Salmon Allocation

February 25, 2026

The Liberal government has launched a review of B.C.’s 1999 Salmon Allocation Policy that would reshape how salmon is allocated among harvest groups in the province. The process is being led by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and is intended to produce recommendations to the Minister on a new allocation framework, following consultations with First Nations and commercial and recreational fishers.

While conservation remains the stated priority, the review opens the door to changes in how access is divided between user groups, creating uncertainty for commercial and recreational fisheries that depend on clear, stable rules. The process is broad, complex, and minister-driven, with final decisions resting solely with the Liberal Minister, raising concerns about transparency, predictability, and the long-term impacts on coastal communities and local jobs.

This is yet another decision made from Liberals without the proper science, without real consultation, and without any respect for the communities who depend on these fisheries. The Liberals have repeatedly announced reductions and closures while failing to deliver the ecosystem-based management they promised. Meanwhile, anglers, guides, and harvesters in B.C. did their part, and helped enable the resurgence we’re now seeing in many Chinook stocks. Instead of acknowledging that progress, the government is asking British Columbians to pay yet again for its own failures.

Conservatives will keep pressing for balanced, science-based fisheries decisions that protect biodiversity and support the people who depend on fishing to feed their families and sustain local economies. We support management that is informed by science, grounded in conservation, and respectful of the coastal communities that have been responsible stewards of these resources for decades.

Office of Ellis Ross, M.P. Skeena—Bulkley Valley