VANCOUVER, BC, July 9, 2024
/CNW/ - Canada's oceans and
waterways are home to diverse ecosystems that play a key role in
the health of Canadians and the environment. Climate change,
pollution, and shipping activities can impact marine life. Through
Canada's Oceans Protection Plan,
the Government of Canada is
increasing protections and further preserving these important
marine ecosystems.
Today, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast
Guard, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, announced close to
$9.3 million in funding for
four projects in British
Columbia under the Aquatic Ecosystems Restoration Fund
(AERF). This fund supports projects to conserve and restore our
aquatic ecosystems by addressing impacts in these environments.
Projects receiving funding as part of today's announcement
include:
- $852,000 over four years for the
Ditidaht First Nation to restore Doobah Creek watershed on the west
coast of Vancouver Island. Community initiatives and an informed,
natural-based restoration approach will address lost and degraded
critical salmon spawning and rearing habitats.
- $1,818,901 over four years for
the SeaChange Marine Conservation Society and partners to implement
the Resilient Estuaries of the Salish Sea project though
restoration, conservation, monitoring and educational activities
that address the pressures and threats to important salmon.
- $2,924,899 over four years for
the Secretariat of the Haida Nation to continue monitoring,
adaptive management and restoration of historic marine-based log
handling facilities in ecologically sensitive estuaries on Haida
Gwaii.
- $3,683,027 over four years for
The Kelp Rescue Initiative (based at the Western Canadian
Universities Marine Sciences Society's Bamfield Marine Sciences
Centre) and the University of Victoria
to develop and apply methods for culturing and out-planting giant
and bull kelp in southern British
Columbia, in partnership with local First Nations.
As part of the Oceans Protection Plan, AERF supports projects
that contribute to restoration priorities in coastal and upstream
areas that have a direct impact on coastal aquatic ecosystems;
contribute to the development and implementation of aquatic
restoration plans; and stimulate partnership with Indigenous
Peoples, conservation groups, and academia to address threats to
Canadian aquatic species and habitats. Activities funded under AERF
help to address the root causes of impacts on those environments,
and help protect and restore aquatic habitat for Canada's coastline, estuaries, and inland
regions.
The Oceans Protection Plan is a Canadian success story. When
Indigenous Peoples, industry, communities, experts, academia, and
government work together to protect our environment, grow our
economy, and support good jobs across the country, we deliver real
results. Canada's Oceans
Protection Plan is keeping our oceans and coasts healthy, advancing
reconciliation, and building a clean future for our children and
grandchildren.
Quotes
"The Government of Canada is
committed to taking action to restore and safeguard the health of
our ocean and freshwater ecosystems. We are proud to help fund the
work of these recipients in restoring and enhancing priority
coastal and upstream aquatic areas. Working together, we can
enhance our abilities to combat climate change through aquatic
restoration activities."
The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries,
Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
"Canada's coasts support our
communities, enable international trade, are home to precious
ecosystems, and play a key role in strengthening our economy. Under
the Oceans Protection Plan—the largest investment ever made to
preserve Canada's coasts and
waterways—the Aquatic Ecosystems Restoration Fund will help us
continue to protect and restore aquatic environments across
British Columbia."
The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Transport
"The Ditidaht First Nation holds the wealth of its Nation and
the use of their lands, waters, and resources in the future as they
did in the past, to the common good and benefit of all Ditidaht, by
fostering development that is based on the principle of caring for
and maintaining their physical and spiritual linkages with their
lands, waters, and resources for all generations. The Doobah Creek
process-based restoration project will support these values through
the healing of our land from the mountaintops to the valley
bottoms, the restoration of important aquatic habitats, the
reestablishment of culturally important species such as wild
salmon, and the continued healing of the Ditidaht People."
Paul Sieber, Director of Natural
resources, Ditidaht First Nation
"This project is foundational and crucial. We're restoring the
eelgrass beds that once thrived before they became log dumps, and
that's essential to reestablishing the basis of life in these
areas," said Gaagwiis, President of the Haida Nation. "For
years, these areas were buried under logging debris, suffocating
the intertidal zones. But with restoration efforts, light is
returning, and new eelgrass growth is bringing back life. This
project is extremely important."
Gaagwiis, Jason Alsop, President
of the Haida Nation
"Kelp forests are vitally important ecosystems on B.C.'s
coastline. This new funding will help advance the critical science
that is needed to understand how best to restore kelp forests, and
to begin this important work. We're exciting to be building
partnerships with, and developing this work, with local First
Nations around Vancouver Island."
Julia Baum, Co-Lead on the Kelp
Rescue Initiative and Professor at the University of Victoria
"Estuaries serve as lifelines for coastal ecosystems. Supporting
restoration work is more important than ever to safeguard critical
habitats to be resilient to climate change. The support from AERF
has allowed SeaChange to optimize efforts, grow our team of
professionals, and create sustainable, long-term projects to enact
positive change"
Susan Anthony, PhD Biological
Researcher/Project Manager, Resilient Estuaries of the
Salish Sea project with SeaChange Marine Conservation
Society
Quick Facts
- Since 2016, the Government of Canada has dedicated $3.5 billion to the Oceans Protection Plan,
making it the largest investment Canada has ever made to protect its coasts and
waterways.
- In December 2022, the Government
of Canada announced an investment
of $75 million over five years for
the Aquatic Ecosystems Restoration Fund, as part of the expanded
Oceans Protection Plan, to support projects that conserve and
restore priority coastal and upstream aquatic areas.
- The Government of Canada made
significant investments in the Restoration Community under the
Coastal Restoration Fund in 2017, and the Aquatic Ecosystems
Restoration Fund continues to bring Indigenous groups, resource
users, community organizations and other groups together to
encourage local capacity to support aquatic habitat restoration,
maintenance and revitalization.
Associated Links
- Protecting our coasts through the Oceans Protection Plan
- Better protected coastal ecosystems
- Aquatic Ecosystems Restoration Fund
Stay Connected
- Follow Fisheries and Oceans Canada on X (Twitter), Facebook,
Instagram and YouTube.
- Follow the Canadian Coast Guard on X (Twitter), Facebook,
Instagram and YouTube.
SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Region