Government announces over $142 million to protect, restore wild salmon stocks in BC

The provincial and federal government are jointly investing a total of $142.8 million to protect and restore wild salmon stocks in BC, it was announced today.

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The money will come in instalments of roughly $28 million per year for the next five years, with the BC government contributing $42.85 million of that amount, and the federal government contributing $100 million.

Federal Fisheries Minister Jonathan Wilkinson and BC Premier John Horgan announced the joint initiative, known as the British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund, in Victoria.

“Wild salmon are a part of who we are in this province,” said Horgan. “Over the past 20 months, our government has been working…to develop a path forward, towards a sustainable BC fishery that supports wild salmon.”

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

The fund will support projects that leverage local knowledge such as local Indigenous monitoring and guardianship programs and community-led habitat restoration, among other innovative projects aimed at protecting and restoring wild fish stocks.

To be eligible, projects must focus on one or more of the following three areas:

• Innovation – to encourage the development of new technologies to increase productivity and help meet conservation and sustainability objectives, including the protection and restoration of wild BC stocks, including Pacific salmon;
• Infrastructure – to encourage capital investments in new products, processes or technologies to support the advancement of sustainable fishing practices and to support the protection and restoration of wild BC stocks, including Pacific salmon;
• Science partnerships – to support collaborations with academia and other research institutions to improve our knowledge and understanding of impacts to wild stocks and to develop sustainable fishing practices.

“The Government of Canada believes that environmental sustainability and economic growth go together,” said Wilkinson. “I am extremely pleased with the very positive partnership we have developed with the Government of BC in this important area.”