River Community Synergies: Advancing Integrated Fisheries Management

The Fraser River Salmon Table (the Salmon Table) continues work “To build a river community”, to engage a greater formal collaboration among the 4 key constituent interests (First Nations, sport fishers, commercial fishers and conservation interests) and fishery managers. The work pays specific attention to the capacity needs of each of the constituent interests to be effectively informed, and as desirable, able to work together to address the changes in the fishery, to problem solve, and to build a better fishery for all. In 2009/10, and in addition to strengthening partnerships with DFO and the Pacific Salmon Foundation, the Salmon Table funded projects aimed at Cultus sockeye recovery, coordinated best practices planning in the developing in-river economic fisheries, facilitated conflict resolution amongst First Nations and sport fishers in the lower Fraser salmon fishery, and advanced thinking amongst competing interests around share-based fisheries, monitoring and compliance.