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This guidance manual, which comprises a three-volume series and was developed for the United States Environmental Protection Agency, British Columbia Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection, and Florida Department of Environmental Protection, is not intended to supplant the existing guidance on sediment quality assessment. Rather, this guidance manual is intended to further support the design and implementation of assessments of sediment quality conditions by:

• Presenting an ecosystem-based framework for assessing and managing contaminated sediments (Volume I);
• Describing the recommended procedures for designing and implementing sediment quality investigations (Volume II); and,
• Describing the recommended procedures for interpreting the results of sediment quality investigations (Volume III).

The first volume of the guidance manual, An Ecosystem-Based Framework for Assessing and Managing Contaminated Sediments in the Freshwater Ecosystems, describes the five step process that is recommended to support the assessment and management of sediment quality conditions (i.e., relative to sediment-dwelling organisms, aquatic-dependent wildlife, and human health). Importantly, the document provides an overview of the framework for ecosystem-based sediment quality assessment and management (Chapter 2). In addition, the recommended procedures for identifying sediment quality issues and concerns and compiling the existing knowledge base are described (Chapter 3). Furthermore, the recommended procedures for establishing ecosystem goals, ecosystem health objectives, and sediment management objectives are presented (Chapter 4). Finally, methods for selecting ecosystem health indicators, metrics, and targets for assessing contaminated sediments are described (Chapter 5). Together, this guidance is intended to support planning activities related to contaminated sediment assessments, such that the resultant data are likely to support sediment management decisions at the site under investigation. More detailed information on these and other topics related to the assessment and management of contaminated sediments can be found in the publications that are listed in the Bibliography of Relevant Publications (Appendix 2).

The second volume of the series, Design and Implementation of Sediment Quality Investigations, describes the recommended procedures for designing and implementing sediment quality assessment programs. More specifically, Volume II provides an overview of the recommended framework for assessing and managing sediment quality conditions is presented in this document (Chapter 2). In addition, Volume II describes the recommended procedures for conducting preliminary and detailed site investigations to assess sediment quality conditions (Chapters 3 and 4). Furthermore, the factors that need to be considered in the development of sampling and analysis plans for assessing contaminated sediments are described (Chapter 5). Supplemental guidance on the design of sediment sampling programs, on the evaluation of sediment quality data, and on the management of contaminated sediment is provided in the Appendices to Volume II. The appendices of this document also describe the types and objectives of sediment quality assessments that are commonly conducted in freshwater ecosystems.

The third volume in the series, Interpretation of the Results of Sediment Quality Investigations, describes the four types of information that are commonly used to assess contaminated sediments, including sediment- and pore-water chemistry data (Chapter 2), sediment toxicity data (Chapter 3), benthic invertebrate community structure data (Chapter 4), and bioaccumulation data (Chapter 5). Some of the other tools that can be used to support assessments of sediment quality conditions are also briefly described (e.g., fish health assessments; Chapter 6). The information compiled on each of the tools includes: descriptions of its applications, advantages, and limitations; discussions on the availability of standard methods, the evaluation of data quality, methodological uncertainty, and the interpretation of associated data; and, recommendations to guide the use of each of these individual indicators of sediment quality conditions. Furthermore, guidance is provided on the interpretation of data on multiple indicators of sediment quality conditions (Chapter 7). Together, the information provided in the three-volume series is intended to further support the design and implementation of focused sediment quality assessment programs.

In order to facilitate the integration of community groups into the fisheries management programs, the Foundation intends to develop a Guidance Manual on Community-Based Fisheries Management. The Guidance Manual will provide community groups, First Nations, and other non-governmental organizations in British Columbia with step-by-step guidance on the implementation of ecosystem-based fisheries and watershed management. It will be developed using the recommendations provided by more than 1000 participants of the Toward Sustainable Fisheries Conference and four other multi-stakeholder meetings. Importantly, the Guidance Manual will provide community-based organizations with a template for integrating the needs of ‘communities-of-place’ (e.g., Tofino) and ‘communities-of-interest’ (e.g., BCMOE, UBC, Steelhead Society) into a framework for supporting sustainable fisheries and watershed management. The cooperative fisheries and watershed plans that are developed using the information provided in the Guidance Manual will facilitate the protection of healthy salmonid populations and the restoration of salmonid populations at risk. In this way, the Guidance Manual will help support the transition to sustainable fisheries and watershed management.

The Guidance Manual will consist of several elements, including a brief introduction which sets the stage for sustainable fisheries management and a background which identifies the challenges to Pacific salmon and steelhead management (i.e., habitat loss and degradation, overfishing, etc.). In addition, the Guidance Manual will include principles for sustainable fisheries management, an approach to ecosystem-based watershed management, and an overview of the Sustainable Fisheries Strategy (SFS) developed from the multi-stakeholder meetings. It will also include a framework for community-based fisheries and watershed management. This framework will describe how to develop a shared vision for the future, to determine the primary factors constraining progress towards sustainable fisheries, to identify indicators of progress towards sustainable fisheries and watershed management, and to develop a focussed plan of action that includes the priority activities that will contribute directly to fulfillment of the long-term vision for the future.

Abstract

Pacific salmon management is in crisis. Throughout their range, salmon and steelhead populations are being adversely affected by human activities. Without coordinated, effective, and timely action, the future of the Pacific salmon resource is most certainly in doubt. To address the challenges that are currently facing salmon management, concerned citizens representing a diverse array of government agencies and non-governmental organizations have agreed to cooperate in the development of a Sustainable Fisheries Strategy for west coast salmon and steelhead populations. The Strategy builds on the contents of this book, resulting from the Sustainable Fisheries Conference and subsequent community – and watershed-based citizen forums. This chapter presents the key elements of the Strategy including a common vision for the future, a series of guiding principles, and specific strategies for supporting sustainable fisheries. As such, the Strategy embraces and ecosystem-based approach to managing human activities, rather that the traditional egocentric approach to managing salmonid populations and associated habitats. A system of community-based, watershed-oriented councils, including all stakeholders and agency representatives, is proposed for effective transition to ecosystem-based salmon and steelhead management. It is our hope that everyone involved in Pacific salmon management will embrace both the spirit and the specific elements of the Sustainable Fisheries Strategy as we face the difficult challenges ahead.

Abstract

Salmon and steelhead serve as a powerful symbol for the quality of life enjoyed in the Pacific Northwest, and generate a wide range of economic, social, and cultural benefits in the region. Commercial fisheries contribute significantly to local, provincial/state, and national economies, both directly through the sale of fish and indirectly through the services and manufacturing industries. Likewise, sport fisheries provide diverse economic benefits through the tourist, manufacturing, and services sectors. First Nations (Canada) and Tribal (U.S.) fisheries revitalize local economies, encourage social stabilization and renewal, and help maintain the rich cultural heritage that characterizes the Pacific Northwest. Considering the nature and extent of benefits which they bestow, the conservation of our shared salmon and steelhead resources deserve national and international priority.

Despite the vast quantities of time, money, and effort spent on fisheries management, there has been a widespread and marked decline in the size and number of salmonid populations in the Pacific Northwest over the last century (e.g., Walters and Cahoon 1985; Nehlsen et al. 1991). Numerous populations have been extirpated, and many of those remaining are at precariously low levels and trending downwards. While natural factors have undoubtedly played a role, the overriding causes of decline have been associated with human activities. The current status and trends of these populations reflect our inability to effectively manage the fishery resource and take the necessary steps to avert further declines in population abundance. The blame, as well as the responsibility for action, falls upon all of us; scientists, managers, resource users, and concerned citizens. Together, we must cooperate in the development and implementation of a comprehensive fisheries management strategy to ensure that west coast salmon populations are sustained and enhanced for future generations.

People throughout the Pacific Northwest are recognizing the need for such a strategy and many have agreed to work cooperatively on the development of a Sustainable Fisheries Strategy (SFS) for West Coast Salmon and Steelhead Populations. According to more than 500 participants who attended the Toward Sustainable Fisheries conference held in Victoria, British Columbia on April 26-30, 1996, sustainable fisheries can be defined as the conditions that support healthy, diverse, and productive ecosystems, viable aboriginal, sport, and commercial fisheries, and vital and stable communities throughout the historical range of anadromous Pacific salmonids. This book, Sustainable Fisheries Management: Pacific Salmon, represents an important step towards sustainable fisheries because it articulates our common vision for the future, identifies the factors that are currently impeding our ability to manage salmon and steelhead in a sustainable manner, and outlines some of the key strategies for overcoming these constraints and moving toward sustainable fisheries. This chapter is intended to provide a context for sustainable fisheries management by briefly describing the factors that influence fisheries sustainability, providing a framework for ecosystem-based fisheries management, and describing the overall strategy that is being used to support a transition towards sustainable fisheries management.

Please download this chapter for more information on the challenges that are facing Pacific salmon and the contents of the book, Sustainable Fisheries Management: Pacific Salmon.

The Columbia River is the dominant river system in the Pacific Northwest United States and southeastern British Columbia. Its health is of vital importance to communities and stakeholders on both sides of the border. Resource managers in Canada and the United States recognize that open, honest communication and effective information sharing are important foundations for resolving land and water use conflicts, and are essential to economic and environmental sustainability in the Columbia Basin. To this end, an international workshop, entitled Toward Ecosystem-Based Management in the Upper Columbia River Basin: An International Conference and Workshop, was convened April 27-30, 1998 to foster information exchange and cooperation among resource managers, First Nations, policy makers, scientists, industry, environmental groups and concerned citizens. The workshop was attended by over 400 delegates on both sides of the border.

The workshop, held in Castlegar, B.C., consisted of plenary sessions, technical presentations, exhibits, and work group sessions. This workshop design was used to provide delegates with opportunities to explore a wide range of technical, environmental and community issues and to develop recommendations for fostering proactive aquatic resource management in the entire basin.

Workshop delegates advocated an ecosystem-based approach to managing the Upper Columbia River Basin. Unlike past approaches to resource management which consider community, economic and environmental factors separately and in isolation of each other, ecosystem-based management integrates and inextricably links all these factors from planning through decision-making, law-making and implementation. Workshop delegates responded to the challenge of fostering ecosystem-based management in the Upper Columbia River Basin by developing a common vision for the future, identifying the factors that are constraining our ability to achieve this vision, and recommending a series of strategic actions to support watershed sustainability. Distinguishing this workshop from many other meetings on watershed management and sustainability was the level of commitment shown by workshop delegates for advancing their recommendations. Specific commitments and progress to date are outlined in the report.

The international workshop was intended to be one step in a longer-term process to advance ecosystem management objectives in the Upper Columbia River Basin. In the near-term, the next steps include communicating the workshop results to decision-makers and the public on both sides of the border, continuing to follow through on the commitments that were made at the workshop, and compiling the Principles for Ecosystem-Based Management. In the longer-term, there is a need to convene another workshop to share new information, report on the progress that has been made, continue the strategic planning process, and renew our shared commitment to sustainability in the Upper Columbia River Basin.

Please download the workshop summary report for more information on the results of this workshop and the technical information that was presented by participants.

This document details the results of the Squamish River Watershed Fisheries Sustainability Forum. The forum was convened by the Sustainable Fisheries Foundation, Hatfield Consultants Ltd., and the Forest Alliance of British Columbia to provide an opportunity for citizens, policy makers, resource users, First Nations and other interested parties to exchange technical information on the conservation and restoration of salmonid populations. Participants at the forum developed a long-term vision for fisheries sustainability in the Squamish River watershed. In addition to the vision, the key constraints to fisheries sustainability were identified. Strategies and management options for overcoming these constraints were also developed for various aspects of salmon management, including harvest management, habitat protection and restoration, community-based fisheries and watershed management, salmon and steelhead production, and institutional and regulatory structures. Importantly, forum participants also identified a number of indicators of progress towards fisheries sustainability (i.e., ecosystem maintenance indicators). Please download the forum Summary Report and/or forum overview for more information on the forum and its results.

The Squamish River Watershed Background Report was prepared to provide background information to support the Squamish River Watershed Fisheries Sustainability Forum, which was held in Squamish, B.C., in November, 1997. The report was prepared by Hatfield Consultants Ltd. and summarizes the available information on the Squamish River Watershed. Included is information on watershed characteristics, land tenure, urban development trends, First Nations involvement in fisheries management, fisheries resources (including salmon spawning escapements, freshwater habitat issues, and estuary issues), and key contacts. As such, the report provided forum participants with a common understanding of the issues and concerns in the Squamish River Basin and, hence, a basis for engaging in work group discussions on fisheries sustainability. Please download the status report for more information on the Squamish River Basin

Squamish River Watershed Status Report