Gudie Hutchings, Canada's Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, has confirmed that CA$1.2 million (US$900,000) in funding will be made available through the Aquatic Ecosystems Restoration Fund (AERF), to support the restoration of wild Atlantic salmon in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The funding is going towards the Environment Resources Management Association (ERMA) – Exploits River Atlantic Salmon Collaborative Watershed Restoration Approach. A collaboration between ERMA and Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador (MUNL), the project will investigate strategies to improve the productivity of wild Atlantic salmon in the province, by focusing on the species’ spawning areas and food resources, and supporting watershed-specific restoration plans.
As part of the Oceans Protection Plan, AERF supports projects that contribute to restoration priorities in coastal and upstream areas that have a direct impact on coastal aquatic ecosystems; contribute to the development and implementation of aquatic restoration plans; and stimulate partnership with Indigenous Peoples, conservation groups, and academia to address threats to Canadian aquatic species and habitats. Activities funded under AERF help to address the root causes of impacts on those environments, and help protect and restore aquatic habitat for Canada’s coastline, estuaries, and inland regions.
Pablo Rodriguez, Canada's Minister of Transport, said the AERF will help protect and restore aquatic environments across Newfoundland and Labrador. Among other things, the funding will improve productivity for wild Atlantic salmon.
