The uncertain future of Fraser River sockeye : Cohen Commission of Inquiry into the Decline of Sockeye Salmon in the Fraser River

At the evidentiary hearings in One of the provisions of the Terms of Reference October 2010, I spoke about my appreciation for unique to this Commission was the direction “to these experiences: conduct the Inquiry without seeking to find fault on the part of any individual, community or organiza- For me, it was an honour and a privilege to have tion.” Rather, I was mandated to encourage broad the [...] The uncertain future required by my Terms of Reference, I have set out my findings and recommendations in this Report The recommendations to which I now turn will, for the future sustainability of the Fraser River I believe, improve the management of the Fraser sockeye fishery. [...] The report of the Standing Committee on Honourable John Fraser wrote that the Department Fisheries and Oceans on the 2001 Fraser River of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) “has no right to salmon fishery also recommended that “the transfer Canada’s constitutional responsibilities to Minister of Fisheries and Oceans reassert his protect the [fisheries] resource to anyone, Native authority to manage the fi [...] In my view, the fishery must be managed by In the 1996 case of R. v. Nikal, the Supreme the federal government as the central authority, Court of Canada stated that “[i]f the salmon fishery not only for the reason that fisheries management is to survive, there must be some control exercised is a complex and demanding task but also because by a central authority,” and this central author- of the fi [...] Historically, DFO’s mandate in relation to Fraser In summary, previous reports on the Fraser River sockeye salmon has been twofold: to conserve River salmon fishery and judgments of the the wild stocks and to ensure the future sustain- Supreme Court of Canada have supported main- ability of the fishery.