2024 Larry Rutter Award Ceremony

The Pacific Salmon Commission is pleased to announce Mike Staley as the recipient of the 2024 Larry Rutter Memorial Award for Pacific Salmon Conservation.

Mike received his Master of Science degree from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in the late 1970’s where he was mentored by Drs. Carl Walters, Ray Hilborn and C.S. Holling. At UBC, he worked alongside Drs. Hilborn and Walters in the Cooperative Fisheries Research Unit, a joint venture between UBC, the government of British Columbia, and Fisheries & Oceans Canada (DFO).

Mike went on to start his own consulting company: International Analytic Science (IAS). His relationship with Indigenous society began when IAS was contracted by DFO to provide salmon management and science courses throughout the Fraser River watershed during the 1980’s. It was through these interactions that Mike grew to admire the First Nations’ relationship with salmon and their cultural significance.

Becoming the first non-DFO Canadian representative to join the PSC’s Fraser River Technical committee in the early 1990’s, Mike remains dedicated and essential in supporting Canada’s voice and specifically that of Indigenous people.

Mike was also a fisheries biologist with the Fraser River Aboriginal Fisheries Secretariat and was instrumental in supporting what later became the Fraser Salmon Management Council (FSMC). The council was a groundbreaking management agreement between 76 Fraser River and Marine Approach Indigenous communities and the Canadian government. Mike continues this work as the co-chair of the Council’s Joint Technical Committee.

Through his commitment in working with Indigenous Peoples on behalf of the salmon, Mike was bestowed with the name S’élíyáméxw (meaning: “he who dreams with his eyes open and wears many hats”) by the Sto:lo people and long-time friend Chief Ken Malloway.

The award was presented during the Commission’s 39th annual meeting at a ceremony held on February 14th, 2024.

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, Sue Farlinger, Bill Auger, Gary Morishima, and Mike Staley.