Discovery Islands Passage, British Columbia, Canada.
Photo: Adobe Stock.
The governments of Canada and British Columbia have launched a CAD 106.5 million (EUR 66.3m/USD 77.4m) fisheries fund aimed at supporting the province’s fish and seafood sector over the next five years.
The British Columbia Fisheries Fund (BCFF), announced last week, will provide funding for projects covering innovation, infrastructure, scientific research and market development, while continuing work to support the conservation and recovery of wild Pacific salmon.
Funding will be split between the federal and provincial governments, with Canada contributing 60% and British Columbia providing the remaining 40%.
The new programme succeeds the British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund (BCSRIF), which was launched in 2019. According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the programme supported 170 projects over seven years, including work on new technologies and scientific research related to Pacific salmon conservation and recovery.
One significant change under the BCFF is the addition of market development and diversification as a dedicated funding area. The governments said the move responds to industry concerns over the need to reach new markets and reduce exposure to trade barriers.
“The British Columbia Fisheries Fund continues seven years of joint work with the province, building on our success, and creating new opportunities,” said Canada’s Minister of Fisheries, Joanne Thompson.
“There is room in it for harvesters and scientists to work together, which matters as conditions in the water keep changing. The program also helps fund the equipment and the technology that harvesters and processors need. Finding new markets is a new priority in this Fish Fund renewal, and that reflects the reality of the industry in this present moment.”
Projects seeking support will have to fall within at least one of four areas. Innovation funding will cover products, processes, technologies and equipment intended to improve productivity, competitiveness, sustainability or access to markets, while the infrastructure component will support the adoption or installation of new processes, technology and equipment.
Scientific partnerships will focus on improving knowledge and the fishing sector’s ability to respond to ecosystem changes. The fourth area, market development and diversification, is intended to expand access to domestic and international markets and increase the value of British Columbia seafood products.
Salmon restoration will remain part of the programme, with funding available for work on habitats, watersheds and coastal ecosystems.
“Salmon restoration is the foundation of a strong and sustainable seafood sector,” said British Columbia Minister of Water, Land, and Resource Stewardship and Minister Responsible for Fisheries Randene Neill. “Without healthy salmon populations and resilient watersheds, there is no long-term future for the markets, jobs and communities that depend on them.”
British Columbia Agriculture and Food Minister Lana Popham added that the fund would also seek to improve the competitiveness of the province’s seafood industry and support employment in coastal communities.
According to the federal government, Canada’s wider fish and seafood industry contributes more than CAD 8 billion to the economy, supports more than 63,000 jobs and exports around CAD 8.5 billion in products.