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 protect...