Today, the Sumas First Nation, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), and the Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC) celebrated a new era of collaboration and cooperation in Fraser River fisheries.  This was commemorated at a ceremony in Abbotsford, B.C. with dignitaries from the Sumas First Nation, DFO, the PSC, the U.S. Consulate in Vancouver, and the city of Abbotsford.

For decades, Sumas boats had been prohibited from a section of traditional fishing grounds near Abbotsford on the lower Fraser.  This is because the PSC had established a sonar fish counting station there in the 1970’s, and blocked fishing activity near its equipment to facilitate accurate counts.  However, this same stretch of river had traditionally provided ideal conditions for Sumas food, social, and ceremonial fisheries for millennia.  Consultation and coordination during the site construction was lacking, and misgivings grew with each year that passed.

After decades of entrenchment and stalemate, the three parties came together in 2021 to forge a protocol and memorandum of understanding.  This agreement allowed the resumption of Sumas fishing activity near the sonar site while launching new methods to calculate fish passage during the limited hours that fishing occurred.  U.S. and Canadian fishery managers endorsed this approach, noting that it would not affect the calculation of sockeye and pink salmon run sizes nor the total catch allowed for each country.

The successful completion of the protocol revealed the goodwill and willingness of each side to find a workable solution that respected indigenous culture and food security and the need for accurate data.  Speakers at the ceremony noted the power of such motivation, and hoped this would serve as a benchmark for problem solving in the future.

The Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC) is seeking salmon buyers to purchase Fraser River sockeye salmon caught in the Gulf Troll Test Fishery. Please review the Call for Bids for more information on the Gulf troll test fishery. Interested Buyers are asked to submit a Statement of Interest as well as fill in the 2022 Application for Procurement. Applications will be reviewed following the deadline by Pacific Salmon Commission staff.

The deadline for submissions is midnight on Wednesday, August 10, 2022.

Pacific salmon are a cultural and ecological keystone species, irreplaceable and core to the identities and ways of life of Indigenous communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. This presentation summarizes insights on the sociocultural significance of Pacific salmon learned from engagement with the Tribal and First Nations Caucuses to the Pacific Salmon Commission. Access the Report For the full text of the Special Report, The Sociocultural Significance of Pacific Salmon to Tribes and First Nations, visit the Pacific Salmon Commission website (https://www.psc.org/download/333/spec…). To view an online summary of the project, visit the Earth Economics website (https://www.eartheconomics.org/psc).

The Pacific Salmon Commission is pleased to announce Mr. William (Bill) Auger as the recipient of the 2022 Larry Rutter Memorial Award for Pacific Salmon Conservation.

Bill is a long-time Southeast Alaska commercial gillnetter who made a conscious choice in 1987 to get engaged and involved in the management of the fisheries he participates in. He started locally and gradually expanded his associations and roles to encompass a larger area, broader fisheries, and more diverse stakeholders. In 2000, Bill joined the Pacific Salmon Commission family as a Northern Boundary Panel member. He quickly gained the respect of his fleet, other gear groups, agency staff, and Canadian colleagues for his straightforward style, tenacity, and having the sustainability of resources at heart. He was subsequently nominated by the Governor of Alaska to serve as the state’s alternate PSC Commissioner, appointed by the Secretary of State in 2013, and re-appointed in 2018.

Among his fellow Commissioners at the PSC, Bill is one of the few who are not employees of a management agency. He is an active salmon fisherman who takes time away from his day job to participate in the Treaty process. That he gives so much of his time, often away from his job and his family, is a testament to his interest and dedication. He is able to separate himself from issues affecting him personally, instead focussing on the larger issues affecting our shared salmon resource.

Bill has an impressive command of Treaty principles, provisions, and obligations and has drawn upon these skills with a remarkable memory to resolve many allocative disputes over limited salmon resources. In addition, he has demonstrated an impressive ability to build consensus among the various user groups he works with.

Bill also cares deeply about the resource and its ability to sustain fisheries across the Treaty landscape. He serves on the Northern Endowment Fund Committee and in this capacity often advocates for projects that aim to improve understanding of the salmon resources and its management. His insights as a fisherman are invaluable to this process.

For these and many other reasons, the selection committee chose Bill as this year’s recipient of the Larry Rutter Memorial Award. He will receive the award during the Commission’s 37th annual meeting at an online ceremony scheduled for February 16 from 4-5 p.m. PST. A Zoom Webinar link to access the ceremony will be provided on the PSC’s website here: https://www.psc.org/member-portal/.

About the award

Larry Rutter was a fixture in Pacific salmon conservation and management for more than three decades until his untimely death in 2014. He was a leading influence in how the Tribes, the United States, and Canada approached salmon management and research during the turn of the 21st century. The Commission established the award to help memorialize Larry’s lifetime of work including his legacy in the PSC, the Pacific Northwest Tribes, the Southern Fund Committee, and beyond.

Since 2016, the recipients (in order) have been: Lorraine Loomis, Don Hall, Brian Riddell, Phil Anderson, Jim Scott, and Sue Farlinger