The Pacific Salmon Foundation is handing out money by the bagfuls, all in the name of protecting B.C. salmon, with the latest round of grants going to more than 100 projects throughout the province.
Among the community-led initiatives that received spring grants is the Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance (LFFA), which is headquartered in Abbotsford and consists of 30 First Nations cooperatively working together to improve the management of the native salmon population in the Lower Fraser River.
Since 2010, this organization has contributed to fisheries management between its member First Nations and improved communication and management processes with various governing bodies.
The group now has $50,000 to work with, which the Pacific Salmon Foundation explained will go toward gathering data for more effective restoration efforts, long-term databases, and large-scale watershed management.
"This First Nations-led habitat stewardship program will put boots on the ground to conduct habitat assessments, water quality monitoring, and species surveys," said the Pacific Salmon Foundation.
It is estimated that this project will add more than $210,000 in value toward Pacific salmon conservation, which is something that is desperately needed, explained Pacific Salmon Foundation CEO Michael Meneer.
"The state of salmon calls on our collective support," Meneer said. "We’re seeing record demand and increasingly ambitious, large-scale, and collaborative projects through the Pacific Salmon Foundation’s Community Salmon Program."
He also revealed that Indigenous groups like the LFFA have been key drivers behind the recent push for better salmon preservation and management.
"This spring, more than a third of our grant allocation will advance Indigenous-led projects."
The LFFA is one of 119 B.C. initiatives that received a grant this spring, with the contributions of $1.8 million setting a new record for the Pacific Salmon Foundation.
The total added value of all of these projects is estimated to be nearly $15 million, with even more value to come when the group does it second round of annual funding later this year.
A total list of the recipients of this spring's grants can be found at psf.ca/news-media/1-8-million-to-ramp-up-salmon-stewardship-efforts.
