Trial of An Iconic Species Book

The mighty Fraser River sockeye populations are in trouble. In the early 1990s, millions of fish started to disappear, and fisheries scientists and managers were stumped as to why. Was it because of climate change? Poaching on the high seas? A fluke of nature? In a desperate effort to solve the mystery – or at least appease the public – the Canadian Government commissioned an inquiry, which later became known as the Cohen Commission or Cohen Inquiry, and put the decline of the Fraser River sockeye on trial. Dozens of lawyers representing multiple stakeholders appeared at the Inquiry to present their theories, views, and the results of numerous scientific studies.

The Inquiry was recorded on camera by Scott Renyard, an independent filmmaker – perhaps the first in the history of Canadian federal inquires – who volunteered his time for a year to record as much testimony as possible. Renyard was often the only outside witness during the Inquiry’s most riveting and revealing testimony. This book peels back the testimony of scientists and bureaucrats as they reveal what they know and what they have found – so far. The film and this book shines a light on the testimony that exposes the likely cause of the sockeye’s decline and avoids the testimony that was more about stakeholder infighting.

Would this Commission find a smoking gun?

The Inquiry was criticized for not finding the smoking gun and the terms of reference set by the Government insisted that no blame should fall on anyone. This requirement itself suggests that politics may play a larger role than anything else in the demise of the iconic Fraser River sockeye.