Federal fisheries funding moment of deja vu

Protection program was announced with 2018 federal budget

Fisheries and Oceans Minister Bernadette Jordan announced millions of dollars in funding Wednesday from Ottawa for the protection of aquatic species in Canada. But it wasn’t really news. It was more of a reminder of funding announced in the Liberal budget of 2018 and some details of how it is being doled out.

In the 2018 budget, the Trudeau government established a $1.3-billion Nature Legacy Fund. A $55-million, five-year Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk was part of that program.

In a news release, Jordan “formally” announced $52.3 million in funding under the Canada Nature Fund.

The money, she said, is supporting 50 multi-year projects across Canada, some of which are already underway.

A spokesperson for the minister’s office told Saltwire the announcement was delayed due to the pandemic and most of the work on the projects had already begun.

Thirteen projects in Atlantic Canada will collectively get $12.1 million through the Species at Risk program.

They include about $2.9 million for the Nova Scotia Salmon Association to carry out conservation planning for watersheds within the Southern Uplands region of the province. This project aims to address threats that are common to multiple species at risk, as well as to implement restoration activities to support improvement of aquatic habitats.

The North Shore Micmac District Council-anqotum Resource Management will receive up to $725,150 over four years to carry out a project in the Miramichi River system to enhance cold-water habitats to serve as refuges for Atlantic salmon, and for other native species such as brook trout.

World Wildlife Fund Canada in Newfoundland and Labrador will work with harvesters to reduce fishing mortality of golden cod, a genetically distinct Atlantic cod population found in the Gilbert Bay Marine Protected Area. This project will receive up to $368,180.

“With the Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk, we are taking a distinct, strategic approach by targeting regions, rather than individual species,” said Jordan in the release.

“Working with conservation experts on the ground, we’re investing in projects that have the greatest potential to make a lasting impact on our natural environments here in Atlantic Canada and across the country.”