WINNIPEG, MB, Nov. 25, 2020 /CNW/ - The health of our marine and freshwater environment and the wildlife it sustains are critical to our country's culture, well-being, and the economy. Yet some of the species that find their home in the waters, rivers, lakes, estuaries, and marshes in the Arctic, Manitoba, and Alberta are at risk due to climate change, habitat loss and other factors. The Government of Canada is taking action not only to protect these species, but to actively rebuild their populations.
Today, Canada's Northern Affairs Minister and Member of Parliament for Saint Boniface ? Saint Vital, the Honourable Dan Vandal, on behalf of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, announced almost $6.1 million in funding under the Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk for three projects in the North, Manitoba and Alberta, some of which are already underway.
The funding will support various projects already underway including: the monitoring of threats to Bowhead Whales; the protection and recovery of native trout species in Alberta; and assessing the status of species in the upper Assiniboine & lower Qu'Appelle Rivers.
Through this fund, established under the Nature Legacy initiative, the Government of Canada is helping to build a culture of conservation that empowers Canadian organizations to work together to protect our natural environments. This fund is taking an ecosystem approach to restoring and protecting aquatic species. Instead of targeting specific species, these projects aim to improve a priority place or a priority threat. This broader approach looks at improving the entire ecosystem ? from the specific species at risk, the habitat they call home, as well as other species in the area.
The Government of Canada established the historic $1.3 billion Nature Legacy Initiative in Budget 2018. The five-year, $55 million Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk supports a new approach to the conservation of aquatic species through targeted federal investments in priority places and to address priority threats to aquatic species at risk. The Fund makes it possible to support protection and recovery efforts by all partners, and support Indigenous capacity to conserve aquatic ecosystems and species.
Quotes
"With nearly two million lakes, endless connected waterways, and the longest coastline in the world, Canada is home to countless marine and freshwater species and habitats that breath life into our environment. Our government is taking strong, consistent action to protect these species and revitalize the ecosystems they depend on ? because when nature thrives, our communities thrive. By making targeted investments through Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk, we are able to collaborate with Indigenous peoples and environmental organizations on projects that have the greatest potential to make a lasting impact on our natural environments."
The Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
"Our waterways in Manitoba, Alberta, and the North not only create a special natural aquatic environment, but they are also home to numerous aquatic species at risk. Through the Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk, the Government of Canada will work with Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development, Alberta Environment and Parks; Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, and the Inuit Circumpolar Council Canada, to protect and recover aquatic species at risk and their habitats."
The Honourable Daniel Vandal, Canada's Northern Affairs Minister and Member of Parliament for Saint Boniface ? Saint Vital
Quick Facts
Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk- Arctic, Manitoba, and Alberta Projects
Backgrounder
As part of the Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk, Fisheries and Oceans Canada is providing up to $6.1 million in funding to support four projects to help restore and protect aquatic ecosystems in the Arctic, Manitoba and Alberta.
Arctic
Fishing Interactions / Physical and Acoustic Disturbance Priority Threats
Manitoba
Southern Prairies Priority Area
Alberta
Rocky Mountains' Eastern Slopes Priority Area
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SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans Central & Arctic Region
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