The Fraser River Sockeye Public Review Board was established in 1994 by the Minister of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) in response to the near collapse of several sockeye salmon runs in the Fraser River watershed, including the Adams River run. The board, chaired by John A. Fraser, conducted an independent investigation into the management of Fraser River sockeye; it had full access to DFO files and personnel, conducted ten days of public meetings and received over 130 formal submissions. The report produced a number of recommendations to improve DFO's management of sockeye in the Fraser River and is available here: http://www.sfu.ca/cstudies/science/resources/salmon/FraserRiverSockeye1994.pdf.

The Hon. John Fraser was born in Yokohama, Japan and raised in Vancouver. He graduated from the University of British Columbia and practised law until his election to the House of Commons. During his years in Parliament, John Fraser served in key positions, including Minister for the Environment and Minister of Fisheries. He was the first person to have been elected Speaker of the House of Commons by his peers, a practice instituted in 1986. In 1994, John Fraser was selected to head the Fraser River Sockeye Public Review Board investigating the salmon fishery. He subsequently represented Canada as Ambassador for the Environment, responsible for Canadian follow-up to commitments made at the United Nations Rio Conference on Environment and Development. John Fraser is a Queen's Counsel, an officer of the Order of Canada, and a member of the Order of British Columbia and he holds the Canadian Forces Decoration. In 1999, he was awarded honorary Doctor of Laws degrees by Simon Fraser University and St. Lawrence University for his contributions to environmental causes.