Government of Canada and Province of British Columbia announce investments in wild salmon conservation, habitat restoration and research science projects throughout British Columbia

From: Fisheries and Oceans Canada

News release

September 5, 2019

Vancouver, BC — Healthy wild fish stocks are vital to the economic prosperity and social fabric of British Columbia’s coastal communities, and are fundamental to the culture of many Indigenous communities.

The focus on habitat restoration projects and research science is part of a broader approach to addressing declines in salmon stocks that include restoring lost protections for fish and fish habitat in the modernized Fisheries Act, science-based fisheries management measures, reviewing concerns regarding predation and implementing a plan to fight climate change.

Today, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, and the British Columbia Minister of Agriculture, the Honourable Lana Popham, announced 14 projects under the British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund (BCSRIF), amounting to almost $6.2 million in year one funding and almost $30 million in funding over the five years of the program.

Projects funded under BCSRIF will advance work to enhance salmon habitats to help support British Columbia’s fish and seafood sector, and help secure the sustainability of wild Pacific salmon, as well as other wild fish stocks. Over the next five years, investments through the BCSRIF will help ensure British Columbia’s wild fisheries are environmentally and economically sustainable for the long-term, and that employment in the fishery is resilient to the challenges of climate change, as well as evolving economic conditions.

BCSRIF funding is open to Indigenous communities, industry associations, environmental non-governmental organizations and academic institutions. Each application is reviewed and approved by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Province of British Columbia. Investments through this program will benefit commercial and recreational fishing and aquaculture, as well as science and research initiatives.

Quotes

“Our government understands the need to protect and restore salmon habitats as a key part of our plan to sustain and restore wild salmon populations. Through the investments being made under the British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund, we are taking decisive action in improving conditions and habitat in waterways across the province. Working in partnership with the Province of British Columbia, I am confident that we can and are making substantive progress in protecting and enhancing our wild fish stocks and in strengthening our fishing industry for today, and for generations to come.”

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

“These projects highlight how many British Columbians are working together to help wild salmon, and how our collective knowledge, respect and appreciation of the species will help them recover. Multiple First Nations, governments, conservation organizations, industry, and academic institutions are working to restore habitat in key streams and rivers in different parts of the province, research ways to optimize performance in community hatcheries, and help understand and prepare for the threats salmon face through climate change. It is a lot of hard work, and it will be ongoing, but the impressive cooperation and commitment of so many British Columbians is helping the outlook for wild salmon recovery.”

The Honourable Lana Popham, BC Minister of Agriculture

Quick facts

  • Additional information on the 23 initial projects selected for BCSRIF funding can be found online here.

  • The British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund is a 70 per cent federal, 30 per cent provincial cost-shared program.

  • The Government of Canada is investing $100 million over five years through the British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund, and is providing a one-time investment of $5 million for the Pacific Salmon Endowment Fund.

  • The Government of British Columbia is investing $42.85 million over five years through the fund and has provided a one-time grant of $5 million for the Pacific Salmon Foundation.

  • Indigenous communities, commercial organizations in the wild fisheries and aquaculture sectors, recreational fisheries, as well as non-commercial organizations such as universities and research institutions, industry associations and conservation groups, can apply.

  • Salmon are a part of intricate food webs, from tiny zooplankton, to large mammals like whales and bears, in both their freshwater and marine environments.

  • Wild salmon are culturally important for many First Nations in British Columbia. Wild salmon is also part of the province’s long-running tradition of recreational and sport fishing, which is directly connected to its tourism industry.

  • Further opportunities to apply for funding will be provided in the late fall of 2019. Details and exact dates will be made available at a later date.

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Contacts

Jocelyn Lubczuk
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans
and the Canadian Coast Guard
343-548-7863
Jocelyn.lubczuk@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Media Relations
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
613-990-7537
Media.xncr@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

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