BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund projects
Projects funded through the BCSRIF program can be explored using the interactive map-based application. This map represents the geographic distribution of BCSRIF projects by their associated investment category (Infrastructure, Science partnerships, or Innovation) and displays pop-up information with summary details of individual projects.
The following projects have been funded. Details on any additional projects will be shared once funding agreements have been finalized. Due to privacy concerns, we are unable to share information related to applications that are not selected for funding.
| Project name | Recipient | Project description | Fund allocation | Time frame |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applying innovation and collaboration to improve productivity, economic stability and environmental performance of oyster farm | Mariculture LP | This initiative aims to develop new and underutilized aquaculture tenures in the Barkley Sound by modernizing traditional shellfish farming practices through innovation and use of the latest technology. This project will focus on three activities:
|
$558,015 | June 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022 |
| Selective fishing gear pilot in the Fraser River | Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance | Katzie, Kwantlen, Sumas and Chilliwack First Nations will develop, test, and operate selective fishing gear and techniques to demonstrate their effectiveness in supporting the modernization of Fraser River salmon fisheries in the face of climate change and declining salmon populations. This pilot project applies traditional First Nations methods in modern ways, with the goal of improving First Nations' access to their constitutionally-protected food, social, and ceremonial (FSC) salmon fisheries. |
$1,564,668 | April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Ecosystem management of kelp forest | North Pacific Kelp Wild Foods | North Pacific Kelp Wild Foods Inc. will explore monitoring and sustainable harvesting methods of wild M. integrifolia (giant kelp) on Graham Island, Haida Gwaii. The project will improve the understanding of the important role that kelp plays in food webs available for Pacific salmon and herring. | $99,999 | August 1, 2021 to March 31, 2023 |
| Modernizing recreational catch monitoring, data collection and communication | Sport Fishing Institute of BC | BCSRIF funding will support further improvements to the FishingBC app to enhance and modernize catch log expansion and improve the quality of data collection, as well as public education and outreach to promote awareness of the app and the importance of collecting accurate recreational fishery data. | $343,750 | April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022 |
| Mitigating impacts of the European Green Crab invasion on Haida Gwaii | Secretariat of the Haida Nation | This project aims to mitigate impacts of the European Green Crab (EGC) invasion to support the preservation of salmon habitat critical to Haida marine cultural and ecological systems in Haida Gwaii. Project partners will map the current geographic extent of the EGC invasion, identify habitat most likely invaded, and develop a community engagement and training program to increase capacity to respond to the threats posed by EGC. | $1,246,886 | April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| A First Nations demonstration selective fishery in the Harrison and Lower Fraser River | Harrison Salmon Producers LP | The recipient will develop and deploy selective fishing alternatives to gill nets, for times when fishing opportunities for non-selective gear are most restrictive. Stock assessment collaborations are expected to grow over the life of the project, along with the increased tagging, recovery and sampling capacities in the lower Fraser, and ultimately support the modernization and sustainability of Fraser River salmon fisheries. | $789,200 | April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Selective fishing using a salmon trap in the Lower Fraser River | Tsawwassen First Nation | The recipient will design and operate a tidal waters salmon trap close to its traditional fishing sites (near the mouth of the Fraser River). The project objectives include identifying and assessing a suitable trap site, then building, operating, and maintaining the trap and monitoring fish health. | $875,325 | June 1, 2021 to November 30, 2023 |
| A-Tlegay kelp production and restoration | A-Tlegay Fisheries Society | The project involves the construction of four kelp sites located within Johnstone Strait/Northern Strait of Georgia to improve the quality of important marine habitat for salmon and to determine the commercial potential for kelp culture in the region. | $486,824 | April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Understanding FRIM in the angling community | Sport Fishing Institute of BC | The recipient will establish a program to raise awareness and an understanding and appreciation of the importance of selective fisheries and minimizing Fishing-Related Incidental Mortality amongst local salmon anglers. The SFI will collaborate with the University of British Columbia's Pacific Salmon Ecology and Conservation Laboratory to create a science-based set of Best Salmon Fishing Practices to encourage anglers to adopt tools and best practices. | $205,916 | April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2024 |
| Development and establishment of Vancouver Island chinook committee | Island Marine Aquatic Working Group | Funding will support the establishment of a Vancouver Island Salmon Committee and supporting Technical Working Group. This collaborative initiative will bring together local expertise, traditional Indigenous knowledge, and local knowledge specific to Vancouver Island and mainland inlet chinook populations, to support efforts to rebuild Southern BC chinook, and to inform broader efforts to conserve and restore all salmon species of Vancouver Island and mainland inlets. | $397,541 | April 15, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Assessing Ha'oom Fisheries Society spatial management opportunities for rockfish Species of Concern using a biosonic echosounder and baited remote underwater video surveys | Ha'oom Fisheries Society | Ha'oom Fisheries Society will survey and record the presence and absence of three rockfish species at risk (Canary, Quillback, and Yelloweye Rockfish) and other nearshore rockfish species within a court defined area (CDA). The results of this study will provide the basis of recommended spatial measures to prevent local rockfish depletions in the CDA and inform the DFO Rockfish Conservation Area renewal process. | $202,500 | April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Modernizing catch reporting in Canada's Pacific Region salmon fisheries | Archipelago Marine Research | The project will result in the development of a user-friendly mobile application for fishermen to record their fishing logbook data and submit daily catch reports and hails. This new tool will improve the timeliness and accuracy of the data that is produced to support in season management of the salmon fishery. | $317,557 | January 1, 2022 to March 31, 2024 |
| Fishing Related Incidental Mortality (FRIM) – Short term mortality holding studies | Sport Fishing Institute of BC | This project aims to improve understanding of the impact and root causes of Fishing Related Incidental Mortality (FRIM) for salmon in BC's recreational fishery, and to inform management measures that account for and mitigate the impacts of recreational fishing on non-target stocks. A best practices guidebook and outreach program will provide anglers with key information on how to minimize FRIM through appropriate gear and fishing techniques. |
$833,250 | January 1, 2022 to March 31, 2024 |
| Kleanza Creek salmon habitat enhancement and restoration project | Kitselas First Nation | Kitselas First Nation, and partners, will develop a prioritized enhancement and restoration plan for Kleanza Creek, with the ultimate goal of restoring structural and functional connectivity of salmon habitat that has been destroyed. | $561,335 | June 10, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Chemainus/Koksilah twinned watershed sustainability project | Cowichan Tribes | BCSRIF funding will support and leverage the development of a salmon-relevant Water Sustainability Plan in the Chemainus and Koksilah Watershed, which will provide a critical link between First Nations rights and title, federally managed anadromous salmon stocks, and provincially managed land use. The Plan will also provide a roadmap for other regions of the Province where similar work is needed. | $1,192,090 | January 25, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Causes and consequences of vateritic otoliths in hatchery-reared coho salmon | University of Victoria | The goal of this project is to determine the causes of vateritic otolith development (ear bones that have crystalized, resulting in hearing loss) in hatchery-reared Strait of Georgia coho salmon to investigate the consequences for survival and in turn, population recovery. | $512,458 | April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Supporting the ongoing use and development of the Pacific Salmon Explorer | Pacific Salmon Foundation | BCSRIF funding will support the expansion, improvement, and application of an interactive data visualization tool for tracking and reporting information on the status of Pacific salmon Conservation Units (CUs) and their freshwater habitats in British Columbia. (CUs are groupings of salmon at the stock level, sharing common genetic traits, geographic distribution and life-history, that is defined for the purposes of identifying challenges to survival and potential conservation strategies). The project will result in more timely, credible, and standardized information on the status of salmon and their habitats and is critical to informing science-based decisions for salmon conservation and management. | $3,776,300 | April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Deadman River Hatchery upgrades | Skeetchestn First Nation | The recipient will carry out critical infrastructure upgrades to modernize operations and allow the hatchery to raise all life stages of coho salmon on-site. Water production will be upgraded by installing a production well, backup generator, pump controls, and aeration tower. | $385,000 | July 1, 2021 to October 31, 2022 |
| Application of nanopore technology for rapid setection and xharacterization of pathogenic organisms in enhancement hatcheries | The British Columbia Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences Society | The recipient aims to validate Nanopore technology as a rapid and broad-range tool for detecting salmon pathogens from biological and environmental samples from hatcheries. The technology will be applied to screen broodstock, examine pathogen sources and their distribution in hatchery systems, and identify/characterize the agent(s) associated with disease occurrences. | $306,000 | April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Watershed restoration prioritization tool/ Solutions for Gold River steelhead | Nootka Sound Watershed Society | The recipient will use a spatial modelling tool and the resulting threats assessment to develop an action plan to improve and monitor habitat for steelhead and other Pacific salmon species. The recipient will identify prioritized sites to be restored, and develop a comprehensive strategic plan of prioritized future restoration opportunities. | $324,953 | June 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| UAV habitat mapping to inform wild salmon stewardship | First Nations Fisheries Legacy Fund Society | The proponent aims to enhance capacity for monitoring and managing wild salmon habitat in First Nations by integrating community mapping with geospatial technologies. The project will inventory baseline data, local fish habitat knowledge, and geospatial technologies available to each First Nation for undertaking long-term salmon habitat monitoring. The results of this work will inform long-term water and salmon stewardship planning processes and provide valuable information on watershed dynamics and trends critical to wild salmon populations. |
$2,478,221 | July 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Coastal First Nations salmon enhancement and restoration initiative | Great Bear Initiative Society | Funding will enable the Great Bear Initiative Society to undertake infrastructure upgrades at six community hatcheries, to incorporate more sustainable technology and enable restoration of wild BC populations of concern. Key elements include repair, replacement, or acquisition of additional incubation, rearing spaces or equipment storage areas, electrical upgrades and improvements to water supply. | $2,826,811 | April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Highway 16 corridor fish stranding | Kitsumkalum Indian Band | The goal of this project is to identify and prioritize sites within the Skeena watershed, and to develop solutions to maximize survival of local Pacific salmon populations. Potential solutions include introducing fish passage to high quality rearing habitat, and infilling of unsuitable areas in order to prevent juveniles salmonids from entering areas where they become trapped. | $175,032 | April 15, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Assessment of sampling methodologies, March 2022 Gulf of Alaska | Pacific Salmon Foundation | The project is an extension of high seas surveys conducted through the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project, assessing the factors that affect survivability of key salmon stocks. Funding will support a multi-vessel survey to study the distribution of Pacific salmon across the North Pacific Ocean, building on two research expeditions to the Gulf of Alaska undertaken through the International Year of the Salmon (IYS) initiative. The Pacific Salmon Foundation will undertake sampling with Japanese drift gillnets and Longlines, which will enable direct comparison of sampling capabilities of trawl nets versus other gears in the deep water environment of the Gulf of Alaska. | $308,000 | July 1, 2021 to March 31, 2023 |
| Rebuilding Wet'suwet'en sockeye salmon abundance and diversity | Office of the Wet'suwet'en | The goal of this project is to initiate a recovery research program, which will contribute to restoring the abundance and diversity of the Morice Sockeye population. Information gathered through the project will address current questions related to sockeye survival, sources of mortality at various life stages from juveniles to adults, spawning habitat condition, and direction for restoration/protection of critical habitat. |
$848,160 | May 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Kus-kus-sum - Restoration of key habitat in the K'ómoks Estuary to re-establish ecosystem services that will support BC salmon. | K’ómoks First Nation (KFN) | K’omoks First Nation, and partners, will return an abandoned industrial site in the heart of their traditional territory back into functioning habitat. The former industrial sawmill is situated in the heart of the salmon migration corridor for the watersheds of two major rivers: the Puntledge and the Tsolum. The restoration of this site will improve access to Food, Social and Ceremonial uses of salmon, provide increased recreational fishing opportunities, and support the recovery of Southern Resident Orca populations. | $1,419,870 | April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Wuikinuxv assessment and restoration of Rivers Inlet salmon | Wuikinuxv Nation | This project aims to build the fisheries expertise and operational capacity within the Wuikinuxv Nation Stewardship Office. This will be achieved through three key activities:
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$543,374 | June 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Fraser River Estuary salmon habitat (FRESH) restoration projects | Ducks Unlimited Canada | Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC), will work with partners to implement three large-scale projects to restore key Fraser River estuary tidal marsh habitat and access to these critical habitats for the benefit of COSEWIC-listed Fraser River chinook, coho, steelhead, and sockeye salmon populations, as well as other juvenile salmon populations, white sturgeon, and other wild BC fish stocks. These efforts aim to reverse the effects of human-caused impacts to the Fraser River estuary, which, combined with the anticipated future effects of sea-level rise, severely impair ecological resilience and wild BC salmon survival. | $5,019,091 | April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Skeena Estuary habitat management and protection planning | North Coast Skeena First Nations Stewardship Society | The goal of this project is to inform and engage in the collaborative development of an effective monitoring, assessment and management plan for the Skeena Estuary to ensure the protection and restoration of key fish habitats, with a focus on salmon, to ensure a sustained First Nations fishery. This project will use a phased, multi-year approach to develop a Skeena Estuary Habitat Management and Protection Plan, and to implement prioritized estuarine habitat restoration projects. | $2,334,024 | January 23, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Clayoquot wild chinook salmon initiative | Redd Fish Restoration Society | This project aims to restore critical spawning and rearing habitat in Clayoquot Sound for high-conservation concern wild chinook salmon. Engaging biologists and engineers from BC, Oregon, and Washington, this project will utilize innovative ecological engineering technologies to restore fish habitat and revitalize drastically declining stocks. | $500,000 | April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Resilient waters phase 2: Restoring connection to off-channel salmonid habitat in the Lower Fraser River Watershed | MakeWay Charitable Society | Building on earlier work funded by the BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund, Phase 2 of MakeWay’s Resilient Waters initiative will restore connections to wild salmon habitat which has historically been alienated by flood control infrastructure installed adjacent to the Lower Fraser River between Richmond and Hope. Working with cross-sector partnerships this project aims to implement fish-friendly flood control solutions, and advance research and best practices for fish-friendly flood practices. | $2,686,478 | September 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Salmon River collaborative salmonid habitat enhancement and restoration initiative | Yucwmenlúcwu (Caretakers of the Land) 2007 LLP | Funding will support a holistic approach to managing and restoring ecological flows in the Salmon River watershed through the application of Indigenous Knowledge and science-based data, resulting in a healthier watershed and an increase in local salmonid populations. | $208,289 | April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Creation of salmon conservation facility | Juan de Fuca Salmon Restoration Society | Funding will support upgrades to the Sooke River Jack Brooks hatchery facility and interpretive center. Facility upgrades will meet green building codes, include upgraded effluent treatments and the potential for stock assessment capability. Planning and upgrades are intended to provide a template to support similar upgrades and contribute to the overall effectiveness of community-operated hatcheries. | $920,000 | April 15, 2020 - March 31, 2023 |
| Determination of bottlenecks limiting wild and enhanced juvenile salmon and steelhead production in BC using PIT tags and spatially comprehensive arrays | Pacific Salmon Foundation | Together with partners, the Pacific Salmon Foundation will develop the monitoring and evaluation framework to determine survival bottlenecks in freshwater and marine environments for hatchery and wild chinook, coho and steelhead. Research, monitoring, and evaluation activities will seek to maximize the performance of hatchery and wild stocks; and the installation of new infrastructure will support adaptive management of hatchery programs to meet harvest, conservation, and sustainability objectives. | $4,619,877 | May 1, 2020 to March 31, 2024 |
| Empowering Indigenous community fisheries with deep learning - computer vision for adaptive management of terminal salmon fisheries | Pacific Salmon Foundation | This project will integrate traditional and modern technologies through the development of new computer vision deep-learning programs to automate salmon counting and species identification from video and sonar data. Connecting these tools with community-run escapement monitoring programs around the North and Central Coast will support the transition towards real-time data integration and in-season monitoring to inform adaptive management of salmon fisheries. | $410,300 | May 1, 2020 to March 31, 2023 |
| Independent BC First Nations' genomic lab project | 'Namgis First Nation | Funding will support Phase 2 of a project to establish an Independent BC First Nations Genomics Laboratory. Project partners will equip the kł cp̓əlk̓ stim̓ laboratory with Fluidigm BioMark™ technology to analyze samples collected through the Indigenous Monitoring and Inspection Plan (IMIP), as well as providing services to other First Nations in British Columbia with an interest in conducting independent fish health sampling. | $1,977,828 | November 1, 2019 to March 31, 2024 |
| Percy Walkus Hatchery upgrade | Pacific Salmon Foundation | Funding will support upgrades to the Percy Walkus Hatchery in Rivers Inlet, which provides local capacity to enhance three local chinook salmon stocks of significant cultural and economic significance. The upgrades to the hatchery will improve the site efficiency, increase the flexibility of rearing options, and reduce the carbon footprint of facility operations. | $336,895 | February 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021 |
| Chilliwack coho PIT tag escapement project | Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance Society | Funding will contribute to an improved understanding of stock status and trends through the development and demonstration of PIT tag mark-recapture techniques for hatchery coho salmon in the Chilliwack River using large PIT arrays to enumerate annual hatchery returning fish during spawning migration. The infrastructure developed for this project will be used to inform future work on stock level PIT tagging enumeration studies of Fraser salmon. | $679,690 | April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2024 |
| Partnership for a novel framework for assessing and managing Pacific Herring fisheries on the West Coast of Vancouver Island | Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council | The recipient and partners will undertake an evaluation of spatial and in-season management options for associated food, social and ceremonial (FSC), and commercial Herring fisheries to ensure the sustainability of these fisheries on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. This project provides the opportunity for shared ownership of the Herring Renewal science process with Nuu-chah-nulth Nations, ensuring their unique cultural and scientific perspectives are formally included in the management of Herring fisheries on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. | $390,500 | June 1, 2020 to March 31, 2024 |
| Optimizing recirculating aquaculture systems for sustainable salmon production | University of British Columbia | This study aims to provide a BC-based solution for growing larger, more physiologically robust Atlantic salmon smolts in freshwater recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). This project will help to improve both the sustainability and productivity of BC's aquaculture industry by increasing the amount of time farmed salmon are reared in land-based RAS and reducing the amount of time farmed Atlantic salmon spend in marine net-pens. | $1,829,490 | July 1, 2020 to March 31, 2024 |
| Upper Fraser chinook strategic enhancement project | Spruce City Wildlife Association | Funding will support infrastructure upgrades to the to the Spruce City Wildlife Association's conservation hatchery to improve biosecurity and enhance production at the facility to support the restoration and rebuilding of Upper and Middle Fraser chinook stocks. Activities include the acquisition and installation of larger troughs, a custom recirculation system with UV sterilization, particulate and biological filtration, water chilling with aeration pump, and backup power generator. This project will also support the collection of critical natal stream information to inform rearing and stocking practices. | $240,362 | July 10, 2019 to March 31, 2021 |
| Electronic application for enhanced selective fishing and bycatch avoidance | Canadian Groundfish Research and Conservation Society | The Canadian Groundfish Research and Conservation Society, in partnership with Vericatch Solutions Inc. will develop an electronic application for fishing vessels that utilizes at-sea monitoring data from commercial groundfish vessels in real time to create heat maps showing where marine species of concern (such as chinook salmon, Bocaccio rockfish, etc.) are being encountered to minimize bycatch. | $600,000 | August 15, 2019 to March 31, 2024 |
| Enhancing rockfish recovery through citizen science, outreach and field experiments | University of Victoria, School of Environmental Studies | The University of Victoria (UVic) will support BC rockfish recovery and assessment through outreach and citizen-science emphasizing angler awareness of regulations (via MyCatch app) and through an evaluation of the effectiveness of descenders on reducing rockfish mortality. UVic will partner with academia, conservancy organizations and local First Nations. | $758,780 | August 15, 2019 to March 31, 2024 |
| Innovative habitat restoration demonstration | BC Conservation Foundation (BCCF) | Led by the British Columbia Conservation Foundation, the ‘Innovative Habitat Restoration Demonstration’ is a multi-year, watershed-scale demonstration project to showcase innovative habitat restoration methods that accommodate the effects of recent ecosystem shifts with benefits to chinook, coho, sockeye and steelhead. The project will promote restoration, protection and maintenance of healthy and diverse salmon populations and their habitats. | $4,952,373 | August 1, 2019 to March 31, 2024 |
| National Indigenous Fisheries Institute: engagement | National Indigenous Fisheries Institute | The National Indigenous Fisheries Institute will engage with Indigenous communities to identify potential large-scale, multi-Nation initiatives that could be supported by BCSRIF. This work will also encourage increased Indigenous involvement in science partnerships, innovation, and infrastructure investments that would improve productivity, sustainability, and safety across the sector. | $355,095 | August 15, 2019 to March 31, 2020 |
| Rehabilitation of critical infrastructure to improve survival of Thompson steelhead and chinook | Scw'exmx Tribal Association | The Scw'exmx Tribal Association and partners will assess and rehabilitate degraded habitats in the Coldwater River and Guichon Creek watersheds to improve survival of Thompson steelhead and chinook salmon. | $1,314,027 | August 1, 2019 to March 31, 2024 |
| Enhancing estuary resiliency: An innovative approach to sustaining fish and fish habitat in a changing climate | The Nature Trust of BC | Through the ‘Enhancing Estuary Resilience: An Innovative Approach to Sustaining Fish and Fish Habitat in a Changing Climate’, the Nature Trust of BC will undertake monitoring and research to assess estuary resilience to sea level rise and other climate impacts across the coast of BC using the Marsh Resiliency to Sea Level Rise (MARS) tool, followed by restoration projects to restore core natural estuarine processes. The Nature Trust of BC will partner with various local First Nations groups, environmental organizations and academic institutions. | $8,552,415 | July 15, 2019 to March 31, 2024 |
| Enhancing sustainability of capture and release marine recreational Pacific salmon fisheries using new tools/technology | University of British Columbia | The University of British Columbia will lead a science partnership project to conduct research on improving the sustainability of capture and release marine recreational Pacific salmon fisheries using new tools and technology. | $1,938,002 | July 29, 2019 to March 31, 2024 |
| Elephant Hill fire riparian restoration project | Secwepemcul’ecw Restoration and Stewardship Society | The Secwepemcul’ecw Restoration and Stewardship Society, in partnership with Secwepemc communities and the 100 Mile Natural Resource District will undertake restoration of critical habitat affected by the 2017 Elephant Hill Wildfire in the Traditional territories of the 8 Secwepemcul’ecw Nations. | $2,629,833 | July 15, 2019 to March 31, 2024 |
| Plateau Fire recovery – Riparian plant collection and planting for restoration of chinook and coho salmon habitat in the Nazko area | Baker Creek Enhancement Society | The Baker Creek Enhancement Society will collaborate with the Nazko First Nation to undertake restoration of critical habitat affected by the Plateau Fire. This work will also prevent further habitat degradation from normal precipitation and predictable storm events. | $750,000 | August 15, 2019 to March 31, 2024 |
| Place-based risk of climate change to sustainability of BC wild and hatchery-origin salmon | Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium (University of Victoria) | The Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium (UVic) will conduct research to improve our understanding of potential threats posed to Pacific salmonids and their habitats posed by climate change and develop risk assessment tools to support adaptive regional management approaches. | $1,025,000 | September 1, 2019 to March 31, 2024 |
| Broughton wild salmon restoration project | ‘Namgis First Nation | The ‘Namgis, Kwikwasut’inuxw Haxwa’mis, and Mamalilikulla First Nations will partner on activities to assess, prioritize and restore critical salmon habitat in the Nimpkish and Kokish Rivers, Rivers flowing from Bond Sound, Thompson Sound, Wakemen Sound, Viner Sound and Rivers Near Hoyea Sound and Lull Creek. | $4,220,529 | September 1, 2019 to March 31, 2024 |
| Independent BC First Nations genomics lab – Phase 1 | ‘Namgis First Nation | The ‘Namgis, Kwikwasut’inuxw Haxwa’mis, and Mamalilikulla First Nations will work together on the first steps towards establishing a genomics lab to analyze samples collected by First Nations with an interest in conducting independent fish health sampling. | $50,560 | July 15, 2019 to October 4, 2019 |
| Implementation of the Broughton First Nations Indigenous monitoring and inspection plan | ‘Namgis First Nation | The ‘Namgis, Kwikwasut’inuxw Haxwa’mis, and Mamalilikulla First Nations will implement the ‘Broughton First Nations Indigenous monitoring and inspection plan’, using BCSRIF support to build monitoring and oversight capacity over finfish farms in the Broughton, capacity to monitor wild salmon, other marine species (and their ecosystems) and to conduct salmon habitat restoration activities. | $7,349,000 | May 24, 2019 to March 31, 2024 |
| Field application and testing of tools for identifying, mapping and quantifying important forage fish populations and their habitats to support enhanced conservation of chinook salmon in coastal BC | Comox Valley Project Watershed Society | The Comox Valley Project Watershed Society, with the K’ómoks First Nation, North Island College and other partners, will apply and test tools for identifying, mapping and quantifying important forage fish populations and their habitats. This work will contribute to the conservation of important food sources for Pacific salmon, including chinook and coho. | $321,779 | August 19, 2019 to March 31, 2022 |
| Resilient Waters: Phase 1 | MakeWay | Tides Canada and the Watershed Watch Society along with other partners, will implement 'Connected waters', a project to identify priority sites requiring infrastructure upgrades and habitat restoration across the Lower Fraser River watershed, which will support the reintegration of vital wild salmon habitat. | $598,755 | September 1, 2019 to March 31, 2022 |
| Cowichan River salmon restoration program: Sustainable water supply – Engineering | Cowichan Valley Regional District | The Cowichan Valley Regional District and partners, including Cowichan Tribes, will conduct an evaluation of the natural boundary of Cowichan Lake to support building critical new water storage infrastructure, to provide flows required to sustain Cowichan salmon populations. | $2,999,218 | August 1, 2019 to March 31, 2022 |
| Science-based review of hatchery results in the Pacific Region | Pacific Salmon Foundation | The Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF) will conduct a science-based review of hatcheries in the Pacific Region (including community hatcheries and Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s major facilities) to evaluate performance and the effectiveness of current genetic and genomic tools, in order to optimize salmon production in BC. | $1,083,498 | September 1, 2019 to June 30, 2022 |
| BC Fish passage restoration initiative | Canadian Wildlife Federation | The Canadian Wildlife Federation will bring together partners, including federal and provincial governments, non-governmental organization, First Nations, and communities to prioritize fish passage remediation efforts across B.C. to maximize the benefits for steelhead trout and Pacific salmon. | $3,999,721 | July 15, 2019 to March 31, 2022 |
| Promotion of habitat restoration and stewardship on agricultural lands in the BC Interior (181) | British Columbia Cattlemen’s Association | The British Columbia Cattlemen’s Association will deliver the Farmland riparian interface stewardship program, promoting habitat restoration and stewardship and on agricultural lands in BC. The program will encourage environmental farm planning within the agricultural sector for more “fish friendly” land management practices around riparian corridors, as well as promoting water conservation for BC Interior salmon streams experiencing frequent critical low flows. | $550,000 | July 15, 2019 to March 31, 2024 |
| International pan-Pacific salmon expedition (2022) | North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission | International Year of the Salmon partners, including the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission and the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization, will conduct pan-Pacific vessel surveys in winter/summer 2021 to monitor distribution, abundance, and productivity of salmon to directly inform fisheries management decision and enforcement efforts. This project will provide insight into how climate variability influences the distribution, migration, growth, and fitness of Pacific salmon. | $3,305,457 | August 15, 2019 to March 31, 2022 |
| BC Fishing App | Sport Fishing Institute of BC | The Sport Fishing Institute (SFI) will develop the Fishing BC mobile app, an online information and catch monitoring tool. | $910,500 | August 15, 2019 to March 31, 2021 |
| Vision 2021 | Sport Fishing Institute of BC | BCSRIF will also support elements of SFI’s Vision 2021: an action plan to maximize the social and economic potential of the recreational fishery on Canada’s Pacific coast. The project aims to improve representation of the fishing community and increase participation in the fishing sector by youth, new Canadians, and others. | $700,879 | August 15, 2019 to December 31, 2020 |
| Elaho River chinook salmon restoration project | Squamish River Watershed Society | The Elaho River chinook salmon restoration project will restore fish passage and increase chinook productivity in the lower Elaho River. The project will reduce obstructions and provide fish access to over 40 kilometers of ideal fish habitat in the upper section of the watershed, improving the natural productivity of char and salmonids including chinook, coho, pink salmon and steelhead. | $522,486 | September 1, 2019 to March 31, 2022 |
| Millstream fishway project | Peninsula Streams Society | This urban habitat restoration project will improve fish passage in Millstream Creek by creating a "fishway" that will allow fish to move up to and through a large culvert under Atkins Road near Mill Hill Regional park. This will aid fish passage and allow resident trout and spawning adult coho salmon access to over eight kilometres of habitat upstream. | $300,000 | August 6, 2019 to March 31, 2022 |
| Kitwanga River sockeye salmon recovery plan implementation | Gitanyow Huwlip Society dba Gitanyow Fisheries Authority | The Gitanyow Fisheries Authority will undertake small scale enhancement and habitat restoration projects to maximize spawner success over the next five years and to identify the limiting factors to Kitwanga sockeye production. The goal of the project is to identify and develop solutions to ultimately stop and reverse the decline of Kitwanga sockeye and help rebuild the stock. | $867,020 | October 1, 2019 to March 31, 2024 |
| Winter salmon survey | Pacific Salmon Foundation | This project will support a second year of international research in the Gulf of Alaska to study the abundance, health, and habitat use of Pacific salmonids during winter conditions. This research will increase the understanding of the environmental factors affecting salmon production and allow researchers to consider strategies to address ecosystem change under future climate conditions. | $650,000 | September 15, 2019 to March 31, 2021 |
| Improving sustainability of British Columbia's commercial spot prawn (Pandalus platyceros) fishery and prawn stocks | Pacific Prawn Fishermen’s Association | The Pacific Prawn Fishermen’s Association will develop a robust management procedure to improve the sustainability of the BC Spot Prawn fishery. Funding will allow for the evaluation of expected outcomes of fishing impacts to wild prawn stocks under alternative fishing practices and provide an opportunity for valuable stock assessment, research, and management training for harvesters, First Nations, and others. | $117,996 | June 1, 2020 to March 31, 2022 |
| Drivers of inter-annual variability in zooplankton feeding in the Strait of Georgia: A combined model-observation approach | University of British Columbia | The University of British Columbia (UBC) will conduct research to improve understanding of the changing ecosystem facing out-migrating juvenile salmon in the Strait of Georgia. Activities include quantifying key drivers of zooplankton (small animals that feed on ocean plants) feeding, and to explore how zooplankton abundance and distribution are affected by environmental conditions. | $165,000 | July 1, 2020 to May 31, 2023 |
| Bear River autonomous salmon enumeration | Skeena Fisheries Commission | The Skeena Fisheries Commission will develop a semi-autonomous salmon enumeration fence to allow for more accurate monitoring of Bear River Watershed chinook, coho and sockeye. Increased understanding of these populations will be used to inform future fisheries management approaches. | $402,439 | June 1, 2020 to March 31, 2024 |
| Seymour Watershed restoration project | Seymour Salmonid Society | This multi-year, watershed-wide initiative combines rockslide mitigation work to enable upstream fish passage, along with physical habitat enhancement and restoration works to improve the habitat quality and functionality within the watershed. The recipient will also conduct monitoring to confirm the success of the project in establishing fish passage and providing restored and enhanced habitat for wild Pacific salmonid stocks for future generations. | $618,844 | January 15, 2020 to March 31, 2024 |
| Upper Adams Salmon restoration program | Adams Lake Indian Band | Funding will support restoration of the Upper Adams early summer run sockeye to a sustainable level, and improve opportunities for sustainable use. Nutrients will be applied to Adams Lake rearing habitat to restore historical lake productivity, and improve marine survival and future returns of early summer run sockeye. | $2,521,181 | April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2024 |
| Inkaneep Creek restoration | Osoyoos Indian Band | This project will support post-mudslide restoration and effectiveness monitoring for Inkaneep Creek and the floodplain. Restoration work will improve the survivability of Okanagan steelhead, rainbow trout and shinook salmon and apply an innovative combination of traditional knowledge and science towards sustainable fisheries co-management. | $360,283 | April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2023 |
| Climate action priorities for salmon | Pacific Salmon Foundation | This project will create a Climate Action Plan for BC salmon through three initial project components: developing improved genetic baselines to understand genetic differences at a scale finer than Conservation Units; developing a ‘Playbook’ to guide landscape recovery strategies and priorities for salmon following major fires; and assessing Fraser River migration impediments. | $3,270,151 | April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Lake Babine creel survey | Lake Babine First Nation | The Lake Babine First Nation will conduct creel surveys over three years, collecting information on the total number of sockeye harvested by sport fishermen, harvest per unit effort, and angler origins. The creel surveys will provide valuable data on the catch and effort of the recreational Sockeye fishery in the area, supporting in-season fisheries management decisions. | $372,951 | July 15, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Kingfisher Interpretive Centre intake project | Kingfisher Interpretive Centre | The Kingfisher Interpretive Centre will undertake repairs to the water intake system for its hatchery, which suffered major damage in Cooke Creek in 2014. As a result of the damage, KICS has been forced to release unfed chinook fry, resulting in higher mortalities. Feeding the fry will increase the survival rate and allow KICS to offer more visitors firsthand experience with these fish. | $43,396 | May 20, 2021 to March 31, 2022 |
| Shellfish aquaculture strategic renewal program | BC Shellfish Growers’ Association | The BC Shellfish Growers Association will create the Shellfish Aquaculture Strategic Renewal Program, which aims to ensure the industry remains a key socio-economic contributor to BC’s coastal communities. Key components will include improved traceability of shellfish products; application of innovative handling and processing technology in the BC shellfish industry and traceability education and awareness for the shellfish industry growers. | $3,500,000 | July 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Fermentative production of microalgae as food for juvenile bivalves in BC | Seed Science Ltd. | This project will investigate a more energy-efficient method to produce higher-quality algae as food for cultured bivalves. This project will result in the production of cheaper, higher-quality food for bivalves, and enable juvenile bivalve to be kept on land longer, until they are big and healthy enough to better cope with the effects of ocean acidification when being introduced into the sea. | $475,493 | June 1, 2021 to December 31, 2022 |
| Fish and fish habitat survey for finfish aquaculture | We Wai Kai First Nation | This project will investigate the possible environmental impacts and identify potential business opportunities in converting finfish aquaculture tenures into Sablefish aquaculture farm operations in a potential joint venture partnership with Golden Eagle Sablefish. Baseline fish habitat surveys will be undertaken to identify possible critical habitats, and facilitate the development of depositional modelling (DEPOMOD) for sablefish aquaculture. | $144,200 | July 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022 |
| Aquaculture Opportunities and Sustainability Survey | Gwabalis Fisheries Society | The Gwabalis Fisheries Society will undertake an area-wide aquaculture survey to identify, assess and report on sustainable aquaculture opportunities within the respective traditional territories of its members: Quatsino, Da’naxda’xw, Mamalilikulla and Tlatlasikwala First Nations. | $107,167 | June 15, 2021 to March 31, 2022 |
| Monitoring lipid content of Fraser-bound chinook at Albion | University of British Columbia | University of BC researchers will undertake measurements of Albion Test fishery chinook salmon lipid (fat) content, to better understand how this impacts the ability of these salmon to successfully reach their spawning grounds, and improve our understanding of how ocean conditions impact chinook salmon health. | $36,870 | April 1, 2021 to February 15, 2023 |
| Collaborative freshwater research and restoration initiative in the Thompson Watershed | Secwepemc Fisheries Commission for and behalf of Shuswap Nation Tribal Council Society | This project aims to fill data gaps related to Fraser coho, Interior Fraser summer steelhead, and Southern BC chinook populations, which will be used to inform fisheries recovery and rebuilding plans. The assessment of habitat use, stream flow and temperature data, and other factors affecting survivability, will help to inform effective recovery strategies for salmon in BC’s southern interior. | $789,102 | April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| First Nations-led catch monitoring to inform sustainable mixed-stock fisheries management on the Central Coast | Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance | This project will focus on designing and implementing a coordinated strategy to fill data gaps related to Central Coast salmon populations, which will inform management measures to promote sustainable opportunities for marine and Food, Social, Ceremonial fisheries. | $1,533,176 | January 27, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Seymour Hatchery infrastructure renewal | Seymour Salmonid Society | The Seymour Salmonid Society will undertake maintenance and facility upgrades including a new feed storage container, sewage storage tank, perimeter fencing and outdoor pond roof structure, to ensure the Seymour hatchery and education center can continue to support the restoration and conservation of the salmonid populations in the Seymour watershed. | $80,410 | July 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Sport Fishing Advisory Board Vision – Phased implementation | Sport Fishing Institute of BC | This project builds on previous work to further the implementation of the Sport Fishing Advisory Board’s (SFAB) Vision for the recreational fishing sector in BC. This phase of the project will focus on modernizing the SFAB model to ensure that the interests of the recreational fishery are represented to regulators and decision-makers. | $453,324 | September 1, 2021 to March 31, 2023 |
| Supporting West Coast oyster industry | Nova Harvest | This project aims to increase capacity for large high quality seed through the development of an ocean based oyster nursery, known as a Floating Upwelling System (FLUPSY). This project aims to reduce risk to Canadian oyster farmers, improve sustainable local shellfish production, increase industry and job opportunities in remote coastal communities, and enhance local food security by reducing reliance on imported seed stock. | $210,000 | June 1, 2021 to February 28, 2022 |
| Landslide impact on the flow dynamics, fish migration and genetics of Fraser River salmon | Simon Fraser University | Simon Fraser University will work with partners to investigate the risks posed by natural earth surface processes, such as landslides and hydraulic barriers, on Fraser River salmon. The project will use innovative technologies to measure and monitor earth surface processes and frontline techniques in molecular genomics. The work will result in a better understanding of the infrastructure needed to enable successful fish migration across hydraulic barriers, such as the Big Bar Landslide. | $3,566,728 | April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Chapman Creek Hatchery water supply and capacity ppgrades | Sunshine Coast Salmonid Society | The Sunshine Coast Salmonid Enhancement Society will work to identify an alternative water source for the Chapman Creek Hatchery to address extremely low flows in Chapman Creek during the summer months. Two test wells will serve as production and emergency wells to support rearing of Coho salmon at the hatchery. | $70,000 | July 26, 2021 to March 31, 2022 |
| Developing a cumulative effects modelling framework for the recovery of aquatic salmonid populations | University of British Columbia | University of BC researchers and partners will develop a framework for modeling cumulative impacts on salmonid populations to guide recovery planning and adaptive management based on stressor-response functions related to multiple threats. | $253,610 | July 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Nanaimo Hatchery upgrades to improve hatchery performance and assessment and monitoring capabilities | Nanaimo River Stewardship Society | The Nanaimo River Stewardship Society will upgrade the Nanaimo River Hatchery to address ageing infrastructure and allow the facility to adapt to changing enhancement objectives and watershed activities. Key elements include rebuilding the aeration tower, replacing aged incubation trays and boxes and optimizing the water supply to improve biosecurity and marking options. In addition, upgrades to the stewardship building will allow the organization to maximize public and institutional education opportunities. |
$1,030,431 | June 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Evaluation of coastal kelp farms as novel habitat for migrating salmonids and their prey | Cascadia Seaweed Corporation | Cascadia Seaweed Corp. and partners will research how coastal kelp farms can provide habitat for migrating Pacific salmonids and their food sources by integrating traditional and cutting-edge monitoring technologies. | $1,886,046 | April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Technology for more sustainable fisheries in BC | T Buck Suzuki Environmental Foundation | This project aims to enhance the sustainability of BC’s fisheries using the use of innovative technologies. The project will test the effectiveness of LED light usage in shrimp trawl fishery, and use of knotless nets in the salmon and herring seine test fishery, to reduce bycatch, increase survivability of bycatch species, and prevent entanglements. | $320,700 | August 1, 2021 to March 31, 2023 |
| Kitwanga River sockeye salmon enhancement project | Gitanyow Huwilp Society - DBA as Gitanyow Fisheries Authority | Funding for this project will support the exploration of enhancement options for Kitwanga sockeye salmon, in order to rebuild the genetically unique stock, and prevent any further decline and loss of important genetic diversity. Key activities include: research and infrastructure preparation for a potential future enhancement facility; site survey and design; biological strategy; water volume/water quality and wells; and discharge treatment. |
$950,000 | October 30, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Fraser salmon management program | Fraser Salmon Management Council (FSMC) | BCSRIF funding will bring together Indigenous biologists technical staff, and experts from other agencies, to share findings and make recommendations that will support the protection and restoration of Fraser Chinook and other salmon stocks. Project activities will enable Indigenous leaders to make informed decision about salmon fisheries, conservation, protection, and enhancement, the development of annual Indigenous fisheries plans, and a suite of adaptive tools and techniques for modeling outcomes and providing options for decisions makers. | $400,000 | January 1, 2022 to March 31, 2024 |
| First Nations-led freshwater salmon habitat assessment and restoration planning in the Central Coast | Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance (CCIRA) | CCIRA will develop watershed-scale habitat assessments in the Central Coast sub-region of BC in alignment with the Watershed-based Fish Sustainability Plan. Habitat restoration plans will be developed and implemented for high-priority watersheds to improve hydrological stability and increase resilience to climate change, followed by post-restoration monitoring to evaluate the effectiveness of restoration efforts and to improve future restoration planning. | $2,747,628 | April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024 |
| Fishing BC App: Tidal waters license integration and recreational catch monitoring and data collection enhancements project | Sport Fishing Institute of BC | The Sport Fishing Institute will build on ongoing work to improve the Fishing BC app. This phase will enhance information display and access, as well as tools for improved catch and compliance monitoring, including the option for recreational anglers to submit catch data directly into the DFO National Recreational License System (NRLS). | $714,445 | May 2023 to March 2024 |
| Squamish Estuary chinook salmon habitat restoration project | Squamish River Watershed Society | This project will implement a restoration plan to restore connectivity and access for juvenile out-migrating Chinook between the Squamish River and the central nutrient rich estuary. Outcomes include improvements to water quality, flood mitigation, and coastal resilience as well as improvements to sediment deposition in the estuary, marsh accretion, increase in carbon storage and sequestration and support to species at risk within the area. | $1,089,320 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| San Juan and Gordon Rivers – Salmon estuarine habitat restoration | Pacheedaht First Nation | Pacheedaht First Nation is intending to implement 3 restoration projects in the San Juan and Gordon River estuaries with support from the San Juan Roundtable and its technical sub-committee which includes DFO. The project aims to address the issues of channel connectivity, availability of low salt marsh habitats and loss of holding pools by. | $3,255,606 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Aeromonas salmonicida genome sequencing and qPCR test development | Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Applied Genomics Centre | KPU Applied Genomics Center will work with Abbotsford Animal Health Center to perform whole genome sequencing for several Aeromonas species, including Aeromonas salmonicida which is a pathogenic bacterium that severely impacts salmonid populations, and other fish species. The sequences will be made publicly available to DFO and others. | $278,272 | May 2023 to Sept 2024 |
| Salmon recovery - advancing planning and action | Pacific Salmon Foundation | The Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF) will undertake 4 activities including a rapid assessment to identify top priorities for salmon at conservation unit or stock management unit scales, development of a Conservation Strategy for the Heart of the Fraser area, development of a Salmon Recovery Plan in the upper Fraser area and an application of an existing successful method to provide salmon seasonal access to floodplain habitat in the Lower Fraser River. | $2,640,683 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Meziadin River up-looking hydroacoustic sockeye smolt enumeration Project |
Gitanyow Huwilp Society | The Gitanyow Huwlip Society will estimate Meziadin Lake sockeye smolt production for a period of 3 years. Gitanyow Fisheries Authority, partnered with Skeena Fisheries Commission, will use an upward-looking hydroacoustic technique and implement a biological sampling program. | $749,585 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Bute Inlet salmon viability strategy | Xwemalhkwu (Homalco) First Nation | In response to the massive habitat destruction triggered by glacial melting in the Elliot Creek Watershed and severe storm destruction of the Orford Bay hatchery in 2020, Homalco First Nation will lead a project to reconstruct the Homalco-Taggares Hatchery in Orford Bay as a Multi-Species Hatchery and Stewardship Center. | $775,225 | May 2023 to March 2024 |
| Research in support of sarita chinook as an ecological indicator and WCVI chinook salmon rebuilding | Huu-ay-aht First Nations | Huu-ay-aht First Nations will undertake work over a 3-year study period, to consider the applicability for the Sarita Chinook population as an ecological indicator for the COSEWIC listed West Vancouver Island, Ocean, Fall (South) population and the Westcoast Vancouver Island (WCVI) Management Unit. | $1,662,046 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| First Nations led salmon habitat and population monitoring, research and cumulative effects assessment in the Lower Fraser River and Boundary Bay | Salish Sea Indigenous Guardians Association | The Salish Sea Indigenous Guardians Association will build an Indigenous led salmon population and habitat monitoring program which will include the monitoring of both juvenile and adult salmon and their habitats in priority areas in the Lower Fraser River and Boundary Bay. | $2,222,120 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Salmon habitat recovery projects | Nechako Environment and Water Stewardship Society | The Nechako Environment and Water Stewardship Society will complete fish habitat restoration projects in the Nechako watershed to continue to enhance recovery opportunities for Chinook and Coho salmon as well as conduct a complementary eDNA study to assist in determining distribution of salmonids in the Stuart/Nechako watershed to further inform future restoration efforts in the area. | $1,500,000 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| ʔaayaaqa (herring) herring spawn eynamics | Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council | The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, working with Landmark Fisheries, will develop computer-based models to assess West Cost Vancouver Island Herring populations, taking into account diversity of life history traits and responses to climate change and fishing pressures. This project will support efforts to further develop a Nuu-chah-nulth approach to ecosystem-based fisheries management for Herring. | $575,960 | May 2023 to March 2025 |
| British Columbia kelp-encrusting bryozoan | University of Victoria, Department of Geography | This project aims to establish a latitudinal network of Sentinel areas along the BC coast where we quantify the spatial-temporal density of kelp-encrusting bryozoans (KEB), and associated environmental conditions. The outcomes of this project will define environmental conditions important for the placement of future kelp restoration sites and key conservation areas with benefits for the long-term survival of Pacific salmon. | $948,794 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Digital imaging of wild coho returns to the Lillooet River conservation unit | Lil’wat First Nation | The primary goal of this project is to generate an escapement estimate of wild Coho to the Lillooet CU for each return year of 2023, 2024, 2025. Key activities include; operating an ARIS from mid-Sept to mid-Nov and review data files and generating an escapement estimate. This project will provide an estimate for escapement which will enable a data-driven approach to Coho fisheries improving the likelihood of sustainably managed salmon. | $694,491 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Genetic monitoring of kokanee-sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) hybrid fitness and long term outcomes | University of British Columbia Okanagan, Department of Biology | This project builds on the experimental sockeye salmon reintroduction project in Skaha Lake, B.C. to investigate hybridization between anadromous sockeye and resident kokanee. This collaboration between Okanagan Nation Alliance, BC Ministry of Forests, University of British Columbia Okanagan will combine genetic, morphological and microchemistry analyses to investigate behavior and fitness within the Skaha Lake system over a 15-year period. | $218,350 | May 2023 to March 2025 |
| Selective fishing using a salmon trap in the Campbell River estuary | A-Tlegay Fisheries Society | This A-Tlegay Fisheries Society project is for a tidal waters traditional selective fishery salmon trap in the Campbell/Quinsam estuary on Vancouver Island. This initiative will develop Indigenous Nation's capacity for sustainable salmon stewardship through development of selective fishing methods in traditional fishing areas while preserving wild stocks of concern. | $1,143,114 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Clayoquot Pacific salmon recovery initiative | Redd Fish Restoration Society | The project will implement process-based restoration strategies starting with addressing slope stabilization issues resulting from forestry activities in the upper watersheds, and including but not limited to implementing instream habitat restoration in the mainstem and floodplain in each watershed to help create more productive rearing habitat to increase rearing potential to produce larger, healthier smolts capable of thriving in a changing marine environment. | $3,200,000 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Estimating aggregate coho salmon escapement to the Lower Fraser Management Unit | Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance Society | The Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance will continue the successful Chilliwack coho PIT tag escapement project to estimate the total escapement of coho to the Lower Fraser and Chilliwack River through the implementation of an assessment fishery and coho passive integrated transponder (PIT) program. | $543,840 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Campbell River estuary salt marsh and eelgrass restoration | Discovery Coast Greenways Land Trust | This project will restore approximately 2 hectares of the Campbell River Estuary towards pre-development conditions. Using process-based restoration techniques, the project will re-create salt marsh and eelgrass habitat that has been lost due to historic logging practices in the estuary and improve connectivity to the river by adding new tidal channels. | $1,676,000 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| TFN Fish Trap – Capacity building, communications and operations | Tsawwassen First Nation | This project will build on the Fraser River Tsawwassen First Nation (TFN) pound net project near Steveston, B.C. This project includes training for TFN members to operate the pound net, required safety equipment and operational improvements for the pound net as well as engagement on the sustainable selective fishing opportunity a pound net provides. This also includes a continued robust salmon mortality study, ongoing data collection and reporting activities for the length of this project. | $810,062 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Determining the mechanisms of impacts of a changing climate on zooplankton in the Salish Sea using models and observations | University of British Columbia Vancouver, Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences | University of British Columbia (UBC), in partnership with Ocean Sciences (DFO) and University of Washington, will use a combined approach to examine the impacts of climate change on the food available to out-migrating juvenile salmon and resident adult species in the Salish Sea. Using both computer models and observational data, the team will focus on zooplankton responses to stressors such as ocean warming and increased atmospheric CO2. | $253,963 | May 2023 to Nov 2025 |
| Basin-scale Events to Coastal Impacts (BECI) | North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES) | Funding will be used to advance Canadian interests through the Basin-scale Events to Coastal Impacts (BECI) project and develop an innovative approach to ocean forecasting that allows for enhanced down-scaled modelling of the boundary conditions (open ocean) for use in higher resolution coastal models that are in use or being developed. The goal is to inform fisheries production predictions that more fully account for the ongoing and increasing implications of climate change. | $1,154,750 | May 2023 to March 2025 |
| Identifying and mitigating hot spots of salmon exposure to toxic road runoff | University of British Columbia Vancouver, Department of Civil Engineering | The UBC team will document and mitigate the adverse impacts of toxic road runoff on BC salmon in the Lower Mainland, with a focus on the emerging tire-related chemical 6PPD-quinone. | $1,747,809 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Watershed Futures Initiative: Towards climate resilience of salmon watersheds | Simon Fraser University, Department of Biological Sciences | The project aims to understand climate change thresholds, sensitivities and cumulative effects on salmon ecosystems which will help inform stakeholders, rightsholders, and managers in watershed management to increase climate-resilience of BC's salmon watersheds. | $1,254,022 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Restoration of salmon habitat at Cultus Lake, BC | SCBC Stewardship Centre for BC | This project will restore ~150m of shoreline, decrease anthropogenic nutrient loadings to the lake, create awareness, develop capacity with partners and property owners and conduct monitoring and evaluations. | $531,674 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Thompson-Shuswap salmon habitat assessment, monitoring and restoration program | Shuswap Nation Tribal Council Society | This project, being led by the Secwepemc Fisheries Commission (on behalf of the Thompson-Shuswap Salmon Collaborative), seeks to conduct a suite of inter-related activities focused on assessing, monitoring, and responding to freshwater habitat threats facing wild salmon and steelhead in the Thompson-Shuswap sub-region | $1,306,000 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| 10,000 wetlands project | The B.C. Wildlife Federation | BCWF will install beaver dam analogues (BDA) throughout BC in collaboration with partners to advance process-based restoration and measure BDA efficacy for addressing watershed threats, particularly climate change and extreme weather, and support fish and wildlife habitat. | $1,538,703 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Skeena River fish trap project | Lax Kw’alaams Business Development Ltd. | This project is being conducted by Lax Kw'alaams Fisheries in collaboration with Skeena Fisheries Commission and the Wild Fish Conservancy to assess the viability of an impoundment net fish trap in the lower Skeena River. | $2,272,760 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Management strategy evaluation for bottom contact fisheries with assessments of sensitive benthic habitats | Wild Canadian Sablefish, Ltd. | This project will develop and demonstrate an innovative adaptive management approach to improving sustainable fishing practices for bottom contact fisheries | $257,400 | June 2023 to March 2026 |
| Resilient Waters Phase 3: Restoration and research for salmon and flood resilience in the Lower Fraser watershed | MakeWay Charitable Society | Resilient Waters Phase 3 builds off the successes of the first 2 phases of this large-scale effort to restore connections to wild salmon habitat in the Lower Fraser River while advancing best practices in fish-friendly flood-control infrastructure. | $3,613,173 | October 2023 to March 2026 |
| Lower Adams habitat restoration initiative (LAHRI) | Little Shuswap Lake Band | The overall objective of the project is to focus on re-establishing connectivity and habitat conditions to support and sustain recovery of Adams River sockeye, other salmon, and resident fish species. The key project elements will be the assessment of current geomorphic conditions to inform restoration planning, design, feasibility, monitoring, and implementation. | $1,884,334 | June 2023 to March 2026 |
| Strait of Georgia herring: Restoring the salmon food web | Pacific Salmon Foundation | The Pacific Salmon Foundation, in collaboration with academic and First Nations partners, seeks to address several outstanding questions, including factors that impact availability of herring to Pacific salmon, the quality and use of the spawn habitat, and the health and structure of Strait of Georgia herring populations. | $3,722,499 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Development of high-resolution climate change freshwater hazard data for BC | Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium | The Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium (University of Victoria) will expand upon their current work by providing results on the impact of climate change on the freshwater environment at a resolution sufficient to represent individual stream reaches and lakes. The study is to be conducted primarily in areas with the majority of priority wild salmon stocks in BC. This project will involve 2 main activities: Hydrologic Modelling and Data Portal deployment. | $558,355 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Tsecmenúl̓ecwem-kt (We Repair the Land) - Deadman recovery and resiliency initiative | Skeetchestn Indian Band | The Deadman River Watershed Restoration Program by the Skeetchestn Natural Resources Corporation aims to restore the post-wildfire valley-bottom to a climate-resilient riverscape by establishing a comprehensive monitoring and research program as well as implementing land and riparian restoration treatments in the watershed using process based restoration through nature-base solutions. | $4,000,000 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Mitigating inputs of tire wear toxins to protect salmonid habitat on Vancouver Island | British Columbia Conservation Foundation | This project aims to identify where the major sources of tire wear toxin (TWT) inputs are along eastern Vancouver Island, investigate the spatiotemporal concentration changes of the TWTs from point sources and evaluate the efficacy of engineered solutions to remove and/or prevent TWTs from entering salmon-bearing streams. | $2,293,016 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Mapping, monitoring and restoring important forage fish habitats in Coastal British Columbia to support salmon conservation efforts | Comox Valley Project Watershed Society | Comox Valley Project Watershed Society will build off the successes of their completed BCSRIF-funded project to apply and refine recently developed research tools and models to identify forage fish spawning, rearing, burying and foraging habitats in the Salish Sea and off the west coast of Vancouver Island. Active restoration of at least 2 potential forage fish spawning beaches will also take place. | $1,402,754 | June 2023 to March 2026 |
| Oolichan from estuary to offshore: Assessment of early marine populations and limiting factors of Central Coast oolichan (Eulachon) in Douglas Channel and Gardner Canal | Ecofish Research Ltd. | The Conservation and Recovery Research on Oolicah in Haisla Territory (CAROOHT) Research Team will conduct intensive surveys on the transitional stage of Oolichan larvae from estuaries to offshore environments on the Central Coast. Using field based studies and a novel eDNA technique, the team will assess health and environmental stressors of this important life stage and identify early marine distribution, abundance, and growth. | $1,213,354 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Watershed restoration prioritization tool/solutions for Gold River steelhead | Nootka Sound Watershed Society | The Watershed Restoration Prioritization Tool/ Solutions for Gold River Steelhead Project supports long-term management and recovery of priority salmon stocks in the Nootka Sound region of West Coast Vancouver Island, with a particular focus on threatened Chinook salmon and steelhead stocks in the Gold River watershed. | $1,165,470 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Portage Creek chinook salmon recovery program | St'át'imc Government Services (SGS) | This project will provide key information to preserving and managing the endangered Portage Creek Chinook population. Through innovative and robust methods, the project will provide a high-precision estimate of juvenile and spawner abundance within Portage Creek to quantify enhancement success. | $810,602 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Post flood support for fish and fish habitat recovery in the Nicola Watershed | Scw’exmx Tribal Council | This project will support strategic post 2021 flood recovery actions in the Nicola Watershed. These include the remediation of several site specific areas where critical habitat has been degraded by the extreme flood event; support for a watershed assessment and rapid deployment team to address fish stranding and passage issues as they occur and support watershed rehabilitation planning work; and the continuation of a juvenile standing stock project to track Chinook and steelhead juvenile recruitment in response to flood. | $5,309,810 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Mitigating the effects of the invasive European green crab on the Central Coast of BC | Heiltsuk Tribal Council | The Heiltsuk Integrated Resource Management Department will assess and mitigate the spread of European Green Crab (EGC), focusing on important salmon habitat in the Central Coast of British Columbia, including eelgrass beds and estuaries near spawning habitats. The team will conduct concentrated trapping efforts and monitor results to adapt the program and better understand the implications of the invasion. | $1,423,750 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Empirically resolving interspecific competition experienced by North Pacific salmon in the open ocean | University of British Columbia, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries | This project uses samples collected through trawl surveys conducted under the International Year of the Salmon to combine Compound-Specific Isotope analysis with diet analysis to resolve competitive interactions among salmon and other species in the East North Pacific This information will support the development of a food-web model to determine how competitor interactions impact grown and survival of salmon on the high seas. | $186,450 | June 2023 to March 2025 |
| Investigation of water acidification and habitat on imprinting and homing in Pacific salmon | University of British Columbia Vancouver, Department of Zoology | Led by the University of British Columbia Department of Zoology, this project will aim to identify how changes in the environment can impact a salmon's olfactory response during different life history phases. This will improve understanding of how rearing conditions can affect physiology during key periods when salmon undergo olfactory imprinting on natal habitats, and how captive rearing conditions can be managed to limit impacts on imprinting. | $541,750 | October 2023 to March 2026 |
| Skeena Watershed salmon habitat restoration prioritization, feasibility and evaluation protocol development, with cost-benefit analysis, monitoring and evaluation pilot projects | Skeena Fisheries Commission | The Skeena Fisheries Commission, in partnership with Gitksan Watershed Authorities will undertake activities to restore fish passage and utility of upstream habitats by replacing fish barriers in Gitksan Territory on the Skeena River watershed. | $677,300 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Shellfish aquaculture sustainability enhancement program | British Columbia Shellfish Growers Association | This project will build on the success and lessons of the Shellfish Aquaculture Strategic Renewal Program and the information from outreach to member and non-member shellfish farmers to provide support with:Innovative Shellfish Handling technologies; developing capacity for a long-term Broodstock selection program; environmental habitat restoration and ; and providing education, awareness, and direct support to shellfish farmers | $1,000,000 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Towards food security: restoring salmon and their habitat | Wet’suwet’en Treaty Office Society | This project will support continued work by the Wet'suwet'en Treaty Office Society to assess and rebuild salmon populations and habitat in the Skeena River watershed. Rebuilding plans for priority salmon stocks will be developed, focusing on highly diminished species and populations, and this work will be supplemented by habitat restoration efforts in key areas. | $565,000 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Headwaters to Deepwaters: Integrated approach to salmon recovery in a vital urban system | Peninsula Streams Society | PSS will undertake projects to support Greater Victoria's urban salmon ecosystems. Through assessments and restoration they will work to develop the key priorities for sustainable salmon habitats within the contexts of Indigenous knowledge, science, urbanization, and climate change. | $250,000 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Establishing baselines, risks, and mechanisms of thiamine deficiency in British Columbia Chinook salmon | University of British Columbia Vancouver, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries | This project will identify populations of BC Chinook salmon experiencing or at risk of Thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency complex (TDC), guide realistic mitigation strategies in hatcheries, and inform prediction of future change. | $545,151 | June 2023 to March 2026 |
| Highway 16 and CN corridor stranding remediation/Willow Creek Arch Culvert/Mid-Scully Creek spawning gravel addition | Kitsumkalum Band, Fish and Wildlife | Building on feasibility studies funded through a previous BCSRIF intake, this project will implement designs to improve identified fish stranding sites along the Highway 16 corridor between Prince Rupert and Terrace along the lower Skeena River. The goal is to provide 2-way fish passage and additional spawning and rearing habitat, as well as reducing fish stranding mortality. | $888,261 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Identifying factors that influence early marine survival of WCVI Chinook salmon | Pacific Salmon Foundation | The project aims to start filling in information gaps related to West Coast Vancouver Island Chinook salmon mortality during early marine residence. | $1,150,000 | June 2023 to March 2026 |
| Enhancing estuary resilience: A collaborative approach to the monitoring and restoration of estuaries with Coastal First Nations | The Nature Trust of British Columbia (NTBC) | The Nature Trust of British Columbia (NTBC) will continue and expand their existing BCSRIF-funded project involving monitoring and research to assess estuary resilience to sea-level rise and other climate impacts across the coast of BC using the Marsh Resilience to Sea Level Rise (MARS) tool. Funding provided through this project will also be used to augment restoration activities proposed for the Cowichan River estuary to restore core natural estuarine processes. | $3,493,975 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Supporting B.C.’s kelp industry and enabling coastal restoration and research by increasing hatchery seed supply | West Coast Kelp Ltd. | The project will improve hatchery methods and expand West Coast Kelp’s existing hatchery infrastructure to produce enough kelp seed for 72 hectares of kelp farm per year. This project will also deliver an in-kind contribution to a First Nation’s owned business operating a kelp farm in Barkley Sound that will be used to assist with the development the kelp farming business and create training and employment opportunities for Indigenous youth. | $92,434 | June 2023 to May 2024 |
| Xá:y Syí:ts’emílep: Gill Bar restoration and management plan | Stó:lo Service Agency | The project aims to implement an Indigenous-led approach to researching, restoring, and conserving the Gill Bar area of the Fraser River. The project team along with technical professionals of the S’ólh Téméxw Stewardship Alliance, aim to assess the Gill Bar for habitat destruction related to the impacts of long term heavy recreational use and to conduct an inventory of the habitats and species use. These findings will then feed into an in-river island management plan and associated restoration works. | $1,513,649 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Chilako River and tributary stream corridor restoration demonstration | Lheidli T’enneh First Nation | The Chilako River and Tributary Restoration is a Lheidli T’enneh led initiative that takes a strategic, process based approach to recovering impacted spawning and rearing habitat. The key activities include the use of low-tech, process based techniques to restore riparian vegetation on riverbanks and tributary floodplains. | $3,000,000 | September 2023 to March 2026 |
| Gwa’sala ‘Nakwaxda-xw fully-integrated salmon habitat restoration project | Gwa’sala ‘Nakwaxda’xw Nations | The Gwa’sala ‘Nakwaxda-xw project will focus on salmon habitat restoration and enhancement in Smith Inlet and Seymour Inlet on the Central Coast. This will include upgrades to the Warner Bay Hatchery, Seymour Inlet stock monitoring, and restoration activities along the Nekite River, in partnership with experts in habitat restoration and informed by Traditional Knowledge holders. | $873,215 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Boundary Bay chinook salmon restoration in the TA’TALU watershed | A Rocha Canada | A Rocha Canada will assess the status of the Boundary Bay Chinook salmon conservation unit (CU) and its habitat in the TA'TALU (Little Campbell River) watershed, with the overarching goal of improving the sustainability of the CU in this system. | $535,388 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Establishing a test fishery for chinook salmon in key areas of the B.C. coast | Sport Fishing Institute of BC | This project will operate a Pilot program to develop a Test Fishery for Chinook Salmon to be used to supplement and verify stock composition data used in the development and management of Marked Selective Fisheries (MSF) for Chinook Salmon | $1,573,653 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| FRIM – Short term mortality holding and respirometry studies | Sport Fishing Institute of BC | This project will build on a previously funded Fisheries Related Incidental Mortality (FRIM) study led by the Sport Fishing Institute to expand the work to include Coho salmon, in addition to Chinook. | $1,724,644 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
| Informed approaches to determine bottlenecks to survival for chinook and coho salmon and steelhead | Pacific Salmon Foundation | This work will use and refine Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tag architecture to track individual fish and provide new insights into survival in the South Coast. The survival of wild and enhanced Chinook and coho salmon will be compared within and between river systems and enhancement strategies with tags applied and detected across multiple life history stages to identify periods of higher mortality. | $5,096,359 | May 2023 to March 2026 |
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