By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer Ottawa’s $412-million salmon recovery program offers a lifeline to BC’s struggling fisheries — but comes at the same time budget cuts are dismantling monitoring systems conservationists, experts and First Nations say are essential to protect them. Aaron Hill, executive director of Watershed Watch Salmon Society, said he was relieved to see any federal investment in salmon recovery at a time when budgets are tightening across departments. Federal department cuts totalling $500 million over four years will shrink programs, scale back monitoring and eliminate 551 full-time positions by 2028-29. Some of the changes already began last summer. Dozens of streams went unmonitored during the spawning season as Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) failed to renew contracts for seasonal “creek walkers” who…
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