I’ve long been concerned about our rivers, lakes and oceans, and the fish that inhabit them – especially our wild salmon. Our salmon, in both in freshwater and the ocean, are an intricate part of our environment. The survival of BC’s whales, bears and birds of prey depend on the salmon. They are important culturally for First Nations and economically for fishing communities.
Wild salmon are part of who we are in this province.
It’s why I’m so excited about our new partnership with the Federal government to support the needed work of restoring salmon habitat.
Together, we’ve committed $142 million to the British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund. The fund includes dedicating resources to habitat restoration and salmon runs.
This is great news for B.C.’s wild salmon. Only by making this investment can we ensure wild salmon stocks thrive in B.C.
The fund will support projects leveraging local knowledge, such as local Indigenous monitoring and guardianship programs. It will support community-led habitat restoration aimed at protecting and restoring wild fish stocks.
It’s open to 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.
The fund is now accepting proposals. I’m excited to hear about the projects to help restore wild salmon in B.C.
Thanks, Rick