Our fisheries advisor, Greg Taylor had this article published in the fall edition (and 100th issue!) of The Osprey: International Journal of Salmon & Steelhead Conservation. The Osprey: International Journal of Salmon & Steelhead Conservation publishes the latest scientific research, policy, news, and opinion about wild Pacific salmon and steelhead conservation.

Greg reflects on the recently announced fishing closures, drawing on his more than 40 years experience working in the commercial fishing industry. He critiques DFO’s entire approach to fisheries management, calling them out for neither implementing the policies already in place for protecting endangered salmon, nor investing in the necessary monitoring needed to assess the effectiveness of any conservation actions. He also reveals that many of the announced closures on the Fraser actually opened this season, after DFO consulted with industry only.

In the article, Greg describes this moment as an opportunity to both support commercial fishers who want to leave the fishery to transition to alternate employment, and to work with those fishers who want to remain in the fishery to transition to more sustainable harvest practices, but suggests DFO’s decision this past year to ignore the minister’s promises, and to double down on the status quo, will undermine these opportunities.

Read the full article below.