IMAWG Technical

Advisor Pete Nickl in

addresses 57 Nation

reps at the February

Forum.

Key PointsKey Messages from January 201 4 Forum and Summary of Key Technical Issues at

February 201 4 Forum

imawg.ca

Forum on Conservation &HarvestPlanning

March 201 4

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TAXWE 'GILA"Gaining and Building Strength"

Photo: Josh Duncan

-Submitted by: Pete Nicklin, IMAWG Technical Advisor

Grand Chief Ken Malloway sent a letter to DFO on

behalf of the participants of the January Forum . Three

key messages were outl ined in the letter.

Fraser Spring and Summer 52Chinook management

• At this point, it is not possible for the FN Caucus of

the Joint Technical Working Group to replicate

the analysis used to underpin the last two years

of Fraser Spring and Summer 52Chinook

management (as described in a DFO letter from

June 201 2).

• Forum participants and the JTWG request DFO

provide the technical rationale for the Zoned

Management approach to begin the season.

Fraser Sockeye Management

• DFO was asked to provide information related to

Total Al lowable Mortal ity rules, Management

Adjustment, Sockeye Conservation Unit status

paper, the Use of Fish Policy, and the proposed

approach for Cultus sockeye management.

Interior Fraser Coho

• DFO agreed to a ful l post-season discussion with

respect to 201 3 management, and DFO has not

yet provided the information necessary to

conduct the discussion.

• Forum participants and the JTWG request

complete transparency with respect to the tools

used for pre-season planning, in-season

management and post-season accounting.

Forum on Conservation and Harvest Planning

information, including meeting notes and

presentations can be accessed at

http://www.frafs.ca/node/42 .

Photo: FRAFS Facebook

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imawg.ca Issue 03 March 201 4

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continued - Key Messages from January 201 4 Forum and Summary of Key

Technical Issues at February 201 4 Forum

DFO responded to the letter prior to the February Forum:

Fraser Spring and Summer 52Chinook management

• DFO is working on Science support to address the outstanding

analytical work

• DFO has not yet decided on the zone of management to begin the

season, and wil l provide information related to the chosen

approach

Fraser Sockeye

• A Fraser River Sockeye Spawning Initiative (FRSSI) workshop is being

planned for March (Tier 3 and Tier 2)

• The Management Adjustment wil l be discussed at the February Forum

• A CU status presentation wil l be considered for a future Forum

• The Use of Fish Policy wil l be discussed at the February Forum

• The Late Run and Cultus management approach has not yet been

final ized

Interior Fraser Coho

• DFO recognizes the request for clarity on some issues at the JTWG

• DFO is exploring possible scenarios for increased impacts to Interior

Fraser coho

Key technical messages delivered by First Nations

technical personnel at the Forum

The meeting notes are not yet available from the February Forum. However, key technical messages delivered by

First Nations technical personnel at the Forum included the fol lowing:

• The need for DFO to include First Nations technical personnel in processes that develop objectives for

analysis such as work undertaken as part of the CSAS process and Fraser Sockeye management

• Greater transparency with respect to Interior Fraser Coho management including the provision of the

models and tools used to guide 201 4 management

•The JTWG co-chairs will be submitting a Briefing Note to the FRAFS Executive Committee regarding the

outstanding Chinook information needed to resolve the replication of information used to underpin the last

two years of Fraser Chinook Spring and Summer 52Chinook management, and this issue will not be

discussed at the JTWG until it receives the requested information.

The JTWG wil l be meeting on March 18th for a ful l day, prior to the March Forum. The focus of the meeting

wil l be key issues outl ined in the draft IFMP and technical issues for discussion at the Forum.

Draft Prawn and Shrimp by

Trap IFMP- Submitted by Bernette Laliberte: IMAWG Marine

Biologist

The draft was released in early January with a deadline

for feedback was February 20th. The IMAWG Biologist,

Bernette, reviewed the draft with a fine tooth comb and

provided a table of comments/concerns for a letter that

was sent to DFO. One main concern is that changes

requested by IMAWG from the past two years have yet

to be made, including the location of Food fisheries and

the lack of supporting information for stating increasing

commercial gear use for food fisheries. Even after two

years of discussion and suggestions from IMAWG, DFO

is sti l l planning on implementing restrictions on prawn

Food fisheries (i .e. IFMP states " DFO intends to

introduce management measures in 201 5/1 6, such as

trap l imits, to manage the FSC prawn fishery and the

harvesting capacity of commercial vessels and gear"). I t

is sti l l unclear if there is a conservation concern.

If this fishery and the ability to use commercial gear

for fishing prawn is important to your community

then IMAWG suggests that an in-depth discussion

take place bilaterally with DFO.

IMAT Update

Island Marine Aquatic Technical Working Group (IMAT)

February was a busy month but IMAT did meet twice,

February 7th and 24th. The working group reviewed

and provided recommendations on the draft

presentations DFO was going to give at IMAWG pre-

season meeting. DFO did use the template that IMAWG

had created after the post-season meeting; however,

some adjustments sti l l need to be made. But this is a

good step forward in bridging the communication gap

between DFO and IMAWG. The next IMAT meeting

will be March 1 1 -1 2th in Nanaimo at the Coast

Bastion. This meeting wil l mostly be a forum to discuss

the Salmon IFMP but also plan for the new fiscal .

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Pacific Integrated Fishery Management Plan for Salmon 201 4 -1 5 (IFMP)

As mentioned in the December / January Newsletter, DFO has made changes to the review

process of the IFMP.

DFO is no longer releasing two drafts for public review. Only one draft wil l be circulated. This draft wil l be

released March 3, 201 4, by an email distribution l ist. Should you not receive a copy or would l ike a hard copy,

please contact the DFO Resource Manager for your area. The deadline to provide feedback is April 7th, 2014.

Comments may be provided in writing via mail addressed to: DFO - Salmon Team, Suite 200 –

401 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, V6C 3S4 or via email to Kelly.Binning@dfo-mpo.gc.ca  or to

the local DFO office in your area.

Photos: IMAWG Biologist Katie Beach

I ssue 03 March 201 4

IMAWG Standing Committee Nominations

and Election- Submitted by Sonora Thompson: IMAWG Coordinator

As per the new governance structure, IMAWG is becoming a

not-for-profit incorporated society in the new fiscal , and with

that our Standing Committee now needs to be a

membership of elected delegates that are chosen by the

Nations.

This process holds IMAWG accountable to the Nations for

transparency and accountabil ity.

IMAWG is looking for five nominees (4 plus one elder) from

each of the three language groups on or around Vancouver

Island. In total , 1 5 delegates wil l be voted on by the Nations

on March 31 st. Out of these 1 5, six delegates wil l be voted in

by the Standing Committee to become the IMAWG Board of

Directors.

IMAWG's mandate is to work to protect priority rights to food

through building Tier One strength, while engaging with DFO

on a Tier Two basis, discussing al l fisheries matters of

concern. IMAWG works with al l Nations, and other

organizations such as the FNFC, to ensure al l issues are

brought forward to leadership for discussion and resolution.

If you are interested in becoming part of IMAWG, please

contact us for more information (nominations are due March

7th). If you would l ike to choose your delegates, please

attend our Annual General Meeting on March 31 st to vote in

your picks. (One vote per Nation, and proxy's can be used.)

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Photo: Josh Duncan

Upcoming IMAWG

MeetingsMarch 1 1 th & 12thIMAT Salmon Meeting (Tier 1 )Contact B. Lal iberte

March 1 3th & 14thIMAWG Catch MonitoringWorkshop (Tier 1 & 2)

March 1 9th - 21 stForum on Management of FraserSalmonContact W. Quinlan @ FRAFS

March 25thRoadmap Fraser SalmonNegotiation Sharing FrameworkContact W. Quinlan @ FRAFS

March 31 stIMAWG Election and AGM (Tier 1 )Contact S. Thompson

I f a Nation needs financial assistance for travel expenses,

please contact Sonora at smorin. imawg@gmail .com.

Thanks to Josh Duncan

We would l ike to thank Josh Duncan for his

generous contribution of awesome

photographs for our communications!

Thanks Josh - great shots! We appreciate

photo contributions, if you have some to

share, please send them to

dave@docmedia.ca .

I ssue 03 March 201 4