Wild salmon conservation efforts have received a $5-million boost from the province.
The money going to Vancouver-based Pacific Salmon Foundation was announced Thursday, B.C. Wild Salmon Day.
Funds will be used by the non-profit foundation to restore wild salmon stocks through conservation, science and habitat-restoration projects, as well as connect the foundation with Indigenous communities and organizations to further reconciliation and conservation initiatives.
“We intend to strategically leverage these funds through proactive partnerships developed during the past 32 years,” Michael Meneer, foundation president and chief executive, said in a statement.
Agriculture Minister Lana Popham said the important cultural and ecological role wild salmon play in the province cannot be overstated.
“It’s critical that we do everything that we can to protect this species for generations to come.”
The money fits in with recommendations from the province’s Wild Salmon Advisory Council, which was appointed last year to help save at-risk salmon stocks. The council urged the government to support projects addressing the immediate needs of wild salmon and their habitats.
