New $142 million fund to enhance B.C. fisheries


Money will be used to leverage local Indigenous monitoring, guardianship programs and community-led habitat restoration efforts

By SeaWestNews

Ottawa and Victoria will pump $142.85 million over the next five years to support the protection of BC’s wild fisheries and enhance sustainability in the aquaculture industry.

The British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation 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.

“The new BC Salmon Innovation and Restoration Fund will restore and protect our wild Pacific salmon, while creating more economic opportunities and jobs for the people of British Columbia,” said Fisheries Minister Fisheries, Jonathan Wilkinson.

“I am extremely pleased with the very positive partnership we have developed with the Government of BC in this important area. By working together with the provincial government, conservation groups, scientists and industry we are confident that we can enhance our fisheries and protect our wild fish stocks.”

“By dedicating resources to habitat restoration and salmon runs, this fund will build on that work to make sure wild salmon stocks thrive in BC,” John Horgan, Premier of British Columbia.

To be eligible for funding, 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.

To find out more about eligibility, project criteria and how to apply, visit the British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund web page: bcsrif.ca.

RELATED:

Feds announce a special fund for wild Pacific salmon

SeaWestNews

Recent Posts

Canada Names New Aquaculture Leaders as U.S. Races Ahead on Seafood Farming

Canada’s farmed seafood production has fallen to a decade low, even as the United States…

2 days ago

Canada Needs To Recognise Aquaculture as a National Advantage, Not a Controversy

“We have the natural assets to lead in aquaculture, but if we don’t act with…

1 week ago

A Life Shaped by the Sea: Cyr Couturier’s Journey Toward Sustainable Aquaculture

Through decades of research, teaching, and global outreach, Cyr Couturier has turned the promise of…

2 weeks ago

National Campaign Urges Canadians to Reflect on Who and What Feeds Them

This Thanksgiving season, a new campaign is shining a light on farmers, on land and…

2 weeks ago

Why Canada Must Grow Aquaculture and Repeal Salmon Farming Ban in BC

A new EAT–Lancet Commission report highlights aquaculture as a cornerstone of future food systems, laying…

3 weeks ago

The Future of Salmon Farming in BC Tests Canada’s Commitment to Truth and Reconciliation

“Telling us to remove salmon farms from our territories is an attempt to override our…

3 weeks ago