British Columbia – Wild salmon council calls for immediate action
Category: News Release
Mar 13th, 2019 by Keith Worrall 287
Modified Mar 13th, 2019 at 2:09 PM
A government-appointed council says British Columbia must take immediate action to increase wild salmon populations.
The province’s Wild Salmon Advisory Council is calling for immediate action to increase the abundance of salmon and protect the communities dependent on them. In its 30-page report to the government last week the provincially-appointed council cited wide-spread public awareness of the economic and cultural importance of salmon to all British Columbians, saying the province needs to position itself as a champion, leader and strategic investor in the resource.
“[The province needs] to support the development of a lead agency for B.C. fisheries that clearly delineates and supports wild salmon and B.C. fisheries. Wild salmon need a clearly delineated home inside the provincial government structures, especially insofar as urgent action is required on multiple fronts. The current decentralized system creates a fractured voice for wild salmon issues at a time when a singular voice is necessary.”
The council says despite billions of dollars in public and private investments over the past 30 years to protect, restore, and manage B.C.’s wild salmon and steelhead populations, the stocks continue to weaken, with some at alarming rates.
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