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We know many wild Pacific salmon populations are in decline in the face of climate change, habitat degradation, pollutants, disease, and fishing pressures. For Pacific salmon, it’s death by a thousand cuts.

Yet, we are energized by the public support for salmon, humbled by the deep history and commitment of Indigenous communities, and grateful for the dedication of our many community partners.

To address the complex challenges facing salmon, we’ve developed a new strategic
plan that focuses on salmon resilience and recovery in the face of climate change and reconciliation (read more on page 11).

To accomplish our collective goals, partnerships and coordinated action will be paramount. The challenges facing Pacific salmon populations know no borders.

In February, we partnered with U.S. Consul General Jim DeHart to host a reception acknowledging the Pacific Salmon Commission’s vital efforts uniting salmon expertise across Canada and the U.S.

With Seattle-based Long Live the Kings, PSF is scoping a Pacific Coast Salmon and
Climate Initiative. The initial workshops in 2023 focused on developing purpose and
strategy to inform future collaborative actions that will foster climate resiliency for salmon populations from California to the Arctic.

For salmon resilience now and into the future, we have to address factors that are within our
control. PSF and many trusted partners have completed a decade of extensive monitoring
and research on the impacts of open-net pen salmon farms on wild Pacific salmon.

This collaborative science indicates that the risks posed by B.C.’s open-net pen salmon
farms ripple across the West Coast, informing PSF’s position that open-net pens need
to be removed from B.C. waters to closed containment in order to reduce the risks to
wild populations.

However, PSF is very concerned about DFO’s consideration of extending licence durations
between two and six years. PSF wrote to Hon. Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries,
Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, stating unequivocally that extending the licences up to
six years is in direct conflict with the open-net pen transition plan promised for 2025.

Collaboration is key for success. Leveraging existing partnerships and forming new ones
will be at the heart of PSF’s work over the next decade.

Working together, we can push beyond the status quo and toward a future of salmon recovery and resilience.

Sincerely,
Michael Meneer
President & CEO, Pacific Salmon Foundation