MP John Weston Announces Investment in Tenderfoot Creek Hatchery

BRACKENDALE, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - July 9, 2015) - John Weston, Member of Parliament for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country, on behalf of the Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, today announced that the Government of Canada is investing up to $500,000 in the Tenderfoot Creek Hatchery to extend its operational life and increase the health of the fish.

Construction of the hatchery began in 1981 to provide fishing opportunities for First Nations, recreational and commercial fishers. The hatchery focuses on enhancing coho, pink, chum and chinook salmon stocks in the Squamish River watershed, raising and releasing an average of about 3.3 million juvenile salmon each year.

Being a strong part of the community and working with partners is an important role of the Tenderfoot Creek Hatchery. The hatchery's six-member team works with Squamish Terminals to operate floating net pens at the company's dock in the Squamish River estuary. Tenderfoot Hatchery staff have also been lending their expertise to the Cheakamus Centre and its hatchery education program, by giving teachers technical advice and demonstrations of egg takes.

The hatchery will receive eight new fibreglass tubs that will be used to hold juvenile and adult salmon. The modern design of the circular, 20-foot-diametre structures allows for better water and oxygen flow, which will increase the health of the fish, and requires less maintenance.

The hatchery's eight existing large concrete troughs, called raceways, will also be repaired by applying a polyurethane coating to extend their life and reduce future maintenance. The raceways and fibreglass tubs are used to hold adult salmon that have been captured for broodstock, as well as juvenile salmon that are reared until ready for release to the wild.

Quick Facts

• The hatchery is part of the federal government's Salmonid Enhancement Program, which has an annual budget of $26 million. The program operates 23 salmon hatcheries and spawning channels that raise and release hundreds of millions of juvenile salmon every year to supplement wild stocks and sustain British Columbia fisheries.
• Hatcheries and spawning channels provide increased fishing opportunities and comprise an estimated 10-20 per cent of all salmon harvested in B.C.
• Several important rivers benefit from the hatchery's work, including the Mamquam, Ashlu, Elaho, Cheakamus and Tenderfoot Creek.
• Since 2006, the Government of Canada has taken several measures to support Pacific salmon. All revenues collected from the Salmon Conservation Stamp are now dedicated to the Pacific Salmon Foundation.
• The Harper Government also created the Recreational Fisheries Conservation Partnerships Program in 2013, investing $25 million over three years to support fish habitat restoration and improvement projects. Economic Action Plan 2015 further extended this funding envelope with an additional $30 million over three years beginning in 2016-17.

Quotes

"This announcement is another example of our Government's ongoing commitment to enhancing, conserving and rebuilding salmon stocks in B.C. Investing in facilities such as the Tenderfoot Creek Hatchery plays an important role in our Government's management of salmon while also creating jobs all across the country."

The Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans

"In BC, we care about our water, our Fish, and our Salmon. I commend the work of the Tenderfoot Creek Hatchery in contributing to increased fishing opportunities for First Nations, commercial and recreational fishers, which in turn is good for the B.C. economy. The hatchery benefits several important rivers in the Squamish area, including the Mamquam, Ashlu, Elaho and Cheakamus, and Tenderfoot Creek."

John Weston, MP for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country

Internet: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

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