Issuu

THE RUNNER

Sq’eptset Syoyes Sth’o’th’eqwi

April 2022 • Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance

Fishers working together

The Runner • April 2022

staﬀ & contributors

Murray Ned Executive Director Rosalie Hope Program Manager Barry Joyce Program Coordinator Vanessa Serroul Program Assistant Aidan Fisher LFFA Biologist Manager Ian Hamilton Staff Biologist Ashlee Prevost Staff Biologist Janice Kwo Staff Biologist Caytlyn McFadden Staff Biologist Eden Toth External Communications Gillian Fuss Emergency Planning Secretariat Coordinator Maggie Mazurkewich Emergency Planning Secretariat Outreach Assistant Leah Ballantyne RELAW Coordinator Donald B. Simpson LFE Inc. and LFE-LP, Economic Development Manager

EDITORIAL POLICY The Runner newsletter is produced quarterly by the Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance. Our purpose is to inform readers about LFFA organization processes, developments and news. We will gladly accept signed comments, questions and opinions about our newsletter and will consider withholding contributor’s name if desired.

Individual articles from The Runner may be reprinted, photocopied or redistributed with permission from The Runner provided the date of publication and source of the material is indicated. Please notify The Runner if you would like to reprint an article. All community members are welcome to contribute thoughts, articles and letters to The Runner.

Submissions and letters should be send to: The Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance 3092 Sumas Mountain Road Abbotsford, BC V3G 2J2 Phone: 778.847.3323 Email: communications@lﬀa.ca Publication is not guaranteed.

Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance

in this issue 04 06 08 09 10 11 12 16 17 18 20

Message from the Executive Director Fishery Management Update Ghost Gear Project Update Eulachon Court Decision RELAW Lower Fraser Enterprises LP Habitat Restoration Project Updates ARIS Training Day Eulachon Assessment External Relations Funding and Jobs Board

ABOUT THE RUNNER In the old days there was a house on the top of Chilliwack Mountain facing down-river. The man who lived there had only one job; to watch for two silver bands on both sides of the river; millions of oolichan arriving. His job then was to run down the mountain to spread the word to other runners. People would come from near and far each year. The Runner endeavors to do this job once again, albeit electronically. -Ken Malloway, LFFA Chair

The Runner • April 2022

Message from the Executive Director The last quarter of the year is often the most challenging for the organization and our department heads as they ensure that their project budgets and deliverables are on target and meet the expectations of the funding agencies. On top of year-end requirements our staﬀ are mired in routine meetings, preparing budgets and work plans for the new ﬁscal. I hold my hands up to them and their commitment to the organization, Nations and the salmon that we are all trying to protect for future generations. We continued to be challenged with Covid 19 implications and webinar-only meetings when we know that our leadership prefer in-person meetings. We were fortunate to host in-person meetings for our annual planning session in May and multi-day December LFFA Forum, but that was only with the implementation of all Covid precautionary measures. Our work with the Province (FLNRORD) continues to evolve as they commit to their draft Wild Salmon Strategy and exploring the implementation on the Declaration of the Rights on Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA). They have been supportive of governance initiatives such as the development of a Memorandum of Understanding and resource management projects for sturgeon, eulachon and ghost net removal. I was privileged to participate in a DRIPA Task Force with Provincial ministry leads, First Nations Fisheries Council and members of the First Nations Leadership Council. This has evolved into a Strategic Directions Committee that will review DRIPA implementation in relation to the Wild Salmon Strategy, Coastal Marine Strategy and the Water Security Strategy. This work will soon have to include the engagement

of Nations to have the rights-holders conclude the actual implementation. Engagement with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) continues to be in the consultation format versus collaboration. The Prime Minister and the Fisheries Minister mandate letter suggest the most important relationship is with Nations and that they are fully committed to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP), Reconciliation and the Ten Principles. Free, prior and informed consent would suggest that resource management within the territories of Nations would be implemented by Government in a collaborative nature. This is not the case. Nations continue to be mired in stakeholder processes such as the annual Integrated Fisheries Management Plans (IFMP) that situates them in an advisory role instead of decision making and management. DFO continues to delegate authority to area resource managers instead of having Nations leadership engaged with Regional Director Generals, Assistant Deputy Ministers or Fisheries Ministers. Socioeconomics and western science are key drivers behind DFOs management regime while First Nations in the Lower Fraser aspire to utilize Indigenous Knowledge and sociocultural perspectives to inform management decisions. DFO and Lower Fraser First Nations approaches remain distinct, seem miles apart and must be harmonized soon if there is any hope for UNDRIP and Reconciliation implementation. Lower Fraser First Nations and the Alliance continue to cooperate and collaborate on the ﬁsh crisis the Nations are all enduring. It is the

Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance

most challenging of times in decades, as leadership are questioned by their members and fishers when and why more fishing opportunities will be provided to secure food and the ability to practice the fishery. This challenge extends to our colleagues and Nations in the Mid and Upper Fraser and the Marine coastal areas where there is continued commitment to discuss conservation requirements while trying to develop harvest opportunities that supports the Fraser Watershed and Approach Nations. The Fraser Salmon Management Council appears to be making progress on their implementation plan but stalled with lack of resources to fully implement an agreement between 76 First Nations and the Government of Canada. Nations remain hopeful that the 2022 forecast of sockeye transpires and enables dry rack, FSC and Economic Opportunity fisheries. There has been a lot of progress with Tier 3 including the Lower Fraser Collaborative Tables (LFCT) development of a Strategic Plan, which should be ratified in 2022/23. The LFCT working group has demonstrated a lot of efficiencies in working with a contractor (Marcel Shepert) to draft the plan and ground truth it in a Forum that is inclusive of the Area E Commercial Sector, seven Recreational agencies and the LFFA. The LFCT is yet to secure multi year funding but is in a good position to attract government or foundation resourcing soon. The LFFA’s partnership and relationships with Non Government Organizations (NGOs) and Foundations have increased considerably this fiscal. Habitat, restoration and climate adaptation relevant to salmon crisis has triggered the need for cooperation amongst

Nations, NGOs, Government and Sectors. The November 2021 atmospheric rain and flood event was an indication of routine weather conditions to expect for the future. Much of the Fraser Valley and Yale canyon area had significant impacts to fish habitat resulting in recovery efforts, water contamination and debris clean up. This event will have short and long term effects that will require the Nations participation and free, prior and informed consent on flood recovery, Build Back Better and associated government investments. The LFFA will do their best to support the activities related to fish and water. With the close of 2021/22, we prepare ourselves for the renewal of the LFFA Strategic Plan in 2022/23. This 3 year plan sunsets March 2023 and gives our leadership and project leads time to reflect on what has been achieved, what is still outstanding and what changes are required for the next strategic plan period. This is a great exercise to evaluate the LFFAs progress and prepare for new and exciting activities as our organization continues to grow to try and meet the needs of our Nations and the future of salmon that we rely on. With Respect and In Unity,

Murray Ned | Kwilostintun Executive Director Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance

The Runner • April 2022

Fishery Management Update Aidan Fisher, Biologist Manager 2022 Lower Fraser Salmon Fishery Update – LFFA technical staff have finally received the complete post-season data for 2019 and 2020, although the complete post season for 2021 remains outstanding. 2019 was the first season DFO closed communal FSC access to chinook fisheries until at earliest July 15. Results from 2019 and 2020 show continued and consistent mortalities from the recreational fishery to the same fish Lower Fraser First Nations face extreme fishing restrictions on for Rights-based FSC fisheries. Mortalities from the recreational fishery occur in the marine approach areas, where salmon-directed fishing by recreational fishers is provided 365 days a year. Despite these results DFO has not proposed any substantive management actions against the marine recreational fishery, and continues to impose extreme restrictions on the Lower Fraser FSC chinook fishery. LFFA continues to communicate to DFO that this management regime is directly contrary to the description of Aboriginal Priority access in R. v Sparrow. DFO has communicated that communal FSC access will not be provided in advance of July 15 this year, consistent with their imposed management approach in 2019, 2020 and 2021. The Fraser sockeye midpoint forecast for 2022 is nearly 10 million. 2022 is a cycle year for Adams run sockeye, and we are hoping that a strong return to provide sockeye fishery access. Although the forecast return is better than the previous 3 years, there has been extensive conversation on the poor returns observed in-season compared to the forecast abundance. It is apparent that in-season returns are trending lower than the preseason

Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance

forecast, so there is some hesitancy to expect a near midpoint return or higher. Considering that, the 2021 in-season return estimate of Fraser sockeye was higher than the preseason midpoint forecast. Although we have a 2022 forecast that provides for fishing, there is a strong possibility of some restrictions on the 2022 Fraser sockeye fishery due to conservation constraints. As is usual, the Fraser sockeye fishery is managed in-season through a variety of processes the two most prominent are the Fraser River Panel (Canada and US) and DFO Resource Management. Lower Fraser First Nations members, fishery representatives and LFFA staff are deeply involved in a variety of discussions and processes, but ultimate authority on Fraser sockeye management as well as all other fisheries lies with DFO and the Minister. Some may be aware of a new program from DFO labeled the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative (PSSI). The PSSI has resulted in a variety of proposed closures and restrictions on Lower Fraser EO fisheries, as well as First Nations fisheries on the coast and in the interior and non-aboriginal commercial fisheries. DFO is clearly set on eliminating or severely reducing gillnet access to sales fisheries. The proposal is still in development, but there is a very high likelihood that DFO will be imposed substantial changes on gillnet EO fisheries starting this season. Some changes may include complete removal of gillnet access for EO fisheries on chum, and potentially sockeye. LFFA staff are actively tracking and engaged on the technical parts of the PSSI closure proposals, and this topic will be continued further into the preseason discussion.

The Runner • April 2022

Ghost Gear Project Update Caytlyn McFadden, Staﬀ Biologist In 2021, the Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance received funding from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Province of British Columbia to clean up abandoned ﬁshing gear in the Fraser system.

It is estimated that 600,000-800,000 metric

tonnes of this “ghost gear” enters the ocean on an annual basis (UNEP, 2018) and the

Fraser has been identiﬁed as a priority area for this kind of debris removal.

With this funding, LLFA staﬀ were able to

spend a total of 28 days out on the water

surveying and retrieving ghost gear from the mouth of the Fraser River up to Hope.

Approximately 1,300 pounds of ghost gear was collected, including nets, ropes, buoys,

and corks. Gear that was too dangerous or diﬃcult to remove was marked for later removal.

LFFA hopes to continue this work with renewed project funding in 2022-23. Photo: Caytlyn McFadden

Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance

Recent Court Decision for Eulachon results in 40k fine, 3-year fishing ban Staff update At the January 2022 LFFA Forum, leadership asked for an update on a Eulachon court case and the

associated Impact Statement that the LFFA prepared on behalf of the Lower Fraser First Nations. This was a collaboration with DFO Conservation and

Protection personnel, and the general concept was that an Impact Statement from the LFFA and

Nations would provide more weight in a successful trial outcome from the DFO C&P charges.

In this case, two men were accused of catching

seven eulachon in an unmarked gillnet in Richmond. Three C&P oﬃcers inspected the vessel of the

accused, which was seized along with all their gear. After several court delays, the accused entered a guilty plea for ﬁshing during a closed time for

Eulachon and in April, a decision was finally reached: three-year fishing prohibitions for both men and a $40,000.00 fine, with the vessel and gear to be returned.

Initially, the C&P personnel involved had expressed their hope that the boat and equipment of the

accused, and selling of those assets, may be used for eulachon stock assessment and resource management by LFFA and the Nations.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like this will be

possible, but we commend the unique and creative approach presented to us by the oﬃcers.

TheRunner Runner••April January 2021 The 2022

Revitalizing Indigenous Law for Land, Air and Water (RELAW) Project Update Leah Ballantyne, LFFA-RELAW Coordinator Work on the LFFA-RELAW project continues as we

“Chapter 7 in our report (Revitalizing Indigenous

of the Peoples of the Lower Fraser which will be

about consequences, enforcement and teachings…,”

ﬁnish editing the ﬁnal volumes of Legal Traditions available on both the LFFA and West Coast Environmental Law websites.

On March 30, RELAW lawyers Leah Ballantyne and Rayanna Seymour-Hourie led a virtual Tier 3 meeting called “For the Love of Fish” which

featured keynotes from Kwilosintun Murray Ned

and Wileleq Ken Malloway. Thank you to all who joined for this productive session.

The next Tier 3 meeting will happen this spring

and include land-based activities – stay tuned for the exact dates.

RELAW IN THE MEDIA In the aftermath of the Sumas prairie ﬂooding

events, RELAW project coordinator Leah Ballantyne was quoted in an APTN news article:

Leah Ballantyne, an Indigenous lawyer who works

with West Coast Environmental Law (WCEL) and First Nations in the lower Fraser Valley, said the

impacts of colonial decision-making on the land and water are documented in a new report

created with help from area elders and knowledge holders.

Law with the Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance) is Ballantyne said Friday.

“Consequences may range from mild to severe,

and may serve as lessons that create behavioural

change or cause harm, natural disasters, tragedies, and sometimes death.”

Ballantyne said the report, published by WCEL’s

RELAW program last April, is now sounding like a premonition.

“It’s kind of amazing,” she added. “Having this

kind of devastation happen now, only shows how important that those Indigenous laws really are to the way that we make decisions that impact the uses of land, air and water.”

You can read the full article at aptnnews.ca.

Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance

Lower Fraser Enterprise Limited Partnership Don Simpson, Economic Development Manager LFELP The Lower Fraser Enterprise LP is the

Support – $170,000 in the ﬁscal year ending

currently under development.

administrative and business operations. Of that

“own-sourced-revenue” branch of the LFFA

In December 2019, the Lower Fraser

Enterprises LP submitted an expression of

March 2022 for the purpose of establishing

amount, a maximum of $20,000 is budgeted for the establishment of a legal entity.

interest to DFO’s Paciﬁc Integrated Commercial

Currently, LFE-LP is serving as a transitional

to increase First Nations’ access to commercial

pursuing economic opportunities with third

Fisheries Initiative (PICFI) – a program designed ﬁsheries in B.C.

Since then, LFE-LP has been working on

capacity building and the development of a

Commercial Fishing Enterprise (CFE) structure. In March of 2021, LFE-LP’s expression of

entity, submitting funding applications and

parties. The new CFE’s operations began April 1, 2022, at the start of the new ﬁscal year,

after which LFE-LP and the CFE will be separate for clarity of accounting, administration, and funding.

interest, supported by 13 eligible First Nations

Business Plans and HR Plans are being

As a result, LFE-LP becomes eligible to apply

2022-2023 ﬁscal year. The CFE structure and

members of the LFFA, was approved by DFO. for up to $800,000 in funding over the next few years.

A few months after receiving this approval, LFE-LP applied for funding for Operation

developed for submission to trigger funding for registration of the Legal Entities are in their ﬁnal stages at the time of writing.

We are looking forward to establishing

short-term, mid-term, and long-term strategies for the Lower Fraser Fisheries Enterprises Inc.

The Runner • April 2022

Habitat Restoration Department: Project Updates Upper Pitt Restoration Project Ian Hamilton, Habitat Restoration Biologist Work on the multi-year restoration project in the

will provide shade and shelter for the young

with Katzie First Nation is set to continue in this

following spring.

Upper Pitt system led by the LFFA in partnership new ﬁscal year.

sockeye and coho who will rear there the

2021 saw several important developments,

including the completion of a new 825-me-

tre-long spawning channel. Next, we will com-

plete the channel by constructing a road cross-

ing to connect with the existing Alvin Patterson Channel, ﬁnish building the top sediment pond

of the channel and ﬁnally open the water valves to allow ﬁsh access.

The new channel nearly doubles the available

spawning habitat in the Corbold Creek area and should provide this unique sockeye run with

signiﬁcantly more room to spawn. With 2022

being the big four-year cycle year for sockeye (with a p50 of 40,000+), we have a unique opportunity to improve the productivity of Upper Pitt sockeye.

After its construction, our team planted nearly

2,000 native species along the banks of the new channel. In July, the channel will be ready to

receive its ﬁrst cohort of spawners and these

riparian plantings along the edges of the channel

A new sign marks the newly restorated channel. Photo: Ian Hamilton

Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance

Sturgeon Bank Sediment Deposition Pilot Project Janice Kwo, Staﬀ Biologist The Sturgeon Bank Sediment Deposition Pilot Project is a restoration project we are conducting in

partnership with Tsawwassen First Nation, Ducks Unlimited, South Coast Conservation Land

Management Program, and Raincoast Conservation Foundation. This pilot project will see sediment

deposited along the foreshore of Lulu Island, the

largest island in the estuary of the Fraser River, to

mitigate the recession of the tidal marsh vegetation. Sediment deposition was originally scheduled for

January 2022, but diﬃculties with securing a reliable sediment source and inclement weather have

pushed back the project timeline. Plans are now to make the ﬁrst addition in the fall of 2022, with another addition in the fall of 2023.

In the meantime, there is lots to be done: we are currently installing turbidity loggers and sediment elevation monitoring stations to monitor the

recession of the tidal marsh and later this spring and summer will be to conducting pre-sediment enhancement baseline bioﬁlm monitoring, ﬁsh

sampling, vegetation surveys, marsh leading edge mapping, and drone ﬂights for elevation and multi-spectral imagery.

Installation of sediment elevation monitoring stations in the marsh with ﬁeld staﬀ from Ducks Unlimited. Photo: Janice Kwo

The Runner • April 2022

Foodlands Corridor Restoration Project Janice Kwo, Staﬀ Biologist The Foodlands Corridor Restoration Project is a

Rivershed Society of BC initiative that brings together Indigenous communities and agricultural landholders to restore portions of private land adjacent to

waterways along the Fraser River. Their goal is to “create continuous corridors of natural areas that reﬂect the diversity of values that the land

represents, both from a western farming perspective

and from a traditional ﬁshing, hunting and harvesting perspective.”

The Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance has been pleased

to partner with the Rivershed Society team, Kwantlen First Nation and Kerr Wood Leidal Associates – a consulting engineering ﬁrm specializing in water

infrastructure – to do post-construction monitoring of two sites that were restored through the program last year. Both sites are on the banks of the

sce:ɬxʷəyəm (Salmon River) and saw the creation of new oﬀ-channel salmon rearing habitat and riparian plantings.

We did our ﬁrst monitoring session a few weeks ago which involved collecting in-situ water quality, setting minnow and feddis traps, seining the oﬀ-channel ponds, and taking depth measurements. We are

excited to report that there are already juvenile coho using the new oﬀ-channel habitat and lots of

stickleback, too. Monitoring of these sites will

continue for ﬁve years while the Rivershed Society continues to look at adjacent sites along

sce:ɬxʷəyəm for more restoration opportunities. See www.rivershed.com for more information on this unique program.

Janice installing a feddis trap during monitoring of oﬀ-channel habitat. Photo: Emily Pearson, Rivershed Society of BC

Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance

Indigenous Habitat Participation Program Ian Hamilton, Habitat Restoration Biologist In 2020, the LFFA received a two-year grant from DFO’s Indigenous Habitat Participation Program. These funds have supported the creation of the Tier 3 Lower Fraser

Collaborative Table, updates to the Lower

Fraser Aboriginal Knowledge website and the planning of a Risk Assessment Methodology

for Salmonids (RAMS) workshop delivered in March.

The March workshop focused on Kanaka

Creek, a north side tributary of the Fraser

River, and included attendees from Katzie, Kwantlen and Leq’amel First Nations.

Staﬀ from Metro Vancouver, the City of

Maple Ridge, and DFO’s Integrated Planning team and Kanaka Education and Ecological

Partnership Society also participated as well as Image: Rivershed Society of BC

some local consultants.

The data from this workshop is currently

being analysed and a written report will be available by June 1, 2022.

We plan to conduct another RAMS workshop in the traditional territory of Katzie and

Kwantlen First Nations for a more regional, conservation-based approach to salmon

management in productive tributaries that don’t receive the attention of other larger systems.

The Runner • April 2022

ARIS Training Day Ashlee Prevost, Fisheries Biologist On March 28, LFFA held an ARIS training day at one of the Matsqui Dike

bank stabilization monitoring sites in Se:math traditional territory. Participants were given a demonstration of how the ARIS Explorer 1800 is set up and deployed in the field, and although the weather did not cooperate, it was a successful day filled with informative discussion about ARIS field

applications. A delicious salmon lunch was prepared by Sto:lo Catering, and many ﬁshing stories were shared around a propane ﬁre.

The opportunity to hear these fishing stories, whether they are memories of being out on the water or information about fish processing and traditional knowledge of the area, is deeply appreciated by staff who are working on salmon, sturgeon, and eulachon monitoring and protection projects. Thank you to all those who attended and shared stories!

ARIS training participants share a rainy lunch around a handy propane ﬁre. Photo: Ashlee Prevost A new sign marks the newly restorated channel. Photo: Ian Hamilton

Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance

Eulachon Assessment Ashlee Prevost, Fisheries Biologist Eulachon season is upon us and the LFFA will

adjacent to our EAS index site. The data

to aid with our understanding of the Fraser

Technologies, a hydroacoustic consulting ﬁrm.

be implementing additional programs this year eulachon population. This season, we will be

collected is currently being analyzed by Milne

conducting eulachon exploratory surveys,

Overall, preliminary results show the schooling

surveys.

and even a sturgeon on certain days. This

assessments surveys, hydroacoustic and eDNA

The eulachon exploratory surveys (EES) take

place in February to early March. Since early eulachon migration in the Fraser is not well understood, the LFFA developed the EES in

behavior of eulachon at various tidal regimes year, we plan to conduct ten days of the

hydroacoustic surveys, the data collected will serve as a new method of abundance

estimate that can be compared to the EAS.

2020 to address these questions. The EES this

Finally, the LFFA (in partnership with the DFO

Massy Tunnel to New West ﬁsh from Feb 1st

surveys. Environmental DNA (eDNA) is

year we surveyed four sites from the George

to March 4th and caught ﬁsh as early as Feb 1st, which to date is the earliest scientiﬁc catch information to date!

The Eulachon Assessment Surveys (EAS) will be conducted this year from March 8th to May

15th. To date (March 31th) we have caught a total of 119 ﬁsh. The catches so far have been consistent with last year’s data.

The assessments will proceed uninterrupted,

and the data collected will be compared with

science team) have developed pilot eDNA somewhat of a newer method of survey,

where the DNA of a target ﬁsh species in

water samples is analyzed for the presence or abundance of the species in question. The LFFA will be collecting a series of water

samples from the Eulachon Assessment site and Brownsville Bar Park for 16 days

throughout the eulachon run. Given that this is a novel project, we will need to develop a way in which we can estimate eulachon abundance from these samples.

our hydroacoustic and eDNA surveys.

Overall, the goal is to pair all the results of all

In 2021, the LFFA conducted a hydroacoustic

robust abundance estimate of annual returns.

pilot survey to determine if we could detect eulachon with our ARIS Explorer 1800. The surveys took place along the bank of

Brownsville Bar Park, which is between the Port Mann and Sky Train bridges, an area

three surveys together to develop a more

During this pilot year, we hope to develop a way to estimate abundance in the water samples.

Left, the ﬁrst Eulachon of the year. Photo: Ashlee Prevost

The Runner • April 2022

LFFA Training Delivers Day Testimony to the Standing ARIS Ashlee Prevost, Fisheries Biologist Committee on Fisheries and Oceans Staﬀ update On March 22, Murray was invited to give

An excerpt from Murray’s statement is below.

Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans

“As witness to both the 1990 and 2021 ﬂood events, I

investigation into ﬂood control and mitigation

alive and well.

ﬁve-minute statement, all 12 Members of

our ancestors located Semá:th village on high ground.

the chance to ask follow-up questions.

In our Halqemeylem (HAL-KO-MAY-LEM) language, there

Murray appeared alongside Tyrone McNeil

one heart, one mind and that all things are connected.

other witnesses: Tanis Gower from Watershed

Just as they chose wisely to harmonize their lives with

Paciﬁc Salmon Foundation, Kevin Estrada of the

change it, we must face the realities of rising sea levels

Zo Ann Morten from Paciﬁc Streamkeepers

management options, including the gradual return of

testimony to the federal parliamentary

(FOPO – a bilingual acronym) during their

was reminded that the spirit of the Semá:th Xhotsa is

systems in British Columbia. After delivering his

lakefront property and it became evident to me why

Parliament in this multi-party committee had

(representing Sto:lo Tribal Council) and six

Both times I enjoyed temporary

is a word – “Letsemot” ((LET-SU-MOT) – which means

Watch Salmon Society, Jason Hwang from the

the natural landscape rather than try to control or

Fraser Valley Angling Guides Association and

and climate change and consider natural ﬂood

Federation. In a previous sitting on the

natural water storage areas like Semá:th Xhotsa.”

committee, Brad Fans (Director, Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program) and Sarah

Murdoch (Senior Director, Paciﬁc Salmon

Strategy Initiative) from DFO had also been invited to contribute.

Murray joins the FOPO committee in Ottawa, virtually.

Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance

Lower Fraser Working Group pens Op Ed Staﬀ update On April 14, staﬀ from the organizations who make up the Lower Fraser Working Group (Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance,

Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Martin Conservation Decisions Lab at the

University of British Columbia and West Coast Environmental Law) collaborated on an opinion piece published in the Globe and Mail.

The articles (excerpt below) makes an argument for a diﬀerent approach to ﬂood management, echoing the

sentiments Murray brought to the FOPO committee meeting.

Read the full opinion piece at www.theglobeandmail.com

Instead of maintaining the Sumas Prairie in its current state, we are

proposing that B.C. pursue a form of restoration of Semá:th Lake.

This option is called “managed retreat” – a purposeful movement of people, buildings and everything associated with them away from areas vulnerable to hazards. This is a powerful tool being used

around the world in areas prone to repeat ﬂooding as a result of climate change.

Our analysis estimates the cost of this option to be around $3-billion, including $1-billion for the purchase of land and buildings at current assessed values. The remainder would be used for cleanup and

removal of manmade structures, and modiﬁcation of current diking and pump station infrastructure.

The Runner • April 2022

Terrestrial Cumulative Effects and Aquatic Habitat Restoration Project Funding Opportunities 2022 - 2024 Background The Terrestrial Cumulative Effects Initiative (TCEI) and Aquatic Habitat Restoration Fund (AHRF) are accommodation measures developed to respond to concerns raised by Indigenous groups during consultations on the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project. Currently, both initiatives are accepting submissions for funding from eligible Indigenous groups, see below for initiative-specific information. For each accommodation measure, eligible Indigenous groups have the flexibility to choose if funding is put towards a single project, multiple smaller projects, contributed towards a joint project with other eligible Indigenous groups, or split in some form between individual or joint projects.

Terrestrial Cumulative Effects Initiative

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Natural Resources Canada

The TCEI provides funding for capacity building and Indigenous-led cumulative effects projects in mainland freshwater and terrestrial environments. Each eligible Indigenous group has access to a base allocation of $300,000 for project funding if they meet basic screening criteria and submit a proposal by Oct. 31, 2022. Base allocations that are not accessed by October 31, 2022 will be placed in a flexible funding envelope that may be accessed by all TCEI-eligible groups, including those that have already received the base allocation. For information on program objectives, eligibility, potential projects, and upcoming key dates, please contact the TCEI inbox: iecttcei@ec.gc.ca

Aquatic Habitat Restoration Fund Fisheries and Oceans Canada

The AHRF provides funding for capacity building and Indigenous-led aquatic habitat restoration projects in freshwater, estuarine and marine environments. Each eligible Indigenous group has access to project funding: a base allocation of $500,000 for communities in the Marine region, or a base allocation of $250,000 + access to pooled funding for communities in the Fraser region. AHRFeligible groups must meet minimum submission requirements and submit proposals by the initial intake deadline of January 1, 2023 for base allocations and/or November 1, 2022 for pooled funding (Fraser region only). Funding that is not accessed by January 1, 2023 will be placed in a flexible funding envelope that may be accessed by all AHRF-eligible groups, including those that have already received the base (and/or pooled) allocation. For information on program objectives, eligibility, potential projects, and upcoming key dates, please contact the AHRF inbox: dfo.ahrf-fhra.mpo@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance

Seasonal Vacancy Announcement Vessel Operator(s) The Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC), an international organization responsible for transboundary salmon fisheries management in Canada and the United States, is seeking two Vessel Operators for a seasonal contract position. This position would begin the third week of June and continue until the end of upstream sockeye migration (approximately early October). Based at the Mission Hydroacoustic field site in Abbotsford, BC, vessel operators will collect hydroacoustic data while piloting a 7-metre (~22ft) vessel across the Fraser River. Successful applicants will become familiar with fisheries hydroacoustics while contributing towards the assessment of sockeye salmon populations for fisheries management as part of an international fisheries agency. Also see listing for: Assistant Fisheries Technician(s). If interested in both positions, split duties may be considered. Please visit website link at the end of this posting for more information. Duties and Responsibilities:

x x x x x x

Operate a 7-metre (~22ft) vessel transecting across the Fraser River to collect hydroacoustic data Deploy and monitor hydroacoustic equipment to ensure accurate data collection Troubleshoot minor vessel problems Record fishing vessel activity at the hydroacoustic site Assist with the set-up and take-down of the field site as required General site maintenance when required during vessel downtime

Minimum Qualifications:

x x x x x x

Experience operating a boat Ability to work shift work, including night shifts (12-hour shifts) Ability to sit for extended periods of time while driving the vessel Comfortable working independently Possession of a Pleasure Craft Operators Card (PCOC) (Can be acquired in 1-day at https://www.boaterexam.com/canada/) Valid driver’s license and access to transportation to/from the field site in Matsqui Trail Regional Park, Abbotsford, BC (personal vehicle preferable but other options possible e.g. car share)

Advantages:

x x x x x x

Experience with boating in a riverine environment Experience with boat engine repairs Familiarity with fisheries and/or environmental awareness Possession of the Small Vessel Operator Proficiency (SVOP) certification Possession of a Marine Radio Operators Certificate (ROC-M) Possession of a Marine Emergency Duties Certificate (MED-A3/SDV-BS)

Wages will begin at $ 23.29 CAD per hour plus 4% in lieu of vacation. Applications should be received by 11:59pm PDT Sunday, May 8, 2022, and be addressed to Ms. Ehrmantraut at resumes@psc.org. Include a cover letter and résumé with two references. Please reference the name of the position in the email subject line. For additional seasonal positions available at the Pacific Salmon Commission for the 2022 season, please visit https://www.psc.org/about-us/history-purpose/employment-opportunities/ If interested or applying to multiple seasonal positions with the PSC, please indicate this in your cover letter or apply to each position individually.

The Runner • April 2022

Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance

Cover photo: Caytlyn McFadden