Up to $12.1 million in funding under the Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk has been announced for 13 projects in Atlantic Canada.
“As Atlantic Canadians, our economy and our culture is tied to our oceans, lakes, and waterways,” said Bernadette Jordan, minister of fisheries, oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard. “I’m proud to be part of government that’s taking strong, consistent action to protect our aquatic ecosystems and the lifeforms they sustain.”
The organizations and projects receiving funding include:
- The Nova Scotia Salmon Association, which will receive up to $2,916,491 to conduct conservation planning for priority watersheds within the Southern Uplands region of Nova Scotia. The aim is to address threats that are common to multiple species at risk, as well as to implement restoration activities to support improvement of aquatic habitats.
- The North Shore MicMac District Council-Anqotum Resource Management, which will receive up to $725,150 over four years to carry out a project in the Miramichi River system. The project aims to enhance cold-water habitats to serve as refuges for Atlantic Salmon, and for other native species such as Brook Trout.
- The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Canada in Newfoundland and Labrador, which will work with harvesters to reduce fishing mortality of Golden cod—a genetically distinct Atlantic cod population found in the Gilbert Bay Marine Protected Area. This project will receive up to $368,180.
“With the Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk, we are taking a distinct, strategic approach by targeting regions rather than individual species,” said Jordan. “Working with conservation experts on the ground, we’re investing in projects that have the greatest potential to make a lasting impact on our natural environments here in Atlantic Canada, and across the country.”
