The Pacific Salmon Foundation is inching closer to achieving their goal of raising $10 million for their five-year Salish Sea Marine Survival Project, dedicated to determining the causes of major declines in Chinook and coho salmon in the Strait of Georgia over the last twenty years. Rudy North, president and CEO of North Growth Management, pledged $250,000 to the project, bringing their total raised to $7.25 million!
As North pointed out when he made the donation, the Strait of Georgia is home to thousands of marine life species and the Pacific salmon are among the most important as entire ecosystems depend on salmon for sustenance. The loss and dramatic changes seen over the past twenty years need to be figured out in order to assess and develop strategies to sustain the Strait of Georgia for future generations.
Dr. Brian Riddell, president and CEO of Pacific Salmon Foundation and scientific leader on the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project, says that the “ambitious project will look at the entire Salish Sea ecosystem to determine the most significant factors that affect the survival of juvenile salmon, particularly as they enter the saltwater phase of their lives.” Twenty federal state and provincial agencies, First Nations, academica and nonprofit organizations on both sides of the US and Canadian border make up the multidisciplinary support group for the project, including a partnership with Seattle-based Long Live the Kings which has taken part in research on similar issues in Puget Sound.
This project brings the issues surrounding salmon production to the forefront and has received support across the province, including Canadian Fishing Company, Goldcorp, Port Metro Vancouver, Sitka Foundation, University of British Columbia and more!
You can learn more about the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project here.
