Over 300 projects across the Fraser Basin supported the health of salmon and watersheds

Nothing epitomizes the spirit of British Columbia like wild Pacific Salmon. Yet managing wild salmon and watersheds sustainably is a daunting challenge. Many salmon stocks are at risk, or in decline from such threats as habitat loss, overfishing and climate change impacts.

The Fraser Salmon and Watersheds Program (FSWP) was a multi-year initiative (2006-2012), co-managed by the Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF) and Fraser Basin Council to encourage change. FSWP brought together British Columbians from different regions, sectors and areas of interest to improve the health and sustainability of wild Pacific salmon populations and the watersheds of the Fraser Basin.

Thanks to the BC Living Rivers Trust Fund, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and other funders, FSWP provided $13.6 million in funding for 300 projects across the Basin, in four focus areas:

FSWP supported networking, education and collaboration on tough issues. Successes involved many leaders, from First Nations and local communities, and other people involved in fisheries management, research, stewardship and community work. Perhaps the greatest success of the six years was in connecting people and bridging information gaps. FSWP helped people pool information and resources, learn from each other, and build bridges to cooperate more effectively.

Among the legacies of the program was Salmon-Safe BC, an eco-certification program in the US Pacific Northwest, introduced in 2011 by FBC and the Pacific Salmon Foundation. Today Salmon-Safe BC is managed by the Fraser Basin Council to recognize progressive land management practices in both agriculture and urban development.

As well, in the spring of 2013 the BC Legislature designated seven species of Pacific salmon — Chinook, Coho, Chum, Sockeye and Pink as well as Steelhead and Cutthroat Trout — collectively as an official emblem for British Columbia. The Fraser Basin Council, Pacific Salmon Foundation and BC Conservation Foundation had proposed the designation in 2011 as a way to emphasize the social, economic and environmental importance of wild Pacific salmon and healthy watersheds and also reflect public support: see Do We Make it Official? Recognizing Pacific Salmon as a BC Emblem.