The Canadian government has allocated $412.9 million over a five-year period to extend the Pacific Salmon Strategy, aiming to safeguard and enhance wild salmon populations. Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson unveiled the initiative’s continuation in North Vancouver, emphasizing the progress achieved in the initial five years through collaborative efforts to restore habitats, expand hatcheries, enhance management practices, and safeguard vulnerable stocks.
Thompson acknowledged the persistent challenges facing wild Pacific salmon and highlighted the renewed commitment to the strategy. Emphasizing a science-based approach, guided by Indigenous leadership, and emphasizing the shared responsibility of safeguarding salmon for future generations.
British Columbia’s conservation organizations have welcomed the funding announcement but stressed the necessity of effective utilization to conduct on-ground assessments of risks, particularly associated with potentially high-polluting major projects. Aaron Hill, Executive Director of Watershed Watch Salmon Society, expressed concerns about the environmental impacts of certain resource projects on wild salmon if not properly monitored.
Hill also raised concerns about budget cuts at the Fisheries Department during a time when potential polluters could increase. He emphasized the importance of maintaining core programs for stock assessment and implementing selective fishing practices to support sustainable fisheries amidst declining salmon populations.
The federal department reported that 24 wild Pacific salmon populations are endangered, 10 are threatened, and nine are of special concern. Misty MacDuffee from the Raincoast Conservation Foundation’s wild salmon program highlighted the need to advance selective fisheries to prevent risks associated with mixing wild and hatchery stocks during fishing activities.
The Pacific Salmon Strategy, initiated in 2021, has fostered collaborations with the B.C. and Yukon governments, Indigenous communities, harvesters, scientists, environmental groups, and coastal communities. These partnerships have played a pivotal role in habitat restoration, combating illegal fishing activities, and the establishment of over 70 hatcheries along the West Coast.