March Newsletter 2015

Now that it’s March (on the verge of spring…we hope), we are looking forward announcing new grants for 2015 by the end of March. Our goal is to announce as early as possible to facilitate recipient groups planning for the field season.

We were pleased to learn of Honourable Gail Shea’s appointment of the Minister’s Committee on Atlantic Salmon Issues. This committee will provide a much needed opportunity for conservation groups, First Nations and others interested in the welfare of wild Atlantic salmon to provide recommendations to improve salmon conservation.

As a significant funding partner to salmon conservation, the Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation will present several recommendations, based on our 8 years of experience as a funding entity. Our estimate is that ASCF is currently meeting 40% of the demand and we will be recommending that additional funding should be made available on a permanent basis for fish and fish habitat conservation and for scientific initiatives.

We have received nearly 500 funding proposals over the eight years, and as of this year we will have provided $3.5 million to over 250 very good projects, all of which were necessary contributors to wild salmon conservation. The Foundation, through its inclusive, expert advisory committees, has strong insight into the needs, and they are significant. Targeted, science via applied research projects are a key part of the need, so we expect to be focussing more resourcing in this direction.

In this issue we are pleased to highlight Jim Marriner as one of our expert volunteer advisors. Jim is part of the New Brunswick Advisory Committee and has been actively involved in the fish and wildlife conservation community for many years.

We are also delighted to profile the outstanding work of the Restigouche River Watershed Management Council. The Council has been a leader in watershed planning and in building strong partnerships to address its priority conservation issues. We think the RRWMC is a great model of how conservation can be actioned.

Yours in conservation!

Stephen