Collaboration for Atlantic Salmon Tomorrow (CAST)
On November 5th, 2016 a funding announcement was made at the Rodd Miramichi about the CAST program. MSA will be actively involved in this program by having the SAS (smolt to adult supplementation) project at our hatchery in South Esk! The program will be funded with almost 5 million dollars to help save wild Atlantic salmon. Please see the links below for more information on this great initiative!
I read that CAST is a collaboration of industry leaders, conservation groups and scientists but what I failed to see mentioned was of any FIrst Nation groups. I heard of an information meeting held at the lodge this month but an information meeting is far from any consultations with First Nations.
I know this projects goal is to help the Atlantic salmon but removing thousands of smolts from the wild to be raised in tanks with no guarantee that these fish will even return to spawn is very troubling to myself and others I have discussed this issue with. When millions and millions of dollars in funding are involved one has to make sure that this project is about the salmon and not about the money. I have talked to many people in the Miramichi and hardly anyone was aware that this project started in 2015 and that wild smolts have been captured and removed from the river in 2015 and 2016 to be raised in tanks.