Tuesday, February 19, 2019 ~ BC.
~ West Shore Voice News
Salmon groups are giving mixed reviews to B.C. Budget 2019, said the Watershed Watch Salmon Society today.
“Over the past year we heard a lot of talk from the provincial government about restoring wild salmon and their habitats and developing a made-in-B.C. wild salmon strategy, including several lines in this year’s throne speech,” says Aaron Hill, Watershed Watch Salmon Society executive director. “However, there were no funds explicitly earmarked in Budget 2019 for wild salmon,” he said in a news release, adding that the word ‘salmon’ does not appear in any of the budget documents.
Hill says provincial government staff present during the pre-budget ‘information lockup’ assured him that additional wild salmon restoration funding announcements are expected in the coming year, once a strategy is in place, with that funding coming from existing budgets.
“Government’s justification for rushing their wild salmon consultations and excluding so many important voices was that they had to get their strategy in place for spending on wild salmon in this year’s budget. We haven’t seen the strategy yet, so that is likely why we haven’t seen the funding. We hope this means that Premier Horgan is taking the time to make sure their strategy is based in science, provides the greatest possible benefit for wild salmon, and will be supported by all British Columbians who care about salmon, and not just the fishing industry,” says Hill.
Despite the lack of explicit commitment to wild salmon in this year’s budget, Watershed Watch joins other conservation groups in commending the funding commitments to Clean BC.
“B.C.’s wild salmon are bearing the brunt of climate change and the provincial government is showing important leadership by addressing B.C.’s greenhouse gas emissions,” says Hill.
From the Throne Speech (as delivered February 12):
“Wild salmon are critical to the success of B.C.’s economy, the prosperity of coastal communities, and to the lives, culture and history of Indigenous peoples. Governments, communities and First Nations are charting a path forward to protect and restore wild salmon stocks, implement a transition plan for salmon aquaculture in the Broughton Archipelago, and create a more sustainable future for local communities and workers. The Premier’s Wild Salmon Advisory Council was convened last year, bringing together experts from around the province to develop a strategy for restoring and sustaining B.C.’s salmon populations.”
More details on Budget 2019: https://islandsocialtrends.ca/bc-budget-delivers-on-range-of-affordability-promises/ | www.bcbudget.ca