Courtenay-Alberni NDP MP Gord Johns has called on the federal government to respond to the Pacific wild salmon emergency with a relief package. He wants to see habitat restoration and compensation for fishers affected by the collapse of salmon runs in British Columbia.
“Historic lows in wild salmon returns and the near extinction of some iconic runs require urgent action from this government,” Johns told Fisheries and Oceans Minister Bernadette Jordan during Question Period Thursday in Ottawa. “The situation has been getting worse, we need new investment now for Pacific wild salmon habitat restoration, enhancement and protection.”
Johns has risen in the House of Commons several times this week. In his response to the Throne Speech, he warned the government that the salmon runs in Clayoquot Sound, on the Skeena River and and on the Fraser River should cause the declaration of an emergency. The Fraser is the largest salmon-bearing river in the world.
“Will the minister let Pacific wild salmon go the way of the Atlantic cod, or will she address this crisis with an emergency relief package?” he asked Jordan, a Nova Scotia MP.
