In Attendance: Tracy Bond, Jim Armstrong, Jim Shinkewski, Paul Cipywnyk, Brian Smith, Zo Ann Morten, Cindy Verbeek, Jan Lemon, Leandre Vigneault, Lee Hesketh, Elizabeth Hardy, Dianne Sanford

Regrets:           Ian Bruce, Jack Minard, Wayne Saweski                 

Guests:            Adam Silverstein Regional Manager, Community Involvement and Resource Restoration, Fisheries and Oceans Canada/Government of Canada

Tina Chestnut, Stewardship Coordinator, Community Involvement and Resource Restoration, Fisheries and Oceans Canada/Government of Canada

Tola Coopper,  A / Team Lead Partnerships, Standards & Guidelines

Fisheries Protection Program, Fisheries and Oceans Canada/Government of Canada                  

Activities before meeting

Round table reports submitted to Secretary (CV).

Round table issues collated and sent out for prioritization.

Agenda finalized and sent out to SEHAB members and DFO.

Friday November 4th, 2016  

Tours of local projects and issues

  • Site 1 Nicomekl Seadam
  • Site 2 Serpentine Seadam
  • Site 3 Little Campbell Hatchery
  • Site 4 Nicomekl Hatchery- Delicious hamburger BBQ dinner at Nicomekl with community. What a wonderful group.

Friday forum presentation by John Taff, SFU Master of Science student of his research on the effects of the Nicomekl River sea dam on salmon migration and other projects he has been involved in.

  • 30+ participants
  • Sea dams impede salmon migration and when closed concentrate salmon making them easy prey to seals etc.
  • Solutions include getting rid of them completely or add a gate that can be manually opened at appropriate times to allow salmon through.
  • Research shows that the effect on agricultural land will be negligible.

SATURDAY November 5th, 2016

Nicolmekl Hatchery Meeting room       

Meeting called to order

Chair acknowledged the good work that Eric Carlisle did for salmonids in this province and his unique contribution to SEHAB meetings. He will be missed.

Agenda adopted. Moved/seconded/carried.

Discussion of key issues identified in the round table process (See round tables on website for details)

DFO Reporting and discussion. 

Presentation – Fisheries Act Review process – Tola Coopper

  • Fisheries Act Consultation happening right now. Give feedback at: http://www.letstalkfishhabitat.ca/
  • Action: All SEHAB members individually and collectively are strongly encouraged to provide feedback towards the Fisheries Act consultations now (before Nov 30)
  • Action: All SEHAB members will encourage those they represent to get involved in Fisheries Act consultations.

SEP Budget Presentation – Adam Silverstein

  • SEP budget has stayed the same but there is a deficit.
  • Difficult choices are needed to get rid of this deficit year after year.
  • Discussion re how to deal with deficit.
  • Action: Provide feedback on priorities of SEHAB constituents.

Contribution Agreement Trial – Tina Chestnut

  • The way PIP contracts will be handled is changing.
  • SEP to come up with a program of their own but this will take 18-24 months so in the meantime they are trying a way of getting money to outside groups through a Class contribution program.
  • Presentation on contribution agreement way of doing PIP contracts.
  • Action: Give feedback on what a perfect contribution agreement would look like to support SEP community activities.

SEHAB Contract – Adam/Tina

  • The way SEHAB is funded will also be changing
  • Discussion around what that change will look like and options to allow SEHAB to continue it’s good work.
  • Not a question of whether to support SEHAB. Working on a process under today’s contracting regime.
  • Right now some issues are that DFO can’t advance money, travel approvals add challenges and specific deliverables are necessary.
  • Possible alternative organizational structure for SEHAB = SFAB way of doing things or PIP like contribution agreement contract
  • Two possible ways of working with SEHAB contract:
    • Model similar to SFAB – driven by DFO need, DFO invite people to the table, DFO provide administrative support (ie. secretary, create agenda).
    • Contribution Agreement similar to PIP contracting proposals (see above)
  • Action: Adam and Tina are exploring options and will get back to us.
  • Action: Working group will advise Adam and Tina on what our organizational structure needs.

SEP Community Workshop 2017 - Tracy

  • Theme – Salmon in our community
  • Quesnel, May 19-21, 2017 (This is the long weekend).
  • Arrangements are going well. They have a wonderful team for planning with community, DFO and PSkF.
  • Celebration of SEP’s 40th anniversary
  • Book your hotels early
  • Watch for registration forms to come out end of Feb via Stream Talk.

Identified round table issues

Sunday November 7th, 2016

Hotel Conference Room – Sandman Hotel    

Standing Committee Reports

Chair – LV

  • Letter from Minister was received saying to contact his scheduling assistant to book a time to meet next time he is in the west.
  • Action: LV will call/email to explore times for SEHAB to meet with Minister.

Finance – ZM, BS

  • Some difficulties with timing of contract for previous meeting but it is being sorted.
  • Finances are tracking to our budget..
  • Thank you to Brian for ability to stop by and sign cheques etc.

Membership – Open discussion

  • Discussion re who (individually and wrt province wide organizations) is eligible to be a representative on the board. Refer to Navaids for guidelines.
  • Provincial government participation
    • Action: Determine SEHAB needs from province and then target appropriate department/individual to invite to next meeting to speak to that need. Topic would dictate who to invite
  • Discussion regarding the need for the budget to be open to cover the cost of inviting someone each time based on questions that need answering. All agreed to this.
  • Action: LV will follow up with JM re invite to steelhead society.

Governance

  • Discussion re Navaids and length of terms.
  • Action: All are encouraged to be familiar with Navaids
  • Action: CV will search for terms, update the membership spreadsheet and let people know when their terms are up.

Communications – CV

  • Cindy introduced Basecamp as a tool to keep us organized.
  • Agreed that we will try until next meeting while still keeping Google groups available.
  • Action: CV will set this up and invite board reps.

Southern Chinook Initiative

  • Individuals are requesting funds to implement the plan that has been developed.

 

Working Groups

PAR – Brian S (new chair), Diuanne S., Dianne R. Jim A, ZoAnn M, Elizabeth H. and affected hatchery volunteers.

  • This committee will become active again in the new year with Steelhead production licensing the main agenda item.
  • Action: BS will talk to Adam to get meetings started again 

Communication Working Group (CV,PC)

  • PC will take role of editor of our correspondence
  • CV will be minute keeper and “gate keeper” of correspondence
  • Website looks good – changes to the site are made by direction from the board collectively.
  • Action: CV will send a note to PM re getting This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • Looking for at least one more person to be on this committee. If you are interested contact Cindy.

Request for meetings with Ministers both Prov. (MoE and FLNRO) and Federal Fisheries (Leandre)

  • Got letter back from Minister. Recorded above.

Review current letters and discuss follow up – All

  • Done

Stock Assessment, WSP, Science, Data Collection (LV, LH, JM, ZM)

  • Conversation continues with J. Lemieux about citizen science. LV has followed up.
  • Concern re lack of SEHAB invitation to WSP review process.
    • Discussion: It is not SEHAB’s role to go to town hall meetings. We are an advisory board so this is exactly what we should be commenting on and we should be invited to direct meetings.
    • Action: On behalf of SEHAB, DS LV will request a SEHAB meeting with the WSP review committee.
    • Letter will come from SEHAB chair not Subcommittee chair.
    • Action: Explore the timing of a joint MCC/SEHAB/WSP meeting at our February meeting.

Contracting ideas - Discussion around concerns about new way of handling SEHAB contract and organization.

What we value about present SEHAB contract and organization

  • control over the budget – how it is spent.
  • Time to talk without DFO presence.
  • Ability to call meetings ourselves
  • Ability to voice the concerns of the community
  • Minute taking, distribution process
  • Ability to take the lead in agenda planning.
  • Ability to cut costs in some areas to allow for greater activities ie. bus, another member at the table
  • Ability to interact with community.
  • Meeting with the RHQ heads and minister

Concensus: Review of SFAB model showed it to be lacking for SEHAB’s purposes. Possibly Contribution agreement but need to clarify whether we still have ability to meet with the DFO officials we need to meet with.

SEHAB contract working group was created (ZoAnn, Tracy, Jim S.)

Actions include:

  • clarify whether we still have ability to meet with necessary DFO officials.
  • Create draft summary of feedback on SEHAB contract
  • Send out to group for feedback
  • Take feedback to Adam on our priorities.
  • follow up on next steps with our contract

Develop agenda for RHQ meeting.

  • Distilled version reviewed & flagging which were for RHQ and which needed other agencies input.
  • Next meeting most of this will be done ahead of time giving us time to just speak to the details.
  • Action: CV will distill, organize and email to Leandre and Brian to be ready for Monday morning meeting at RHQ.
  • Action: LV will email to Adam by the end of the day.

FPP online survey, group fill in

  • Not done as a group but everyone is encouraged to do this as individuals before November 30
  • Action: Fill one out on behalf of SEHAB.

A.  Minutes from this meeting to be ratified by November 30th, 2016.

B.   Date next meeting:  February 24,25,26, 2017.

C.   Invitation to build agenda by January 3rd, 2017.

D.   Draft agenda due on January 24, 2017.