Halifax, Nova Scotia - Making our oceans and coasts safer, cleaner and healthier for all Canadians and future generations is a top priority for the Government of Canada.
The Member of Parliament for Cumberland — Colchester, Bill Casey, on behalf of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, announced today that the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq will receive nearly $1.2 million over four years to restore coastal habitats along the Northumberland Strait and the Bay of Fundy thanks to funding under the Oceans Protection Plan.
Tidally-influenced rivers in the Bay of Fundy and the estuaries that they drain to are important habitats for a variety of species, including the Atlantic salmon during all stages of their life cycle. Similarly, the Northumberland Strait supports a wide range of fish species and marine mammals that are dependent upon healthy coastal ecosystems.
The investment announced today will help to restore or enhance these coastal landscapes and to be able to plan, implement and monitor restoration activities. It will help build capacity within Mi’kmaq communities and create up to 13 new jobs over the course of the project. The work in the Northumberland Strait will involve the deployment of artificial reefs, which provide shelter and protection for a wide range of fish species, including lobster and crabs, and enable the growth of seaweeds and other marine plants. The Bay of Fundy watershed work will involve tidal barrier assessments and planning activities that will lead to the restoration of natural tidal exchange, fish passage and access to important habitats that support such species as Atlantic salmon and American eel.
Throughout this project, the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq project coordinators will work with Mi’kmaq communities to gather ecologically or culturally important information.
In May 2017, the Government of Canada announced the $75 million Coastal Restoration Fund, under the Oceans Protection Plan, to help rehabilitate some of our most vulnerable coastlines and protect marine life and ecosystems. The Coastal Restoration Fund supports projects that contribute to healthier habitats for fish on all of Canada’s coasts with preference given to projects that involve a broad number of partners, including Indigenous organizations.
Launched in November 2016, the five-year, $1.5-billion Oceans Protection Plan is the largest investment ever made to protect Canada’s coasts and waterways. Over the past two years, the Government of Canada has invested in hundreds of projects that are making our marine safety system stronger, and protecting our coastal environments and marine species more than ever before. Based on the latest science and technology, Indigenous partnerships and collaboration, those projects bring us closer to healthier, cleaner and safer oceans.
Source : Government Of Canada