Fraser River sockeye salmon: data synthesis and cumulative impacts

BackgroundIn response to the declines of Fraser River Sockeye Salmon since the late 1980s, as well as thelow abundance and productivity of 2009, Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed acommission, headed by BC Supreme Court Justice Bruce Cohen, to investigate the decline ofsockeye salmon in the Fraser River (termed the Commission of Inquiry into the Decline ofSockeye Salmon in the Fraser River or the Cohen Commission). The Commission has identifieda range of fish biology and ecosystem issues that may be relevant to the recent sockeye salmondecline and their future sustainability (Cohen Commission 2010). These issues cover the range ofnatural conditions and human stressors that influence the productivity, survival, and diversity ofFraser sockeye in freshwater and marine environments. The Commission then grouped theseissues into twelve complementary statements of work for evaluation by selected experts.The Cohen Commission held a workshop, November 30 – December 1, 2010, in which each ofthe twelve scientific contractors presented their technical and scientific findings. In addition topresentations, the workshop included plenary discussions of findings, subgroup discussions ofalternative hypotheses within particular thematic areas, and research and monitoringrecommendations. Participants included Scientific Contractors, Peer Reviewers, and CohenCommission Science Staff. The main objectives of the workshop were to understand the patternsof changes in Fraser sockeye, communicate and integrate scientific findings among researchers,identify potential linkages and interactions among possible causes, identify knowledge gaps andrecommend future research and monitoring. Appendix C contains detailed notes on the meeting.The workshop included presentations on the following topics:1) Productivity dynamics of sockeye salmon: patterns that need to be explained2) Conservation Unit Status Assessment3) Fisheries & Fisheries Management (Fraser & Bristol Bay)4) Status of DFO Management and Science5) Diseases and Parasites6) Contaminants7) Freshwater Factors8) Marine Ecology9) Marine mammal, fish and bird predation10) Lower Fraser Habitat Analysis11) Climate Change12) Data synthesis and cumulative effects