PSF Director appointed to the Pacific Salmon Commission
August 08, 2022
The Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF)’s Dr. Katrina Connors has been appointed by Canada’s Minister of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to serve as a Commissioner for the Pacific Salmon Commission. Effective July 11, 2022, the initial three-year appointment is renewable in 2025.
The Pacific Salmon Commission is a decision-making body that facilitates the cooperative management of Pacific salmon between Canada and the United States. Formed by the two governments in 1985 to implement the Pacific Salmon Treaty, the 16-person body comprises eight Commissioners each from the U.S. and Canada.
Dr. Connors is currently the Director of PSF’s Salmon Watersheds Program, a conservation science program working on Pacific salmon science, policy, and management issues in British Columbia. Her work focuses on bringing creative, science-based solutions to salmon conservation and management including leading the development of the first-ever online data visualization tool for Pacific salmon called the Pacific Salmon Explorer.
“I am honoured to be appointed as a Canadian Commissioner, and to be a voice and ally for wild salmon,” says Dr. Connors. “Having spent the past two decades working on Pacific salmon science and conservation issues, I am looking forward to using the arrangements and institutions established under the Pacific Salmon Treaty to positively shape the future of wild salmon. As a Commissioner, I will always be thinking about how we can better support the resilience of wild salmon and the rich cultures, economies, and ecosystems they support.”
DFO welcomes Dr. Connors to the role.
“I am pleased to welcome Dr. Katrina Connors to the role of Commissioner to the Pacific Salmon Commission, and look forward to working with her. Dr. Connors brings extensive experience to the Commission, including her work with the Pacific Salmon Foundation,” says DFO’s Rebecca Reid, Regional Director General, Pacific Region.
Throughout her two decades of experience in salmon science and conservation in British Columbia, Dr. Connors has held positions at a variety of academic, public, and private organizations. She has worked for PSF since 2008.
“Katrina’s experience working in Pacific salmon conservation with diverse partners provides her with the balanced perspective necessary to be an excellent Canadian commissioner on the Pacific Salmon Commission,” says Michael Meneer, President and CEO of PSF. “I am exceedingly proud of Katrina as a colleague, grateful for her service as a member of the PSF senior leadership team, and delighted that Canada and the Pacific Salmon Commission will also benefit from her perspective.”
Dr. Connors holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Geography from the University of Victoria, a Master’s of Resource and Environmental Management from Simon Fraser University, and a doctorate in salmon social-ecological systems from Royal Roads University.
