SALMONID ENHANCEMENT AND HABITAT ADVISORY BOARD
Minutes
Zoom Meeting
February 7, 8 and 9
MINUTES
Attending: Leandre Vignault, ZoAnn Morten, Jim Shinkewski, Paul Cipywnyk, Jan Lemon, Angela Kroning, Lee Hesketh, Steph Cottell, Dave Hurwitz, Don Hicks, Dustin Snyder, Mike Turner
Regrets: Lesley England, Bill McAllister, Ian Douglas, Kris Bulloch
SEP Staff: Adam Silverstein, Dale Desrochers
Guests: Jason Mahoney, Corino Salomi, Bruce Runciman
Sunday February 7, 2021
Board Business
1245 Start logging in to Zoom with link provided by e-mail
1300 Call meeting to order
1305 Introductions
1310 Adoption of Agenda
DH move/ZA second.
1330 Standing Committee Reports (To be posted to website at http://sehab.org/)
- Finance – ZoAnn
Update on status and future planning
- Membership – Lesley
Dave Hurwitz new member
Lesley’s replacement no longer available so she is talking to CA about finding someone else.
1350 Working Group Reports
- Southern Chinook Committee – Leandre
Nothing happening since last summer. But expectation that things will get rolling soon. Harvest decisions etc. Check in with consultation secretariat as to SEHAB’s continued participation
- South Resident Killer Whale Working Group – Angela
Jan. 21. Wrote up a page of notes that are posted to Basecamp.
Update on science activities. Update on WA state. What has been learned over the last 2 years.
Interest in a report to be released by Sheila Thornton
Potentially extend 400m vessel approach distance to include Howe Sound & Barkley Sound and restrict year-round
Seasonal abundance threshold for specific stocks
Additional 1 million Chinook from Chilliwack
WA looking to pass legislation for net ecological gain
Additional 12 million release in US
Examining influence of contaminants
Provide comments by a week Monday (15th)
- Web Page Update – Paul - from last meeting
Agreed that alternates should be listed on SEHAB site alongside the representative
- ZoAnn: listing of alternates who send in their information to be added to SEHAB.org by Monday Feb. 22
- All members to ensure photos/bios are current
1400 SEHAB discussion items
- SEHAB Communication and Outreach – Paul
- SEHAB Achievements handout
- Paul to post to Basecamp for final comment within two weeks
- Handout of SEHAB - who we are and what we do
- Paul to post latest version to Basecamp for Tuesday morning discussion.
- SEHAB Correspondence – review of letters received/sent
Have not heard back from Minister.
- Review dates for next two meetings
May 2, 3, 4 Online
Members please confirm availability by Tuesday morning.
- September Smithers?
Ask Khris re timing and local engagement/field trip opportunities.
Possibly early September in person depending on Covid situation.
1430 Roundtable presentations (To be posted to website at http://sehab.org/)
PSkF:
SEP Community Workshop going ahead in online format.
Modernization of Streamkeeper Handbook modules continues.
Concept of area meetings with CAs and their groups.
PSF:
Funding open to Feb. 15
Emergency funding available
Half of recipients have asked for extensions.
We are very flexible on that.
Trying to figure out how to support multi-year commitments
Need a new PSF alternate member
Job postings
1600 Adjourn
Monday February 8, 2021
0845 Start logging in to Zoom with link provided by e-mail
0900 Call meeting to order
0900 Presenter #1 – SEP Management Overview (Adam Silverstein)
Covid travel and training restrictions.
Proportion of Natural Influence - Find ways to formalize and fit with other objectives.
Working on documenting and sharing successes of the program.
Replacing database that tracks production planning.
Staff turnover/training issues compounded by Covid.
Covid affecting capacities. If any individual staff are affected that ripples through.
New Minister mandate letter.
Pacific Salmon Strategy – internal discussions. Nothing to share yet, but exciting.
In an ideal world what can we do to protect salmon? Feds and province both on board and communicating.
“Hatchery in a box” Interest from all over BC and growing rapidly.
Provincial consultation process, province interested in supporting salmon work.
Nearly all enhancement comes under DFO. Some newly interested groups want to join SEP, some want to work independently. There are policy and feasibility challenges with this. Enhancement decisions have direct links to stock management, harvest, etc.
DFO might need to develop enhancement policy with longer-term vision.
Does SEHAB have an opportunity to participate in long-term planning? Yes, SEHAB will be able to comment Note Adam stated DFO does not have a specific policy regarding hatcheries
Difficulties finding suitable sites for hatcheries and they don’t come online overnight.
Some NGOs are very concerned about hatcheries. There are legitimate concerns, so how do we manage them?
0930 Presenter #2 - SEP Planning and Assessment Overview - Jason Mahoney
(To be posted to website at http://sehab.org/)
1015 10 Minute Break
1025 Presenter #3 SEP Major Operations Overview (Corino Salomi)
(To be posted to website at http://sehab.org/)
1110 Presenter #4 – SEP CIP and RRU Overview (Dale Desrochers)
(To be posted to website at http://sehab.org/)
1200 Lunch
1230 Presenter #5– Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program (Bruce Runciman)
(To be posted to website at http://sehab.org/)
Reminder for SEHAB to look at ESAs when posted.
Standing item on agenda for an update on FFHPP
1315 Presenter #6 – Province of BC, Intergovernmental Relations, Seafood and Trade (Mike Turner)
Intergovernmental Relations, Fisheries and Aquaculture
Parliamentary Secretary Fin Donnelly
Mandate Letter
https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/AFF-Donnelly-mandate.pdf
Also Minister Jordan supplementary mandate letter
A priority is to ensure that Feds and Province are on same page.
All fisheries resources now consolidated into one team. Helps us to focus internally.
Quarterly meetings prov/fed at DFO Regional Director General(RDG) level
Big priority on fish throughout the province now. Especially salmon. Great to have Parliamentary Secretary Finn Donnelly focused on this. Years 2, 3, 4 looking at implementation.
LV: super encouraging. Great to see fed/prov cooperation ongoing.
Jennifer McQuire, provincial Assistant Deputy Minister, links with RDG Rebecca Reid often.
Watersheds BC rather than Environment. What does this mean?
Mike- looking forward to sharing/participating in the future
Dale Actions:
Collate presentation
Staff chart
Link to PNI science paper
Map of hatcheries
Draft of annual report for comment
Clarify volunteer terminology issue
1400 adjourn
Tuesday February 9, 2021
0845 Start logging in to Zoom with link provided by e-mail
0900 Call meeting to order.
0900 Formulate RHQ questions and decide how to present questions.
1030 Planning for next meeting and approval of minutes of this meeting
1100 Meeting with RHQ to discuss advice and questions.
1200 Adjourn
ACTION ITEMS:
Make sure SEHAB in the loop for Southern Chinook Committee
Angela to post SRKW doc to Basecamp. Comments by Feb. 15
Website: ZoAnn to post alternates.
Website: ALL: Please ensure you’ve submitted a recent bio and head shot and your roundtables
Paul: Post SEHAB Achievement docs to Basecamp. Comments by Feb. 21
Paul: Post SEHAB Who we are/do doc for discussion Tuesday morning
All: Confirm availability for May 2, 3, 4 online meeting
Idea for regional meetings of CAs and their groups?