Government of Canada and Province of British Columbia join forces to protect Pacific salmon and the vital fisheries they support Français

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Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Region

Jun 20, 2024, 15:00 ET

VANCOUVER, BC, June 20, 2024 /CNW/ - Healthy fish stocks and prosperous fisheries rely on healthy and resilient ecosystems. Climate change, habitat degradation and other environmental challenges are putting stocks and ecosystems at risk. Innovative and collaborative approaches, founded in science, are crucial to ensuring that future generations can enjoy the significant economic, cultural and environmental benefits that Pacific salmon provide.

Today, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, B.C. Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Kelly Greene and B.C. Parliamentary Secretary for Watershed Restoration, Fin Donnelly on behalf of the B.C. Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, the Honourable Nathan Cullen, announced $39.4M for 15 projects receiving funding under the second phase of the British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund (BCSRIF).  

Of the 15 projects announced today, five directly address the effects of climate change events such as droughts, flooding and wildfires on Pacific salmon. These include: 

  • The Investment Agriculture Foundation British Columbia will receive $3M to work with Indigenous partners on a watershed-to-watershed basis, identifying climate change adaptation and mitigation goals
  • The University of Northern British Columbia's Department of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, will receive $5M to research the effects of climate change on salmon ecosystems and, with collaborators at Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and Upper Fraser Fisheries Conservation Alliance, to improve hatchery infrastructure for Chinook salmon enhancement and conservation
  • The Pacific Salmon Foundation received $3.98M to help communities monitor climate change in salmon freshwater habitats and enable local and broad-scale planning for climate resilient salmon ecosystems
  • Nanwakolas Council Society will receive $2.86M for the Nanwakolas 50 Watersheds Project, an Indigenous-led science partnership and research project to better understand, and develop tools to address, the threats posed by climate change and forest management on salmon populations and their habitat

Other projects support habitat restoration, improvements to hatchery operations and sustainable sablefish aquaculture. The 15 projects announced today are vital in bolstering ecosystems and ensuring the long-term resilience of Pacific salmon, other fish species, and a robust seafood sector.  

Quotes 

"Our government is proud to invest in programs that protect BC's salmon populations and the fisheries they support. The projects announced today represent concrete actions that will make salmon habitat more resilient in the face of climate change, so that we can ensure sustainable fisheries for our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Once again, the BCSRIF is showing how innovative techniques and partnerships make all the difference in safeguarding the future of wild fish stocks." 

The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard 

"British Columbia and Canada are taking unprecedented action to restore critical habitat for wild Pacific salmon and support the long-term economic and environmental sustainability of our fisheries. Research on the effects of climate change on salmon ecosystems, improvements to hatchery operations, and other amazing projects will be funded from this new round of investments from BCSRIF. Saving wild salmon means sustaining our environment and our communities."

The Honourable Nathan Cullen, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship and Minister Responsible for Fisheries 

Quick facts 

  • Launched in March 2019, BCSRIF has made investments in support of habitat protection and restoration, ensuring the fish and seafood sector in British Columbia is positioned for long-term environmental and economic sustainability.
  • The projects announced today are jointly funded through Canada's Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative (PSSI) and the Province of BC.
  • These contributions support recipients selected through BCSRIF's second application intake in carrying out important conservation projects that restore salmon ecosystems while providing sustainable, resilient and prosperous fisheries.
  • Since inception in 2019, 170 projects have received BCSRIF funding, representing an investment of more than $257 million in the rebuilding of wild Pacific salmon stocks and supporting the BC fish and seafood sector.
  • BCSRIF funding was open to applications from 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.
  • BCSRIF is a 70 per cent federal, 30 per cent provincial cost-shared program.
  • Budget 2021 committed an additional $100 million in new federal funding to expand the BCSRIF program, as a key component of the PSSI, bringing Canada's total contribution to $200 million over seven years. With the Government of British Columbia's mandate commitment to double its investment, the Province is providing $85.7 million over seven years.
  • The Government of Canada's Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative is the largest-ever government investment in efforts to save Pacific salmon. Through this investment, Canada will undertake a strategic and coordinated long-term response, rooted in collaborative action, to stabilize and restore Pacific salmon for the ecosystems, people, and communities that depend upon their sustainability.

Related products 

  • Backgrounder: Government of Canada and Province of British Columbia support 15 climate resiliency, healthy ecosystems and sustainable fisheries [SEE BELOW]

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Backgrounder

Government of Canada and Province of British Columbia support 15 fisheries, habitat, seafood innovation and aquaculture projects

The following 15 projects are receiving funding under the second phase of the British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund (BCSRIF).

Project Recipient

Project Description

Project Cost

Okanagan Nation Alliance

The Bringing the Salmon Home Initiative is founded upon a historic Agreement and guided by Indigenous-led governance involving five governments. This project proposes work across 3 workstreams including salmon ecosystem rebuilding, salmon habitats and connectivity, and knowledge synthesis and integration.

$5,273,138

Great Bear Initiative Society

The second phase of Great Bear Initiative Society will focus on providing on-site technical support, developing site-specific operating manuals, and sharing best practices for operating and managing the newly upgraded hatcheries, with opportunities for participating First Nations to refresh and build fish health technical skills.

$1,699,812

Ka:'yu:'k't'h'/Che:k'tles7et'h' First Nation

A 3-year study of Chinook salmon in the Kaouk and Artlish Rivers.

$976,813

Halalt First Nation

Continuation of process-based restoration work in high-valued tributaries of the Chemainus and Koksilah watersheds, including the addition of a Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tagging component

$1,217,814

Investment Agriculture Foundation British Columbia

This multi-year initiative addresses the threat of riparian habitat degradation through improved agricultural practices that benefit salmon ecosystems and multiple Species at Risk. FLA operates on a watershed-to-watershed basis, identifying and assessing restoration opportunities within riparian areas adjacent to salmon bearing streams and rivers, that run through farming areas.

$3,000,000

Ducks Unlimited Canada

Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) will build on the successes of their ongoing work by expanding the Fraser River Estuary Salmon Habitat (FRESH) Restoration project to include new research and monitoring activities to improve the ability of future salmon habitat restoration efforts. Results will be shared with government and NGO restoration practitioners.

$5,000,000

 

 

 

University of Northern British Columbia

This project will focus on understanding the effects of climate change on salmon ecosystems and the direct effects of increasing water temperatures and wildfire-contaminated spawning habitat on interior Pacific salmon early life stages. Improvements to hatchery infrastructure will aid Chinook enhancement and conservation efforts with collaborators at DFO and Upper Fraser Fisheries Conservation Alliance.

$5,000,000

 

 

 

Nanwakolas Council Society

The Nanwakolas 50 Watersheds Project is an Indigenous-led science partnership and research project to understand, and develop tools to address, the threats posed by climate change and forest management on salmon populations and their habitat. The project will comprise 3 collaborative science research areas: climate-salmon research, forestry-salmon research, and environmental DNA-salmon research.

$2,875,000

Pacific Salmon Foundation

This PSF project will assist communities strive to adjust fisheries management to deal with climate change uncertainties by monitoring climate change in salmon freshwater habitats. This project will enable both local and broad scale planning for climate resilient salmon ecosystems.

$3,997,861

University of Victoria, Department of Biology

The University of Victoria, Biology Department, will work with First Nation and industry partners to identify sablefish resistant to a pathogen that limits the large-scale expansion of sablefish aquaculture in coastal communities.

$378,070

Canadian Wildlife Federation

The goal of the Restoring Freshwater Connectivity for Pacific Salmon project by the Canadian Wildlife Federation is to develop up to 7 indigenous-led watershed connectivity remediation plans in Pacific salmon habitat. Some target areas for watershed plans include the Bowron River and Quesnel River watersheds.

$2,288,035

SeaChange Marine Conservation Society

Phase 2 of The Resilient Estuaries in the Salish Sea will build upon research completed in partnership with the Pacific Salmon Foundation and will provide baseline assessments of critical salmonid habitats in the highly resilient estuaries identified during that work.

$1,160,085

Salmon Coast Field Station Society

This project contains 4 components across watersheds in Musgamagw Dzawada'enuxw territory that provide proximate empirical data on the environmental conditions of salmon habitats, salmon stress, growth, and immune responses to their stream environments, as well as population level relationships from salmon and forestry timeseries.

$1,519,522

Coastal Restoration Society

Partnering with Vancouver Island First Nations to remove European Green Crab and understand their impact on important salmon habitat.

$1,994,100

Secretariat of the Haida Nation

The European Green Crab on Haida Gwaii Working Group will continue to mitigate impacts of European Green Crab invasion through intensive monitoring, research, and response methods to understand, assess, develop, and implement management measures.

$3,016,571

SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Region

For more information: Jérémy Collard, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, [email protected];; Media Relations, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 613-990-7537, [email protected]; Media Relations, Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, 250-896-7365, [email protected]

Organization Profile

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Region