By CWF
VANCOUVER, Nov. 20, 2020 - The Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) is pleased to announce the removal of multiple barriers to fish passage in B.C.
CWF is working with diverse partners to restore access to critical spawning and rearing habitats for aquatic species at risk including Pacific salmon, Westslope Cutthroat Trout and Steelhead.
There are currently eight projects nearing completion and an additional 10 projects in the review stage. The projects are spread across the province including Vancouver Island, the coastal mainland, the Fraser River watershed and the Columbia basin.
Several projects are funded under the British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund, which is a 70 per cent federal, 30 per cent provincial cost-shared program. Additional projects are supported by the Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk. The projects repair historical harm to salmon and trout habitat from past construction of roads and railways across spawning and rearing streams. Many of these barriers were created prior to legislation protecting fish habitats. Local conservation organizations and provincial government agencies are among those involved in the restorations.
For more information and multimedia resources, visit FishPassage.ca.
Quote:
“Many Pacific salmon and trout populations are in dire straits. By removing some of the barriers to migration and restoring connections to historical habitats these species have a better chance of survival. Our cultures, economies and ecosystems depend on the sustainability of wild fish stocks and it is our shared responsibility to scale up efforts to fix past harm.”
Nicolas Lapointe, CWF Senior Conservation Biologist Freshwater Ecology
Quick Facts
- There are 170,000 road crossings at streams containing fish habitat in B.C.
- About 92,000 closed bottom structures (culverts) block fish passage in B.C. and need to be repaired.
- CWF remediation projects support populations of Sockeye Salmon, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Chum Salmon, and Pink Salmon as well as Westslope Cutthroat Trout, Steelhead and Bull Trout.
- Each location has a customized solution. In some cases, clearspan bridges replace closed-bottom or raised culverts. In other cases, fish ladders are the best solution.
Healthy wild fish stocks support many other species of wildlife, from bears to eagles, otters to orcas.
Related Products
Associated Links
About the Canadian Wildlife Federation:
The Canadian Wildlife Federation is a national, not-for-profit charitable organization dedicated to fostering awareness and appreciation of our natural world. By spreading knowledge of human impacts on the environment, carrying out research, developing and delivering education programs, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, recommending changes to policy and co-operating with like-minded partners, CWF encourages a future in which Canadians can live in harmony with nature. For more information visit CanadianWildlifeFederation.ca.
-30-
Contacts:
Heather Robison, CWF Media and Community Relations Officer heatherr@cwf-fcf.org 1.877.599.5777 x 212
Pamela Logan, CWF Communications Director, pamelal@cwf-fcf.org 1.877.599.5777 x 250 or (613) 222-1405 (c)
This project is made possible in part by funding provided by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Province of BC and through the BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund.
