November 14, 2013
CULTUS LAKE, B.C. – The Honourable Randy Kamp, Parliamentary Secretary to Gail Shea, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, and Mark Strahl, Member of Parliament for Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon, visited the Cultus Lake Laboratory today to observe work underway to rebuild the endangered Cultus Lake sockeye, a Fraser River sockeye stock. Fisheries and Oceans Canada staff are starting this season’s collection of eggs and milt from the returning sockeye for incubation.
“It was good to see federal government investment in actions to improve the returns of this endangered Fraser River sockeye stock. This is an example of how the Department’s day-to-day work is addressing some of Commissioner Cohen’s recommendations,” said Mr. Kamp.
“I was impressed to see that 3,300 Cultus Lake sockeye have returned this year, almost double the return from four years ago. This program gives great hope to a stock that had declined to less than a hundred adults about a decade ago,” said Mr. Strahl.
Multiple disciplines within Fisheries and Oceans Canada – the Salmonid Enhancement Program, Science Branch, Stock Assessment Division and Fisheries Management – are working together on the Cultus Lake sockeye program. The Salmonid Enhancement Program is celebrating its 35th year and invests about $26 million annually in enhancing salmon stocks across the Pacific Region.
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