B.C. to invest $17 million on science, Indigenous knowledge to restore Pacific salmon
The British Columbia government is adding $17.25 million for ongoing efforts to save declining populations of wild Pacific salmon.
The Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship says the bulk of the money will be shared equally between the First Nations Fisheries Council and the Pacific Salmon Foundation as the organizations work to conserve and restore the fish.
It says in a statement that “science, Indigenous knowledge and data will be used to actively advance habitat restoration and climate adaptation.”
The latest funding is on top of nearly $286 million in joint federal-provincial money earmarked for the B.C. Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund over seven years.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada says many Pacific salmon stocks are declining to “historic lows” due to the impacts of climate change, habitat loss and other threats.
Jordan Point, executive director of the First Nations Fisheries Council, says his organization and the Pacific Salmon Foundation have a “proven record of tangible results” in salmon stewardship and the funding is a step forward for their efforts.
The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs issued a statement Thursday saying wild salmon are in “an increasingly desperate state” and “drastic action” is needed to save the fish.
“First Nations have sounded the alarm on the state of wild salmon for decades and long identified the implications of government actions, allowing for ever more degradation of salmon habitat and overfishing by industry,” union president and Grand Chief Stewart Phillip says in the statement.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 1, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks beat Oilers 5-4 in comeback to take Game 1
The Vancouver Canucks won the first game of their NHL playoffs series with the Edmonton Oilers 5-4 on Wednesday night coming back from a three-goal deficit.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.