Canada funds 23 projects to help restore British Columbia’s fragile salmon stocks

A project to transform aging dikes in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland to make them more salmon-friendly is among 23 proposals selected by the federal and provincial governments to restore wild fish stocks. Federal Fisheries Minister Jonathan Wilkinson and B.C. Agriculture Minister Lana Popham announced the recipients Friday of the first round of funding under the B.C. Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund. The fund was launched in May and aims to restore the province’s imperilled wild salmon through innovation, infrastructure and science projects. Once agreements are finalized, the proponents could receive about $13-million in total funding in the first year of the program. “Wild salmon are a part of who we are as British Columbians and are foundational to B.C.’s ecosystem, history and economy,” Ms. Popham said at a news conference. “For many Indigenous and coastal communities, salmon are a way of life. Salmon are a reminder that we are all connected. But for many years, we have seen severe declines in wild salmon stocks.” Mr. Wilkinson said not all stocks are in decline, but 12 of 13 Fraser chinook runs are endangered and there have also been downturns in sockeye. The reasons include habitat loss and climate change, as […]

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