First Nation and feds hatch plan to save sockeye

By Hope Lompe Local Journalism Initative Reporter More than 50 years after the Gitanyow first raised concerns over the diminishing Kitwanga sockeye salmon population and halted harvest of the vulnerable species, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is building a hatchery to be operated by the nation. The Gitanyow and DFO have been working on a rebuilding plan for 25 years and this week announced they will start construction in the fall, with hope that the hatchery will help increase numbers of the salmon that are a vital food source and cultural touchstone for the Gitanyow people. Funding for the project is coming from the ministry’s Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative, a five-year plan to support the rebuilding of salmon stocks. The Gitanyow hatchery has a $10 million budget for associated costs…

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