By John Chilibeck, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Daily Gleaner Indigenous leaders in New Brunswick say Ottawa has betrayed their people by announcing the closure of the Mactaquac Biodiversity Facility, a hatchery that keeps their prized wild Atlantic salmon alive. But a top official at the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans says private talks are taking place with Indigenous organizations to take over the facility’s live wild salmon gene bank and with NB Power to ensure the big salmon can still make safe passage over the massive Mactaquac dam. Last week, Indigenous leaders gathered in the community closest to the dam and hydro station, Bilijk, or Kingsclear First Nation, not far from Fredericton, to talk to community members and the media about the urgency of saving their salmon, at… <\/p>\n
By John Chilibeck, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Daily Gleaner Indigenous leaders in New Brunswick say Ottawa has betrayed their people by announcing the closure of the Mactaquac Biodiversity Facility, a hatchery that keeps their prized wild Atlantic salmon alive. But a top official at the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans says private talks are taking place with Indigenous organizations to take over the facility’s live wild salmon gene bank and with NB Power to ensure the big salmon can still make safe passage over the massive Mactaquac dam. Last week, Indigenous leaders gathered in the community closest to the dam and hydro station, Bilijk, or Kingsclear First Nation, not far from Fredericton, to talk to community members and the media about the urgency of saving their salmon, at... <\/p>\n