Collaboration in Action: Reflections on Successful Partnership from Onas Fisheries Department

Collaboration in Action: Reflections on Successful Partnership from ONAs Fisheries Department

Okanagan Nation Water Forum, Oct.14, 2015 Presented by Okanagan Nation Alliance Okanagan Naon Alliance comprised of 8 member communies:

Okanagan Indian Band, Westbank First Naon, Pencton Indian Band, Osoyoos Indian Band, Lower and Upper Similkameen Indian bands, Upper Nicola Indian Band, and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservaons (WA, USA). OKANAGAN SALMON RECOVERY

Element Pre-Contact (1800’s) Industrial Era (1830-1985) Current Status (1985 to present)

Okanagan 75,000 – 100,000 15,000 to 70,000 15,000 (5,000 CAN/10,000 Populaon US) Salmon 1-6 million 0.2 -1 million 0.005-0.2 million Abundance Salmon Diversity Five species (Chinook Sockeye, Chinook, Sockeye, Chinook, (viable populaons) (chief), Sockeye, Steelhead, Steelhead Steelhead Coho, Chum) Salmon Osoyoos Lake, Skaha Lake, Osoyoos Lake Osoyoos, Skaha, looking at Distribuon Okanagan Lake Okanagan

Salmon Timing May to October July to September July to September

Fishery Salmon Chief (tribal/ Canadian/US federal Joint management (ONA-DFO, Management kinship) agencies Canada, Pacific Salmon Treaty; US vs Oregon (US) Fishing Camps/ Kele Falls (hoop net, dip, Collapse of fishery by Re-vitalize plaorms at base Sites gaff); Okanagan River Weir 1960’s (loss of food of Chief Joe, Okanagan (Omak), Skaha Falls (OK fishery, intertribal trade Smus, Osoyoos Lake, Falls, Fish baskets, gaff/dip) essenal) sx̌ʷəx̌ʷnitkʷ (s-wuh-wuneet- kw) trap. A SALMON PEOPLE

• Salmon is a primary food for the Syilx (Okanagan) People.

• In summer, as the ﬁsh returned to spawn in the rivers, large ﬁshing camps were set up.

• When plenful, Salmon was a valuable trading item. History

• Commercial Salmon Fisheries U.S. (1870’s) • Historical Canadian decisions did not consider importance to Okanagan ﬁsheries – Mainstem Columbia River Dams (1933) – Grand Coulee Dam blocks access to Upper Columbia (1938) – Grand Coulee Dam Fish Maintenance Project (1939-1943) – Columbia River Treaty (1961) – Okanagan River Channelizaon and salmon Access in Okanagan River restricted (McIntyre Dam -1915)

Collaboration on Restoration

• Huge impacts to Okanagan ﬁsheries • Chiefs approach since ﬁsheries department creaon in 1994 is restoraon through collaboraon • Separated technical from policy/polical to get work done • Okanagan Basin Technical Working Group (COBTWG) • Enabled many collaborave restoraon projects. RegulatoryComplicated frameworks governing fish Transboundary& habitats are complicated. Ok Sockeye life history spans jurisdictions of several levels of govt. & two sovereign nations. Environment for Okanagan Salmon

Okanogan Canada Species 1982 Can-DFO Basin At Risk Act Constitution Agreement

BC-WLAP COBTWG Canada ONA BC-WLAP Ok-WMB

Fish H20 Pacific Salmon Columbia R. PSC Treaty Treaty IJC

BPA DCPUD United NMFS WDFW States Columbia R. fish. mgt. “compact” OTAC FERC U.S. Endangered Colville Wash. Process Species Act Confederated State D.O.E. Tribes

Many parties & agreements influence regulation & implementation of salmon conservation & restoration projects. COBTWG & DCPUD share mutual interests in Okanagan sockeye. Wells Committee: June 3, 2004 COBTWG and ESSA improved water management for salmon Fish Passage - nʕaylintn (Ny-lin-tn)

Before

After sx̌ʷəx̌ʷnitkʷ (s-wuh-wuneet-kw) Okanagan Falls – Skaha Lake outlet Okanagan River in 1938 and 1996 Habitat Restoration

Before After

DYKE SETBACK

SPAWNING PLATFORM

GRAVEL BARS

RIFFLE

RE- MEANDERING

Status: • Completed 2013 • Adapve management underway - dikes & riﬄe are stable - natural spawning areas created mainstem - beaver acvity

ORRI - PENTICTON CHANNEL RESTORATION Status • Plaorms No.1 & No.2 construcon completed

• 430m2 Chinook sized spawning areas • 7040 m 2 of Sockeye and Steelhead sized spawning

ORRI - Penticton Channel spawning bed #3

Progress to date • 71 % funding secured • Engineer designs in progress • Stakeholder and community outreach in progress • Aiming for fall 2015 construcon

Opportunies for spawning salmon • 8,400 m 2 of Sockeye and Steelhead sized spawning material added (3111 pairs) • Boulder clusters • Improved pool refuge • Improved riparian vegetaon Sockeye Reintro Program Overview Stock Restoration • Iniated in early 1990’s • COBTWG (Canadian Okanagan Basin Technical Working Group) • Three-year risk assessment completed in 2003 • 12 Year Reintroducon Program (2004-2016) into Skaha Lake • Adapve management framework • Funded by Grant and Chelan County Public Ulity District (Columbia hydro migaon) • Stepwise approach prior to Okanagan Lake • Extensive Monitoring • Passage into Skaha Lake

Biomonitoring REVITALIZATION OF FISHERIES Collaboration

Conservaon, protecon, restoraon, and enhancement of indigenous ﬁsheries (anadromous and resident) and aquac resources within Okanagan Naon Territory

OKANAGAN SELECT Small Scale Artisanal

FisheriesCultural Events - Desert Supplier – Cultural Centre Biodiversity Value Chain Credits Fisher-Chef

Sockeye Intellectual Property Tourism (Eco- InterpreveTours, Nk’Mip RV Park) Building a community economic fisheries model – Okanagan Salmon Community Initiative Pilot (2010-2014, ongoing)

Key Govern Admin Finance Operate Data Train Outreach Provider s OSCI X X X X X X ONA X X X X X X X OIB X X X DFO X X X OSCI (55 acve fishing members), list of key providers in order of engagement. Fisher NETwork: ONA fisheries, OIB fisheries, BC Wildlife Federaon, BC Federaon of Fly Fishers, Okanagan Fisheries Foundaon, Nkmip Desert Cultural Centre, Osoyoos Wildlife Federaon, local fishers (Osoyoos to Vernon)

Impacts Spawning goals achieved, minimal bycatch $350-$1000 /fisher/day local expenses all fish traded local tribal, rec, commercial, and community fisheries simultaneous “causing them to come back” the emergence of a new sector – fish-water • A part of a trillion dollar iniave by 2020, West Coast The West Coat Clean Economy Opportunies for Investment and Accelerated Job Creaon (California to Alaska) * Environmental management & protecon

• Mul-million dollar potenal by 2030, Okanagan region “ A strategy to achieve green sustainable economic development in the Okanagan and Similkameen Valley, Prepared by Westland Resource Group (2003)” Today’s networking

• Exchanging informaon

• Altering acvies Collaborate Network • Sharing resources • Enhancing the capacity of others Cooperate Coordinate • Increasing levels of JOINT ACTION Our Ask, “Be: Reﬂecve, Present, & SMART”

• Awareness: understanding where relaonship fits with objecves • Knowledge: understanding how others have progressed and developing your approach • Internal assessment: evaluang how your own organizaon is posioned to collaborate • Partner selecon: finding the right partner relaonship to complement your objecves • Working relaonship: building a joint approach focused on mutual benefit • Addional value creaon: developing addional value from the relaonship • Staying together: ensuring that you measure and maintain maximum benefit • Exit strategy: recognizing the changes both internal and external and preparing for disengagement The end goal

• Idenfy new ﬂagship projects to showcase the win-win-win.

Where to Now? What needs improvement? Key Quesons What are the transboundary obligaons of internaonal treaes?

Who are the key decision makers and allies to champion change? What are the costs to society and willingness to pay?

What are the liming factors for recovery of aquac resources in Okanagan Lake (Habitat, Predaon/Compeon, Climate Uncertainty, Genecs/life history)?

Are there cost-beneﬁts in alternave processes and technologies? Potenal Areas of Future Collaboraon • Hydrometric Staons and monitoring • Public-private investments in clean energy • Connue to collect and share data and informaon on climate adaptaon and resilience strategies - Develop an emergency response plan - Create a region wide natural capital index • Harmonize environmental standards (> transparency) • Promote and develop network for Kt cp’elk sm centre of excellence enhance collaboraon • Connue to aract high calibre workers, researchers, and investors Potenal Areas of Water Collaboraon

• Build on demonstrated collaborave approach by ONA CEC • Discussion on governance (same talk since 2000s) – rights and tle with very lile movement • Look at how to fund governance development (province, ONA tax, OBWB?) For More Informaon visit us at www.okanagannaon.com