Gov't Plans $8 Million to Improve BC Hatcheries

[yammy5]

CANADA’S ECONOMIC ACTION PLAN
Creating Jobs and Benefitting Science - Government of Canada invests in upgrading federal salmon hatcheries in British Columbia May 22, 2009


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North Vancouver, B.C. – The Honourable Randy Kamp, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, today announced $8 million in funding, over the next two years, to modernize 33 facilities and hatcheries in the Salmonid Enhancement Program in British Columbia.

The funding is part of a $250 million commitment in Canada’s Economic Action Plan designed to accelerate investment, over the next two years, to modernize federal facilities across the country. The funding, announced in Budget 2009, is one of the many job-creating investments in the Economic Action Plan.

“This funding will enhance the efficient operations of these facilities,” said Mr. Kamp. “Important improvements to salmon hatcheries and spawning channels will be addressed throughout BC and the program will provide much needed economic stimulus as well. Our Government recognizes the importance of this program to the economy of this region and we are proud to support it."

The $8 million for the Salmonid Enhancement Program includes $5.4 million for 19 salmon hatcheries and spawning channels to refurbish their water supply and delivery systems, a critical component for hatchery operations. Twenty-six SEP facilities will receive a total of $2.6 million to repair and upgrade buildings.

The Salmonid Enhancement Program, part of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, operates 23 salmon hatcheries and spawning channels, 21 community hatcheries through contracts with First Nations and community groups and involves more than 10,000 volunteers in community and education programs.

To learn more about Canada’s Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.

Backgrounder:

Salmonid Enhancement Program Facilities - Water Supply Refurbishments

Salmonid Enhancement Program Facilities - Base Building Repairs & Upgrades

 

[Tips Up]

Wow...some good news for salmon for a change!

Tips

 

[Cuba Libre]

Tips-- its sounds good. But if you dig a little deeper like I have, you will see it is a "smoke and mirrors" announcement hat falls far short of doing the necessary job.

Here are some figures on what is necessary for infrastructrure repairs/upgrades that our islan dhatcheries need.

Quinsam --$8-$10M. Work underway from that pot and others.
Puntledge.. needs $8M- $10M
Rosewall--up to $10M
Little Qualicum --$100K
Big Qualicum--- -$6-$7M
Conuma----------$2M
Nitnat (water pipeline)--$10M
Robertson Creek --$2M for new dam.

And then we get into the smaller hatcheries such as Cowichan, Nanaimo.. no estimate but MAJOR bucks needed to prvent failures

Fanny Bay Enhancement--$150K
Mid Island Habitat Group---$20K

These figures resulted from a quick survey... it doesn even include most volunteer PIP facilities that havent had an incease from DFO for thier projects in 17 years.

And-- on top of that.. the O&M budgets for the major facilties have been continually eroded, to the point where production of chinook and coho has been cut ..... Yes-- $8M sound good--- until you put it in context

20ft Alumaweld Intruder

 

[Governor]

CL,

Thanks for posting this. It is a good news story but as you point out sadly no where near what is really needed.

What absolutely staggered me was what I learnt from the head of SEP at the SFAB meeting in Parksville recently. As you know Government announced a $ 250 million grant opportunity for "laboratories" across Canada naming only five eligible groups (SEP being named as one).

What floored me was the SEP folks chose to only apply for $ 10 million of the $250M. They didn't ask for a penny more, even when they knew how much need there is for renos and infrastructure upgrades across the system. The argument offered was they felt they couldn't spend the money fast enough if they asked for more??????

Logic tells me if the gov't says 250M between 5 groups, one kind of goes hmmm ... that's $50 M for the hatcheries. They only asked for 10 and got 8 instead - on that same ratio it now looks like they left $ 32 million on the table that went to other five labs.

This is one story not to trash the Ottawa government over.


Gov


God never did make a more calm, quiet, innocent recreation than angling - Izaak Walton