pesticide-use database (that includes information on location, volume / concentration, and timing of use) and make that information publicly available”,BC has a system in place to monitor, report, and disseminate pesticide use. The Province requires users to report pesticide use, and has the ability to provide information on total use. Standards of use are consistent with Health Canada requirements. As part of the Fisheries Protection Program, DFO will continue to coordinate and work with the Province of BC on areas of common interest.Both ECCC and DFO have taken action in response the Cohen Commission’s Recommendation 74: “To improve future sustainability of the Fraser River sockeye, the Government of Canada should champion, within Canada and internationally, reasonable steps to address the causes of warming waters and climate change.” DFO works to address climate change impacts in aquatic ecosystems as a part of an ECCC-led, whole-of- government effort. Through this work, the department conducts vulnerability assessments on Pacific species, including salmon, to warming waters and continues to monitor trends in sea surface temperature, oxygen levels, and ocean acidification in freshwater and marine areas. These monitoring data are important to understanding the causes of change and are used by DFO in studies to quantify the rate of change in freshwaters and marine waters inhabited by Pacific salmon.
Cohen CommissionFisheries policyFisheries stocksFraser RiverPacific fisheriesSockeye salmon
44th Parliament223Government response tabledNovember 14, 2022441-00716441-00716 (Fisheries)ElizabethMaySaanich—Gulf IslandsGreen PartyBCSeptember 28, 2022November 14, 2022May 9, 2022PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED We, the undersigned residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House to the following:WHEREAS:A public survey done in 2011 found that 70% of British Columbians agree with the statement that, "wild Pacific salmon are as important to British Columbians as the French language is to Quebeckers"; The Fraser River sockeye run unexpectedly collapsed in 2009, with only 1 million of the expected 10 million salmon returning to spawn; This collapse prompted the Government of Canada to launch a comprehensive Federal Commission of Inquiry, headed by the Honourable Bruce Cohen and released in 2012, to investigate the cause of this catastrophic decline; Among the 75 recommendations stemming from Justice Cohen's inquiry were:
  • The Government of Canada should remove from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans mandate the promotion of salmon farming as an industry and farmed salmon as a product,
  • The Department of Fisheries and Oceans should explicitly consider proximity to migrating Fraser River sockeye when siting salmon farms, should consider relocating existing salmon farms that are too close to existing salmon runs, and should consider prohibiting net-pen salmon farming altogether, especially in the Discovery Islands,
  • Department of Fisheries and Oceans should encourage British Columbia to require users of pesticides in forestry and agriculture to record, and report annually to the province, the areas where pesticides were applied and the amounts used, and
  • To improve future sustainability of the Fraser River sockeye, the Government of Canada should champion, within Canada and internationally, reasonable steps to address the causes of warming waters and climate change; and
Years later, the recommendations made by Justice Cohen in the Inquiry have yet to be implemented. THEREFORE, YOUR PETITIONERS call upon the House of Commons to act on the precautionary principle and immediately implement all of the 75 recommendations made by Justice Cohen to save our salmon.
Response by the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast GuardSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Mike KellowayThe Government of Canada recognizes the importance of the Cohen Commission’s recommendations and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), along with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), and the Province of British Columbia (BC), have now taken actions to address all 75 of the recommendations.Many of the Cohen recommendations are broad reaching, and consequently, acting on many of the recommendations is an ongoing task. Ongoing work on many of the Cohen recommendations continues, particularly across several key areas, such as salmon stock assessment, health status assessment, habitat protection and restoration, precautionary approach to salmon aquaculture, and fisheries management.Commitment to ongoing action is reflected in the Wild Salmon Policy 2018-2022 Implementation Plan which outlines specific activities and approaches led by the department over the last five years towards restoring and maintaining healthy and diverse Pacific salmon populations and their habitats. A five-year report of the Implementation Plan will be published by the end of 2022.Please see the 2018 Cohen Response Status Update Report and Annex  for more detail on DFO’s actions to date in response to the Cohen Commission recommendations and the Wild Salmon Policy 2018-2022 Implementation Plan. Additionally, the third Wild Salmon Policy Annual Report was released on February 4, 2022.Further, the Government of Canada recognizes that a bold and targeted response with concrete actions is required to address the historic declines facing Pacific salmon.. In response, the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative (PSSI) establishes a more comprehensive, transformative, and longer-term approach to support salmon rebuilding in the Pacific Region. Working collaboratively with Indigenous groups, partners and stakeholders, the main goal of this initiative is to conserve and restore Pacific salmon, and their habitats and ecosystems, across British Columbia and the Yukon. The PSSI’s four pillars are: conservation and stewardship; salmon enhancement; harvest transformation; and integration and collaboration.DFO has addressed the Cohen Commission’s Recommendation 3: “The Government of Canada should remove from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ mandate the promotion of salmon farming as an industry and farmed salmon as a product” as per the ‘Annex to the Cohen Response 2018 Status Update: recommendation response detail’ .Regarding the Cohen Commission’s Recommendation 15: “The Department of Fisheries and Oceans should explicitly consider proximity to migrating Fraser River sockeye when siting salmon farms” and Recommendation 17: “The Department of Fisheries and Oceans should apply revised siting criteria to all licensed salmon farm sites. Farms that no longer comply with siting criteria should be promptly removed or relocated to sites that comply with current siting criteria”, siting of aquaculture operations is a shared and harmonized process in BC, requiring a provincial crown tenure, a federal navigable waters permit, and a federal aquaculture licence. Aquaculture applications are submitted through a single portal, where the Government of BC considers siting through the lens of granting leases for provincial crown lands, Transport Canada considers siting related to safe navigation, and DFO considers siting relating to potential impacts to the aquatic environment. More specifically, DFO’s review process for siting salmon farms considers: potential impacts to fish, fish habitat and the environment; potential impacts to existing fisheries; and fish health and wild-farmed interactions, which includes consideration of the proximity to wild salmon migration routes.Licence conditions for aquaculture set out the specific operational and reporting requirements to which licence holders must adhere in order to operate legally and be in compliance with the Fisheries Act and associated regulations. They also contain provisions to ensure that aquaculture sites are operated in an environmentally sustainable manner that minimizes the risk to wild fish stocks and the marine resource.Recommendation 19 states: “On September 30, 2020, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans should prohibit net-pen salmon farming in the Discovery Islands (fish health sub-zone 3-2) unless he or she is satisfied that such farms pose at most a minimal risk of serious harm to the health of migrating Fraser River sockeye salmon. The minister’s decision should summarize the information relied on and include detailed reasons. The decision should be published on the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ website.” In response to this recommendation, the Department looked at the overall risk to Fraser River sockeye salmon from pathogens that can be found at Atlantic salmon farms. The Department completed risk assessments on nine known pathogens, assessing the risk of these pathogens coming from  aquaculture operations in the Discovery Islands area to Fraser River sockeye. It was concluded that each pathogen posed no more than a minimal risk to Fraser River sockeye salmon abundance and diversity under the current fish health management practices. DFO continues to update its understanding of pathogens and pests and adapt its management in response.Additionally, the Department is in the process of re-consulting with the seven First Nations in the Discovery Islands to develop a more complete understanding of their views and concerns with respect to the aquaculture sites in the area. These consultations will inform the Minister’s decision regarding re-issuance of the aquaculture licences in January 2023.The Department is also taking the next steps in the commitment to transition from open-net pen salmon aquaculture in BC’s coastal waters. We are committed to developing a responsible transition plan that protects wild Pacific salmon, the environment, and the economy. The transition plan will ensure that salmon marine finfish aquaculture is conducted in a manner that progressively minimizes or eliminates interactions between cultured and wild salmon.In developing the transition plan, DFO will rely on input from the Province of British Columbia, First Nations, industry, local governments, stakeholders, and British Columbians. The Department is committed to ensuring that the transition from open-net pen aquaculture is done in a manner that respects the rights and interests of Indigenous peoples.This next round of engagement is guided by a discussion framework, which outlines the vision for open-net pen transition in BC. Engagement will run until early 2023. Members of the public can participate by completing an online survey, which will be available until October 27; details are available on our Aquaculture engagement and consultations webpage. Other planned activities will include roundtables with Indigenous leaders, key stakeholders, and conservation organizations; bilateral meetings with local and provincial governments and national stakeholder groups; engagement sessions with First Nations; and targeted engagement with industry leaders. The feedback received will be instrumental in the development of the final transition plan, which is expected in spring 2023.In relation to the Cohen Commission’s Recommendation 54:“The Department of Fisheries and Oceans should encourage the Province of British Columbia:to require users of pesticides in forestry and agriculture to record, and report annually to the province, the areas where pesticides were applied and the amounts used;to develop and maintain a pesticide-use database (that includes information on location, volume / concentration, and timing of use) and make that information publicly available”BC has a system in place to monitor, report, and disseminate pesticide use. The province requires users to report pesticide use, and has the ability to provide information on total use. Standards of use are consistent with Health Canada requirements. As part of the Fisheries Protection Program, DFO will continue to coordinate and work with the Province of BC on areas of common interest.Both ECCC and DFO have taken action in response the Cohen Commission’s Recommendation 74: “To improve future sustainability of the Fraser River sockeye, the Government of Canada should champion, within Canada and internationally, reasonable steps to address the causes of warming waters and climate change.” DFO works to address climate change impacts in aquatic ecosystems as a part of an ECCC-led, whole-of-government effort. Through this work, the department conducts vulnerability assessments on Pacific species, including salmon, to warming waters and continues to monitor trends in sea surface temperature, oxygen levels, and ocean acidification in freshwater and marine areas. These monitoring data are important to understanding the causes of change and are used by DFO in studies to quantify the rate of change in freshwaters and marine waters inhabited by Pacific salmon.
Cohen CommissionFisheries policyFisheries stocksFraser RiverPacific fisheriesSockeye salmon