The Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF) has awarded more than $112,000 to a critical restoration project in Seabird Island.
According to a recent statement from PSF, The Sq'éwqel First Nation (Seabird Island) near Agassiz will receive part of a record-breaking $1.8 million in funding distributed to Indigenous- and community-led salmon stewardship initiatives across B.C. and the Yukon.
Seabird Island's grant – a total of $112,384 – will help expand restoration efforts at the Maria Slough to bring back the endangered Chinook salmon. This involves deepening the stream bed and adding woody debris and boulders to keep the waters rich in oxygen, cool and flowing during the critical summer months.
"Our connection to the land, the water, and all living beings is evident in our guiding principles," stated Seabird Island Coun. Sally Hope. " We have an inherent responsibility to listen to what the salmon are telling us, steward them, and ensure they are there for years to come. This project will allow a safe place for salmon to spawn – and hopefully, an opportunity for our grandchildren to harvest."
Last year was one of the highest Chinook returns in the past decade for Seabird Island. To ensure everyone could access the vital, nutrient-rich salmon through the winter while balancing dwindling stocks, the Seabird Island council organized a landing station. Local fishers could bring in their harvest to the landing station to distribute among the Sq'éwqel people.
Across the province, there are a total of 119 projects being funded through the latest PSF grants. The grants will contribute an estimated $15 million in total value for Pacific salmon conservation.
“The state of salmon calls on our collective support. We’re seeing record demand and increasingly ambitious, large-scale, and collaborative projects through the Pacific Salmon Foundation’s Community Salmon Program," stated PSF CEO Michael Meneer. "We’re especially honoured to support more initiatives led by First Nations communities, whose deep relationships with salmon are central to recovery efforts. This spring, more than a third of our grant allocation will advance Indigenous-led projects."
Approximately $1.5 million in revenue is generated through the Salmon Conservation Stamp, a decal purchased by angles with a saltwater fishing license. All of this funding is directed into salmon conservation projects.
The PSF has stewarded these funds on behalf of the DFO since 1994, investing $31 million across 3,500 projects in B.C. and the Yukon.
