The 2011/12 proposal seeks funding to continue our work “To build a river community”, entering our fourth year. Specifically it is the Salmon Table’s goal to engage a greater formal collaboration with the 4 key constituent interests as well as fishery managers involved in planning inland (demonstration fisheries in particular) & marine fisheries. The work plan will pay specific attention to building the capacity needs of each of the participants.
DESCRIPTION
Through topical forums the Salmon Table is focusing on relationship-building that supports problem-solving/solution-making among competing interests in the Fraser Salmon Fishery (sport, commercial, Aboriginal and conservation) to improve ways in which competing interests are can meet conservation and allocation objectives. Building peace-making skills with the Integrated Salmon Dialogue Forum and Monitoring and Compliance Panel, the Salmon Table will aim to reduce conflicts that interfere with building orderly fisheries.
A growing understanding about and focus on share-based fisheries planning will address practical challenges amongst competing fisheries on species-specific fisheries where conservation or economic opportunities are improved by collaboration (i.e. spring Chinook and chum respectively).
In addition. An ongoing best practices forum among participants in the emerging economic salmon fisheries is helping to meet regulatory, economic, quality, best value (less fish) and traceability challenges. Forums on building collaborative production plans, traceability systems and marketing will help to bring better value from the fishery, foster fair trade, and support precautionary fishing.
Finally, a trust fund for Cultus sockeye is managed to both augment recovery efforts and to bring together First Nations and commercial fishing interests around practical projects that help them to deal with more difficult planning of harvest and escapement objectives.
OBJECTIVES
Build a River Community: Assist constituents to build capacity to address fishery changes resulting in more integrated fishing plans and the ability to debate and resolve competing interests
Best Practices: River to Plate is aimed at developing principles, practices and outcomes in the economic fishery that will ensure sustainability, traceability, and the creation of wealth
Support capacity-building with constituent interests: Using Board appointments to ensure effective communications, information-sharing, engagement in practical, principled, and collaborative planning, and the development of governance structures that are transferable
Cultus Sockeye restoration: Utilizing a call for proposals the CSAB/Sto: lo sockeye recovery fund will assist public to address the core goals of milfoil/pike minnow removal and stewardship
METHODS
1. Building a River Community:
* Engage all interests in the development of a new fisheries management paradigm by building working relationship amongst parties that know very little about each other.
* Support the sports fishing and First Nations community in developing communications and conflict resolutions skills and work together to build plans to cooperatively access the salmon resource as well as the river.
* Provide a structured and supportive forum to evolve the thinking around share based fishing for all interests.
* Continue the work of acquiring new funding sources and partnerships
* Organize multi-interests forums that are seasonally topical and that rove around the watershed and salmon fisheries to effectively engage constituent interests.
2. Best Practices ~ River to Plate:
* The Executive Director will continue to organize and facilitate best practices forums to assist First Nations in the Fraser River organize and implement demonstration fishery projects.
* Industry mentoring to ensure efficiency, cost reduction, viability and prosperity.
* The 5th and final River to Plate report on activities and best practices on salmon economic opportunities in-river is to be written describing progress and the key elements that are leading to a formal First Nations strategy by 2012.
3. Support capacity-building in each of the constituent interests:
* Using strategic Board appointments (Aboriginal, sport, commercial & conservation) we will provide the opportunity for new members to learn collaborative management methodologies.
* Increase constituents’ knowledge of other’s fisheries through collaborative problem solving - particularly in the growing sport fishery along-side the aboriginal fishery
* Develop governance models that build an understanding of share-based fisheries
* Increase constituents self confidence and awareness by providing public forums, expert advice, and topical support for collegial debate around the changing fishery (to meet spawning, FSC and fishing objectives).
4. Cultus Lake Sockeye restoration:
* Organize a public call for proposals to the CSAB/Sto:lo Recovery Fund, process applications and award funding in time for summer projects
* Develop contracts for work funded and monitor progress
* Develop ways to use the Fund to leverage additional funds from private sources.
* Participate in a working group to address nutrient loading in the lake (ie. Cultus Lake Parks Board, Fraser Valley Regional District, City of Chilliwack, DFO, Soowahlie FN and others
BENEFITS
Education and Engagement: Brings together key interests to take a leadership role from their own communities of interest to set out ways to acknowledge and understand each other’s competing interests and share knowledge about the fishery and ecosystem in order to formulate solutions supporting sustainability and that are of broader interest and benefit. Work in 2011/12 will emphasize ways to promote specific actions (i.e. River Manners”) and escalating behavior change beyond the structured forums;
Planning and Governance: Builds capacity by convening competing interests in a collaborative process, building a common vision and best practices that crosses government-stakeholder boundaries, with a specific investment in share-based fisheries amongst the interests, particularly dealing with the changes in the Fraser River that will result in specific actions towards sustainability of the watershed and its salmon resources.
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