Primary Duties

The Commission receives administrative and scientific support from its Secretariat staff, headquartered in Vancouver, Canada and overseen by an Executive Secretary.

Staff with expertise in accounting, meeting logistics, records management and IT make up the administrative group and work closely with Fund staff who oversee the management of the Northern and Southern Endowment Funds.

Secretariat staff members also provide technical information and scientific advice concerning Fraser River sockeye and pink salmon harvest. This science group includes fisheries biologists, biometricians, statisticians, laboratory technicians and hydroacoustic specialists actively involved in the day-to-day regulation of sockeye and pink fisheries throughout the Fraser River Panel area of jurisdiction.

Administration

  • Assist Commissioners and Panel members generally in conduct of their duties.
  • Facilitate implementation of Commission decisions and recommendations.
  • Prepare and transmit reports, communications and correspondence.
  • Make the necessary arrangements for all meetings of the Commission and its subsidiary bodies in Vancouver and other locations.
    • Development of meeting agendas and work-plans.
    • Schedule meeting locations. Book hotels and meeting rooms and make all meeting room assignments
    • Arrangements for special events e.g. receptions, guest requirements.
    • Operation of the PSC Secretariat travelling on-site office.
    • Provide on-site IT services including internet and guest computer stations.
    • Document copying & distribution, general information, hotel liaison.
  • Receive and disburse funds in accordance with Financial Regulations (note: contributions to fund PSC staff operations are funded 50:50 by the Parties).
  • Maintain all official files and publications.
  • Operate the PSC library.
  • Coordinate the activities of the Northern and Southern Restoration & Enhancement Funds and the Yukon River Panel Restoration & Enhancement Fund.

Stock Assessment

  • Develop, update and run pre-season fisheries planning models.
  • Develop, maintain and interpret reconstruction and run size assessments for Fraser River sockeye and pink salmon.
  • Support stock monitoring, stock ID and management adjustments by providing new analytical tools for faster, more efficient and objective analyses.
  • Examine new models in collaboration with the Fraser River Technical Committee and the Panel.
  • Ensure quality of analyses through peer reviewed publications.
  • Increase analytical competency of PSC staff and Technical Committee members.

Stock ID

  • Estimate sockeye and pink stock composition: sampling design, coordination, collection and analysis (DNA & scales).
  • Assemble files, collate catch data, apportion catch & escapement estimates to stock.
  • Age and digitize fishery, spawning ground, smolt and research samples (scales, otoliths).
  • Maintain databases and archives
    • Spawning ground abundance, length, age, scale, otolith, DNA.
    • Production by stock and age for pre-season forecasting.
  • Communications including: Status and TAC (total allowable catch) tables,  news releases & regulations,  responses to data requests, meeting minutes,  writing & compiling FRP annual reports.

Test Fishing

  • Pre-season scheduling, hiring and training of test fishermen and test fishing observers.
  • Collect catch, effort, biological and environmental information to index the passage of sockeye and pink salmon populations.
  • Collate fish landings, fish tickets, dock tallies, fish prices and provide payment to test fishermen as required.
  • Monitor (count) sockeye and pink salmon passing upstream of Hells Gate.
  • Analyse historical test fishing information to estimate passage of salmon in-season.

Hydroacoustics

  • Estimate the daily upstream passage of sockeye and pink salmon at the PSC’s fish counting station near Mission, BC using hydroacoustics technologies.
  • Evaluate and implement sonar technologies and improve sampling design. Develop efficient and robust data processing methods.
  • Ensure rigor and transparency of methodology through regular review with a joint PSC/DFO hydroacoustic working group.
  • Archive and maintain data.
  • Communicate and disseminate results and findings via the Fraser River Panel meetings, PSC website and publications.

Management Adjustments

  • Provide pre-season and in-season forecasts of differences between in-season projections of spawning escapement and post-season estimates of escapement (difference between estimates or DBEs).
  • Compile and maintain historical data required for Management Adjustment models.
  • Collaborate with the DFO Environmental Watch Program to communicate the relationship between DBEs and Fraser River environmental conditions, and to develop and evaluate new DBE forecast models.
  • Communicate the results via the Fraser River Panel.