Coastal Restoration Fund: Projects in New Brunswick
Restoration of the Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) in four rivers of North Kent County, New Brunswick
Recipient: Kopit Lodge
Project goal: This project focuses on re-establishing habitat connectivity and restoring key habitats in four rivers of North Kent County – the Richibucto, Kouchibouguacis, Kouchibouguac, and Black Rivers.
The Northumberland Strait (and Gulf of St. Lawrence) is a coastal restoration priority area for DFO, and these rivers represent a large portion of important coastal watersheds in the area. Improved habitat connectivity will directly benefit Atlantic salmon, brook trout, and other species such as rainbow smelt and gaspereau.
Time frame: 5 years
Fund allocation: $1,306,736
Partners:
- Parks Canada - Kouchibouguac National Park
- Friends of the Kouchibouguacis
- Custom Research Ltd
Media Announcement:
Improving connectivity on Bay of Fundy coastal river systems through barrier removal and the application of fish passage science to improve the performance of fish ladders and tidal gates
Recipient: Ducks Unlimited Canada
Project goal: The project's objectives are aimed at increasing connectivity on two coastal river systems in the upper Bay of Fundy. Activities will include barrier removal and improvements to the performance of an existing fish ladder.
This project includes the advancement of fish passage design to benefit a wide range of fish species including Atlantic salmon, alewife, blueback herring and American eel. Assessment will also be carried out on the importance of marine nutrients transferred from migrating anadromous fish to freshwater coastal environments and the impacts of barriers to fish passage on nutrient exchange.
Time frame: 5 years
Fund allocation: $1,010,000
Partners:
- Acadia University
- Irving Oil Limited
- Canadian Wildlife Service
- EOS Eco-Energy
- Mi'Kmaw Conservation Group
- Fort Folly Habitat Recovery Team
Media Announcement:
Quoddy Region River, Estuary and Coastal Restoration Action Plan
Recipient: Passamaquoddy Recognition Group
Project goal: This project will restore habitat and ecosystems on the Skutik, Waweig, Magaguadavic and Letang rivers of New Brunswick. This project aims to restore key species migration to their native spawning grounds, improved quality of those spawning grounds and other habitats, and strengthened human relationships in the region to ensure long-term sustainability of project aims. It is anticipated that this project will positively impact a number of key species, including the Atlantic and Shortnose Sturgeon, Striped Bass, Atlantic Salmon, and American Eel.
Time frame: 5 years
Fund allocation: $1,656,000
Partners:
- Eastern Charlotte Waterways
- Conservation Council of New Brunswick – Fundy Baykeeper
- Alex Hoar
- Charles Verrill
Media Announcement:
Development of a Coastal Restoration Program for New Brunswick
Recipient: Anqotum Resource Management
Project goal: Anqotum Resource Management, in collaboration with Homarus Inc will purchase, install and monitor up to 40,000 artificial reefs units in Miramichi Bay. An artificial reef is a specially-designed rectangular concrete block with openings at the bottom that provide safe shelter for important species that are found on the ocean floor such as rock crab, mussels and algae. The reefs will have an important impact on the ecosystem because they provide shelter and diversity habitat for these types of species. At the height of the work for this project, this investment will create 16 jobs in the community. Indigenous participants will receive training on the installation of artificial reefs and on monitoring their effectiveness.
Time frame: 4 years
Fund allocation: $1,700,000
Partners:
- Homarus Inc.
The crew loading a pallet of concrete artificial reefs onto the boat. © Nelson Cloud
Fisherman is waiting for the signal that the boat is over the correct location to unload the artificial reef onto the sea floor. Pictured Leonard Alexander. © Nelson Cloud
Media Announcement:
Government of Canada Invests in New Brunswick's Eastern Shore through the Oceans Protection Plan
Inner Bay of Fundy Habitat Restoration: Petkoutkoyek & Amlamgog – The Petitcodiac and Memramcook Estuaries
Recipient: Fort Folly First Nation
Project goal: This project brings together the 3 environmental organizations, with the most experience dealing with the Petitcodiac causeway, to assess the implications of replacing the Memramcook Causeway with a bridge. This project will advance the recovery of inner Bay of Fundy coastal ecosystem by restoring aquatic habitat for key species within Fort Folly’s traditional territory. This proposal builds upon existing expertise and partnerships and applies Fort Folly’s developed framework for stewardship to additional locations in the Petitcodiac watershed. Focus will be on restoring access to and quality of aquatic habitat (freshwater and estuarine) to mitigate stressors impacting marine life.
Time frame: 3 years
Fund allocation: $785,600
Partners:
- Fort Folly Habitat Recovery
- Sentinelles Petitcodiac Riverkeepers
- Petitcodiac Watershed Alliance
- Village of Salisbury
Media Announcement:
Government of Canada invests in aquatic habitat through the Oceans Protection Plan
Development of a Marine Marsh Restoration Plan to prioritize sites where restoration and protection actions are required in southeastern New Brunswick (Northumberland Strait)
Recipient: University of Moncton
Project goal: This project involves the restoration of the Grande-Digue spit (Shediac Bay), whose sediment balance and volume have been altered by sand extraction activities (carried out until 1970), the construction of the Caissie Cape wharf (in 1949) and an increase in shoreline hardening (since the 1970s). More specifically, the objective is to fill a breach that formed in the mid-1980s and reached a length of 377 m in 2016. This breach threatens the continued existence of the tip of the spit, currently a terminal islet that is eroding due to an insufficient supply of sand. Filling in the breach will also stop the exchange of sediment between the strait and the bay at this location, which has caused silting-up of the seabed, degradation of habitats (eelgrass beds, oyster beds) and declines in some mollusc populations. Since the last Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) sighting was made shortly before the breach opened, and the spit represents a natural habitat for this species, the project will restore suitable habitat for this species and the section of coastal dunes that was lost.
Time frame: 2 years
Fund allocation: $246,787
Partners:
- Department of Energy and Resource Development, New Brunswick
- University of Moncton, History and Geography Department
- McGill University, Geography Department
- Dalhousie University, Truro
- Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Sub-Directorate for Fellowships outside Côte d'Ivoire
Media Announcement:
Government of Canada invests in aquatic habitat through the Oceans Protection Plan
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