Fraser River sockeye salmon: data synthesis and cumulative impacts

Peterman: We’re lacking the big picture because we’re not thinking big enough. The proposal fora fully-integrated Strait of Georgia study is not thinking big enough - everyone is studyingsmall pieces.McKinnell: I think there is an opportunity. The coastal salmon ecology group is meetingannually and has had some success with regard to ocean survival of salmon in the early lifestages. We are trying to find an umbrella to share observations from California to Alaska.Take a network of people who are working under the radar and formalize it as anorganization, an international cooperative that has the same research objectives.Levy: With this Commission we have a unique opportunity to advance some of these concepts sothere is no problem thinking big. The government of Canada will be listening.McKinnell: Even something like the old Fisheries Research Board model. Look at what is failingand where advances could be made in a way that is cost effective and that provides newinsights.Peterman: Not just for Fraser sockeye: we need something to compare Fraser sockeye with forthe whole life history, with well-focused questions.Kent: I’m involved in three Oregon studies that were part of a bigger program. It was veryrewarding because the work was so well integrated with toxicology and fishery biology.Christensen: Is this what DFO has in the 5-year plan? It’s worth looking at the ecosystemresearch initiative and how effective it has been. They are chopping the funding into suchsmall pieces.Marmorek: There is a report that deals with DFO management and science so that seems like thelogical place to address it.Johannes: It would be useful to have a group of authors write a white paper on this.Levy: ESSA’s cumulative effects paper would be a good place to do it.ACTION: Email any further comments on conceptual models to ESSA (Darcy)Closing commentsLevy thanked everyone for an enlightening discussion, noting the brain power in the room hadbeen effectively harnessed in the agenda, that he was very pleased with the progress heard andthat he looked forward to continuing to work with the researchers.Q/A: The report deadline is fixed, and further changes after the deadline would not beencouraged.Levy closed by thanking ESSA for a great job organizing and facilitating the workshop.Adjourned: 4:4571