Obscure Federal Government Announcement of $647M for Salmon Recovery Raises Questions

Not a New Announcement

Interestingly, this is not a new announcement. It was originally covered thoroughly in an April 21, 2021 National Observer story written by Rochelle Baker. In spite of this apparent recycling of news, the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative is welcomed based on the general intent to restore salmon stocks that will support fisheries. The minister described it as a “single guiding force” and “a massive undertaking unlike anything before.” However, Minister Jordan’s announcement was short on details regarding how the money will be spent, who will spend it, and who will make those decisions. The announcement was wrapped in words like “cooperation and collaboration”. It also pointed to the creation of a new “arms-length advisory body,” as well as a “new Restoration Center of Expertise,” both undefined, while including an additional $100 million to beef up the BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund.

The Bad News

The problem is this: While the announcement said all the right things, it was woefully lacking in details. This concern was clearly expressed by the Sport Fishing Institute’s (SFI) Martin Paish (who is also chairman of the Fisheries Minister’s own Sport Fishing Advisory Board (SFAB)), when he said, “Increased enhancement and linking that to more angling opportunities is good news. But the devil is in the details.

https://islandfishermanmagazine.com/obscure-federal-government-announcement-of-647m-for-salmon-recovery-raises-questions/