Prince George, British Columbia - Fraser River salmon have significant cultural, social and ecological importance to many First Nations and British Columbians; however, many are in serious, long-term decline and without our help, some runs may disappear entirely. The Government of Canada is working with First Nations to support Fraser River salmon, with the goal of restoring them to a sustainable level for future generations.
Today, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard announced the Government's intention to construct a new Pacific salmon hatchery in Prince George, British Columbia, to support conservation and rebuilding of Chinook and sockeye salmon. The proposed hatchery will be built through federal investments under the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative (PSSI) and operated by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) in collaboration with Lheidli T'enneh First Nation and with support from Canfor Pulp Ltd. Construction is expected to begin this fall on federally administered land on the north bank of the Nechako River, near its confluence with the Fraser River.
The proposed conservation hatchery will fill a critical infrastructure gap in the upper Fraser River region, serving to boost survival of numerous at-risk salmon stocks, and helping to mitigate threats in the freshwater rearing environment. In addition to providing a platform for increased assessment and understanding of Upper Fraser salmon stocks that will better inform coordinated rebuilding efforts.
Collaboration is a foundational principle of PSSI, and working with Indigenous groups, industry and communities is an important element of hatchery modernization efforts. DFO collaborated with the Upper Fraser Fisheries Conservation Alliance (UFFCA) and Indigenous governments and fisheries programs over several years to identify potential locations for hatcheries to help in the joint effort to rebuild vulnerable Upper Fraser salmon stocks of concern.
For Lheidli T'enneh, the hatchery project represents the opportunity to provide support for salmon stocks that have been in serious decline. With a focus on sustainability, the hatchery is envisioned to balance the appropriate level of intervention to both maintain salmon biodiversity and broader stewardship objectives through a Government-to-Government collaboration. Understanding the critical relationship between salmon and all Fraser River First Nations, Lheidli T'enneh recognizes the importance of this hatchery in salmon recovery and the interests of all user groups.
The planned facility is a core component of PSSI, which aims to stem the severe and ongoing decline of key Pacific salmon populations on Canada's west coast and restore them to a sustainable level for future generations. Under PSSI, DFO is embarking on a multi-year initiative to modernize DFO's hatcheries through a mix of investments in infrastructure, expertise, planning, science and partnerships. These investments will support a shift in enhancement programming towards science-informed approaches focused on targeted supports for at-risk Pacific salmon stocks.
