Salmon Strongholds Backgrounder

• Ranking salmon-producing areas on the basis of clear and comparable values
• Assessing potential Strongholds (watersheds, basins) in terms of rigorous science-based criteria to measure salmon habitat.
• Assembling, linking and protecting crucial salmon habitat
• Priority-setting for salmon habitat investment decisions with consideration of the relative importance of areas and productivity opportunities, but with attention to unique salmon values of some areas
• Coordination of the collaboration and involvement by government agencies, local groups and individuals
• Network-building across Strongholds and among volunteer and community participants, sharing experience and expertise
• Engaging in an array of salmon habitat restoration, protection and prevention initiatives
• Supplementing and reinforcing the work of agencies and stakeholders involved in salmon habitat conservation projects
• Accelerating the introduction of habitat conservation activities
• Combining public and private sources of funding for investment in salmon habitat recovery and sustainability

Q&A on Salmon Strongholds

Q: Does the notion of Salmon Strongholds imply that there are weak habitat areas that can be ignored?

A: Salmon Strongholds are part of an overall strategy that calls for the continuation of comprehensive salmon habitat protection efforts wherever problems or threats arise. The Salmon Strongholds approach is meant to protect the crucial core areas of salmon abundance, not shift resources or attention from any other watersheds or basins. The compelling case for salmon habitat protection continues to be obvious for watersheds throughout the Pacific region.

Q: Would assigning financial resources to Salmon Strongholds mean less help for areas where there are also needs for salmon restoration?

A: Salmon Strongholds involve building on the existing government and volunteer effort, not diverting what already exists. The experience of Salmon Strongholds in the United States is that it has attracted entirely new financial and technical resources from governments and the private sector into salmon habitat conservation. The emphasis of Salmon Strongholds on prevention complements the habitat restoration and protection work done in all watersheds. 

Q: Would adopting Salmon Strongholds inevitably lead to fewer fishing opportunities for sports, commercial and First Nations fisheries as part of the program?

A: The emphasis of Salmon Strongholds is on habitat restoration and protection to maintain, and in some cases rebuild, the health of salmon stocks in key areas of abundance. This approach makes fishing opportunities predictable and sustainable for the long run. Its success should enable sports and First Nations (and possibly commercial) fishing opportunities, unlike marine protected areas where fishing is often prohibited or discouraged. 

Q: Won't the Wild Salmon Policy provide enough of the sort of science-based protection of salmon stocks that is needed?

A: The Department of Fisheries and Ocean's Wild Salmon Policy makes a valuable contribution to the understanding and management of Pacific salmon, but is focused on monitoring and dealing with the stocks most immediately at risk, rather than preventive measures for areas of core abundance. Salmon Strongholds would benefit from the information generated by the scientific effort at the level of Conservation Units within the Wild Salmon Policy, and could work in tandem with it to help implement solutions in Salmon Stronghold areas.