Atlantic salmon efforts earn $99,000

The Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation has awarded $99,476 to four conservation projects to be carried out in Prince Edward Island this summer.

The Central Queens Branch of the P.E.I. Wildlife Federation has been approved for $49,135 to carry out an assessment of Atlantic Salmon populations in the province, and a further $21,750 for the first year of a two-year project involving the restoration of cold, freshwater habitat for Atlantic Salmon on the West and Clyde rivers.

The Abegweit Conservation Society will use $22,591 for Phase 2 of its project rehabilitating, protecting and conserving salmon habitat in the Midgell River. And $6,000 is going to the Souris and area branch of the P.E.I. Wildlife Federation for Atlantic salmon habitat restoration and monitoring in northeastern P.E.I. rivers.

The grants to Island applicants are part of more than $1.1 million in grants the foundation has awarded this year for 66 wild Atlantic Salmon conservation projects in P.E.I., Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Quebec.

“This year the ASCF is entering its second decade of providing funding for Atlantic salmon conservation, an effort that is helping tilt the balance in the wild Atlantic salmon’s favour against the considerable challenges it faces, from offshore overfishing to climate change,” said Stephen Chase, the foundation’s executive director.

“We are proud of being able to fund these projects, but we regret not being able to fund more, as these represent only about half of the applications we received, and many of those that didn’t make the cut were also very worthy initiatives. We hope that in the future we will be able to fund even more projects.”