ADAM OLSEN - While we work on a made-in-BC Wild Salmon strategy, we can already protect and restore habitat, and coordinate and streamline responsibility for wild salmon within the BC government

Today I want to pause and raise my hands in gratitude. I want to acknowledge the provincial and federal government's announcement on July 5th of the successful applicants to the Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund (SRIF). 

The SRIF is one result of our persistent work in raising the profile of the desperate plight of the wild Pacific salmon over the past 18 months.

(View government announcement and successful projects here.)

This past Spring, I was honoured to stand on the podium next to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson, and British Columbia Premier John Horgan to announce the $142 million SRIF to support infrastructure, innovation and science partnerships for wild Pacific salmon.

At that point in time it was unclear what projects the two governments would end up funding. I and my BC Green Caucus colleagues consistently advocate for habitat to be the highest priority for investment. We put the premium on habitat protection. There are still many magnificent ecosystems that remain intact. So, we encourage our BC NDP government colleagues to make the choice to protect those areas.

While they may be forgoing future revenue, protection is the most cost-effective action government can take. They don't need this fund for that, all they need to do is change how they make the decision.

Restoring wild salmon habitat

When I was asked what type of projects I would like the SRIF funds to be invested in, my target was on restoration. There is a lot of information already available to government about where they can get the highest possible return on investment for their limited funds.

For example, a logging road, culvert, ditch or other natural or man-made impediment that, if repaired, will open up pristine wild salmon habitat. In fact, for many of these specific locations, the designs have already been drafted. They have just been waiting for the money.

Adam Olsen @AdamPOlsen on Twitter

To save #wildsalmon & #steelhead we need habitat protection, restoration and a government that is organized to rebuild our fisheries, not manage them into further decline. We need to start now. #bcpoli

The BC government remains stubbornly defensive of its current organizational structure - a structure organized to fail #wildsalmon & #steelhead. #bcpoli
1) Protect habitat
2) Restore habitat
3) Coordinate and streamline the responsibility for wild salmon within the BC gov't

Proud of the #CleanBC funding we secured in the budget but protecting nature is also key to ensuring a safe & healthy future. BCGreen caucus pushed for habitat protection, restoration & acquisition in budget 2019. Government failed to step up for #wildsalmon & #steelhead #bcpoli

While we work on a comprehensive made-in-BC #wildsalmon strategy we can start, immediately, to:
1) Protect habitat
2) Restore habitat
3) Coordinate and streamline the responsibility for wild salmon within the BC gov't#bcpoli

Every day for weeks, I tweeted out my priorities for salmon (just like the tweets above). I'm definitely pleased with the focus of the projects. I recognize and respect the need to fund many aspects of the fishery. However, it delights me that there is a heavy focus on habitat in this round of announcements. Wild salmon begin and end their lives in our rivers, creeks and streams and if those places are not welcoming to them then it does not matter how much we spend elsewhere.

Celebrating investment, shifting perspectives

Thank you to the Ministers and government staff that worked very hard to put the SRIF fund into motion. This is just the first of many announcements over the next five years that begin to address the challenges of the wild Pacific salmon. Throwing a small amount of money at the problem will not fix it though. So, my celebration is brief. While we have done good work there is little benefit in standing around and patting ourselves on the back. With that, my mind turns to the fact that we also require a monumental shift in perspective.

I've been tough on the provincial and federal governments in this blog with respect to our relationship with nature. The power of government is like a tsunami, it doesn't appear to be moving very quickly but it moves with incredible force. With this in mind, to halt the inertia of government and to change its direction requires a great deal of energy and political will.

It makes no sense to throw good money after bad.

Our work on salmon was the first step in a journey. Our work on water and forests is inextricably linked. We are starting to uncover a broad vision for how we can actually adapt to and mitigate the impact of global warming. It's a vision for a prosperous, resilient and sustainable British Columbia.

I will continue highlight it in this blog in the coming weeks and months. We have a long way to go but these announcements are important steps in the right direction.

Adam Olsen ... is a Green Party Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia for Saanich North and the Islands.

Born in Victoria, BC in 1976, Adam has lived, worked and played his entire life on the Saanich Peninsula. He is a member of Tsartlip First Nation (W̱JOȽEȽP), where he and his wife, Emily, are raising their two children, Silas and Ella.