B.C. First Nation to develop salmon hatchery with the federal Fisheries Department | Canada Voices

The Tsilhqot’in National Government in British Columbia says it has formed a “historic partnership” with the federal Fisheries Department to develop a permanent salmon conservation hatchery in its territory.

It says the hatchery will be managed by the nation, which is host to three salmon-bearing watersheds: the Chilcotin, the Chilko, and the Taseko rivers.

The First Nation says the recovery of fish stocks has been a “long-standing nation-wide priority” and a larger, permanent hatchery will help bring back wild stocks, while supporting traditional fishing practices.

It says its lands are home to spawning and nursery grounds for a sockeye run, noting that the salmon have faced significant challenges resulting in low returns.

Joe Alphonse, Tsilhqot’in National Government’s tribal chair, says in a news release that a landslide this summer that blocked the Chilcotin River stopped his people from harvesting fish.

He says the nation is hopeful the hatchery will help rebuild vulnerable salmon populations.