Thursday, March 28, 2024

BC and Ottawa establish $142 million fund to rebuild wild salmon stocks

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The federal government and BC have teamed up to establish a five-year partnership program in order to protect and restore wild salmon habitat and stocks.

The Federal Fisheries department will contribute $100 million to the program, while the provincial government will invest $42.85 million.

The B.C. Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund will also support fisheries innovation, science and infrastructure, so that BC fish stocks can be harvested more sustainably in the future.

The program is open to proposals from Indigenous groups, conservation groups, commercial organizations in the wild fisheries and industry sectors, recreational fisheries, as well as non-commercial organizations such as universities and academia, industry associations and research institutions.

Interested groups that have wild salmon restoration or protection projects in mind can find out if they’re eligible to apply for funding at this website.

“Wild salmon are a part of who we are in this province. Over the past 20 months, our government has been working with First Nations, communities, commercial and recreational fisheries, environmental organizations, and other experts to develop a path forward, towards a sustainable BC fishery that supports wild salmon,” said Premier John Horgan in a release.

“By dedicating resources to habitat restoration and salmon runs, this fund will build on that work to make sure wild salmon stocks thrive in BC.”

According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada, this initiative will not only help protect and restore priority salmon stock in BC but also ensure that Canadians have access to high-quality, sustainably sourced fish and seafood products.

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Brishti Basu
Former Senior Staff Writer and Content Manager at Victoria Buzz.

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