Fraser River Sockeye Salmon - Cohen Commission

Part Two • Previous reports and government responses
Introduction
The Terms of Reference direct me to set out in my interim report my “preliminary
views on, and assessment of, any previous examinations, investigations or reports”
that I consider relevant to the commission, and “the Government’s responses to
those examinations, investigations and reports.”
Over the past three decades, there have been dozens of examinations,
investigations, and reports into the Pacific fisheries, primarily focusing on DFO’s
management of the fishery and its legislative powers respecting harvesting,
protection of habitat, protection of wild salmon stocks, and aquaculture. Some,
such as Dr. Peter Pearse’s 1982 report, were sweeping in nature, examining the
condition, management, and utilization of all Pacific coast fisheries. Others, such as
the Hon. Bryan Williams’s 2005 report, which examined only the 2004 Fraser River
sockeye salmon return, focused on a single event.
In May 2010, DFO provided to the commission a 289-page document entitled
“Recommendations Related to Fraser River Sockeye Salmon and Responses by the
Government of Canada, 1982–2010” (hereafter referred to as Recommendations
and Responses). It set out the recommendations contained in 25 reports prepared
between 1982 and 2005 and the federal government’s initial responses drawn from
various sources, including statements by the minister, and written government or
DFO responses. In some cases, such as reports by the Auditor General of Canada,
the government’s responses were included in the reports themselves. This DFO
document has been an invaluable resource for the commission. It is included on
the CD appended to this report.
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