Thanks to all the work that our many advocates do! I've drafted my letter, which is a little more personal... adding it here in hopes that it inspires a few more folks to write (also open to feedback, particularly references). I did debate including a few pictures, no idea if that would make it any more meaningful.
Attention Salmon Allocation Policy Team,
I am writing to express sincere concern about proposed negative impacts to my family, friends, hundreds of thousands of Canadian residents, and even visitors to our county; people who would lose the ability to experience the magnificent public resources that we have in Pacific Ocean. I fear for society as a whole, honestly, who are becoming increasingly distanced from the real world. Connection with the outdoors, our natural environment, the circle of life, understanding of where food comes from, weather, effort, challenge and reward is something so important to more people and for more reasons than can be effectively articulated in this short letter.
Reduction in public opportunity to access salmon has already, and will continue to have real and dire impacts. This fishery and opportunity means so much more than simply filling ones freezer. My ability to share the outdoors with my 3 kids, spouse, cousins, grandparents and friends has made an invaluable impact on our lives; provided enjoyment, good healthy food, a sense of challenge, win, loss, adrenaline and taught important life lessons. The outdoor experience is not limited to salmon, there are bottom fish, crabs, shrimp, even clams, sunshine, waves, whales, seals, birds, the list goes on and on, but there is a keystone species that builds the foundation of our spectacular west coast; the pacific salmon. The ocean is truly a phenomenal place, to remove or further restrict public access and opportunity in effort to serve a very small handful of business people (already subsidized commercial fishing) or trade it away as a reconciliation card to an small minority of the Canadian population is not consistent with your duty. Less opportunity will mean fewer people on the water and yield much collateral damage.
There will certainly be deep social and economic impacts from removing access and opportunity to the backbone of our west coast. The benefits of the recreational fishery are well published and articulated by the Sport Fishing Advisory Board, the Public Fishery Alliance, the BC Wildlife Federation, with referenceable research and science regarding the sustainable public use of the resource and positive impact to GDP, which benefits everyone living in Canada. I am in full support of their messages, as referenced below. I am also here as a 3rd generation Canadian and father of 3, to articulate that the passion, enjoyment and intangible benefits of public access run extremely deep. Many Canadians are not unlike the Indigenous population, feeling a deep and primal connection to this place we call home; we want and need the opportunity as real people to access salmon. I remind the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and Federal Government, of their fundamental obligation; to make decisions that serve the public interest, resources and broad societal concerns, which does include reduction of salmon allocation to the public.
Specific feedback on the draft Policy includes:
No - to re-allocation of Recreational Salmon to Commercial of First Nations
No - to gifting Recreational salmon allocations to subsidize commercial fisheries to help make them economically viable.
No - to giving control over who determines salmon allocations to local sub-area salmon allocation boards that are controlled by stakeholder groups who have vested interests as competing harvesters - this proposed concept will not ensure independent fairness in allocation decision-making. We must maintain coast-wide fishery planning through the DFO led IFMP process.
Yes - to maintaining conservation and Common Property management as key objectives of the SAP.
Yes - to maintaining 1999 Recreational priority for Chinook & Coho.
Yes - to a fair one-time retirement buy-out for all remaining commercial salmon fishers (and commercial allocations) with that salmon allocation being distributed to both Recreational and FN’s FSC.
Reference:
SPORT FISHING ADVISORY BOARD (“SFAB”) SALMON ALLOCATION POLICY REVIEW ALLOCATION STRATEGY SUMMARY AND SUPPORTING APPENDICES, April 2025
https://bcwf.bc.ca/salmon/
fishing rights.ca
Sport Fishing Institute of British Columbia, https://www.sportfishing.bc.ca/
