The Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, has announced the creation of a Long-Term Commercial Closures and License Retirement Program in the Effort to Save Pacific Salmon.
Pacific salmon are currently in the midst of a long-term decline, with many runs on the verge of collapse. This decline, which has been one of many over several decades, is due to a complex combination of climate change, habitat degradation, and harvesting impacts.
Today, Minister Jordan announced the Pacific Salmon Commercial Transition Program. This voluntary salmon fishing license retirement program will provide harvesters with the option to retire their licenses for fair market value and will facilitate the transition to a smaller commercial harvesting sector. Permanently removing fishing effort will support the economic viability of fisheries in the long term, while closures will protect salmon stocks and give them an opportunity to stabilize.
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