Fisheries and Oceans Canada, also known as DFO, is eliminating the Resource Restoration Program as well as technical support contracts for community salmon projects, and education coordinator contracts that deliver salmonids in the classrooms of school programs.
“In addition, DFO will be ceasing production of steelhead and cutthroat trout at DFO hatcheries,” writes DFO.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada write that the changes announced to the Salmonids Enhancement Program (SEP) were challenging. “The changes have been made because the department is seeking to focus on its legislative and regulatory priorities,” writes DFO.
“We recognize this is little comfort to those of you who have done this work for a long time, and we will be working hard over the coming weeks to determine how we can continue to support community stewardship efforts to protect and enhance salmon populations,” writes DFO.
The Pacific Streamkeepers Federation are encouraging people and fellow streamkeeper groups to write to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that focuses on building up the program and its vitality to continue.
“Legislative changes have not been made as of yet. Protection of fish and fish habitat, partnerships, salmonid enhancement with best management practises and education may indeed be what allows DFO to fulfill its mandate,” writes The Pacific Stream Keepers Federation.
Teachers at the Houston Christian School say that this would be a huge loss for the way students learn and are involved in the education of the salmon lifecycle.
“Our elementary students learn the whole salmon cycle. They are watch stage by stage the development in our tanks, and then they go out on field trips to release them and feel apart of salmon restoration in our water sheds in the Bulkley Valley,” said Wendall Ewald, science teacher of the Houston Christian School. “I would find it very sad if they are not able to participate in that program, especially the hands on part. Compared to reading it in a text book, hands on tends to stick with students way better going on into life. It would be disappointing to loose the program. It would definitely not be as good of an educational program to do the salmon unit of school programs.”
Dorene Jaarsma, kindergarten teacher of Houston Christian School, said “It’s such a unique program, it’s unlike any other program that you can use for teaching life cycles, for teaching order in creation. With our local situation, with our local stream, the Granisle spawning grounds and trout hatcheries, you can show kids every stage of the life cycle. They see it in our cycle. It affects them in a way that videos and books can’t. It would be a huge loss.”
Cindy Verbeek, coordinator for A Rocha Canada and the Upper Bulkley River Streamkeepers says that the cuts SEP are “devastating to the future of Salmon and education in our province.”
Verbeek says that SEP just celebrated its 40th anniversary with over 30,000 volunteers province wide.
“We spend countless hours working on habitat restoration, salmon hatcheries and education in the province. Quite frankly we all feel like we’ve been kicked in the gut,” says Verbeek.
She adds that without the staff in the Resource Restoration Program habitat projects more harm than good can be done because the projects will either be halted or done without one without the important input of these experts to advise and guide them.
“Classrooms all around the province will lose the support of the education coordinators who have all been notified that their contracts are being cancelled. For Houston this means that the resources to provide Stream to Sea Education programming in the schools is in question and the schools may not be able to raise salmon next year,” said Verbeek.
The Upper Bulkley River Streamkeepers are currently still in discussion with the community advisor of DFO about whether government funding will be available for the Upper Bulkley River Streamkeeper’s fish hatchery.
“We expect that this year’s contract will stay in place allowing us all the funding we need to run the hatchery this season but we just don’t know at this point,” said Verbeek. “Thankfully our project does not hinge on raising fish. Whether we can do it or not we will continue with our plans to build a nature centre and hopefully by the time we have it built this will all be sorted out and we can capture and raise salmon this fall.”
Verbeek says that the good news is that the plan is to phase out the Resource Restoration Program over three years.
“Which means if they have enough kick back they could choose to reinstate the program. I can not emphasis enough how important it is for everyone including kids, teachers, parents, fishermen, fish eaters, to let their Member of Parliament know how important salmon, their habitat and education are to the people of Houston and that these cuts can not be allowed to happen,” said Verbeek.
The Pacific Streamkeepers Federation advises to write letters that stay focused on the cuts and not point fingers at other cuts that should be made, and to build up the needs for the Resource Restoration Program and the Salmonid Enhancement Program.
The Pacific Streamkeepers Federation say that you can also write a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the following address and send him an email or tweet letting him know that a letter is coming.
Justin Trudeau
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6
(No postage required)
Phone: 1 613 995-0253
Constituency
1100 Crémazie East
(Main Office)
Suite 220
Montréal QC H2P 2X2
Phone: 1 514 277-6020
E-mail: justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca