The Canadian government has announced plans for the construction of a new Pacific Salmon hatchery in the province of British Columbia, which will be run collaboratively by the Tŝilhqot’in National Government and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).
“Canada is investing today to support the conservation and restoration of vulnerable Pacific salmon populations, such as Chilcotin Chinook, for the long term,” Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard Diane Lebouthillier said in a statement. “Under the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative, we are partnering with Indigenous Peoples, governments, stakeholders, and communities to ensure that Pacific salmon are safeguarded for Indigenous communities and Canadians with a deep and enduring connection to these iconic fish.”
Located on the Chilcotin River, the proposed hatchery will help the Tŝilhqot’in Indigenous communities protect and restore Chinook salmon populations in the Chilcotin-watershed. The Canada governments noted that Chilcotin chinook salmon “hold deep historic and cultural importance to the Tŝilhqot’in people and other First Nations with connections to the Fraser River.”
“Our number one priority is to preserve wild fish stocks,” Tŝilhqot’in National Government Tribal Chair Nits’ilʔin Joe Alphonse said in a statement. “There are many things affecting these stocks, meaning their survival rate is very low. We feel we must intervene and find solutions. What we enhance here is the lifeline to coastal economies and ways of life. The relationship between orcas and Chinook is an example of this. All sectors have to work together, and we must take a long, hard look at what we prioritize. Our natural stocks must be at the top of this list.”
The Chilcotin River hatchery will be supported by DFO’s Salmonid Enhancement Program (SEP), an integrated hatchery, stewardship, and habitat restoration program. SEP hatcheries produce more than 300 million juvenile salmon every year.
In addition to the Chilcotin River hatchery, DFO is planning two other British Columbia salmon hatcheries – one in Prince George and one in Gitanyow – under the government’s Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative.
