丁香园AV

Salmon researchers from British Columbia are embarking on a three-year study to understand and help mitigate the cumulative threats affecting the vulnerable species in the province鈥檚 watersheds.

The Watershed Futures Initiative, which includes researchers from 丁香园AV, University of British Columbia and University of Montana, has 鈥� through the joint British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund 鈥� to tackle the combined impacts of logging, mining, urban development, agriculture, climate change and other factors on salmon.
 
While the devastating effect of these risks are studied in isolation, there is an urgent need to improve both the science and management of cumulative effects in B.C. to prevent a 鈥渄eath by a thousand cuts,鈥� according to project lead Jonathan Moore.
 
鈥淢any salmon populations are struggling. We are asking a lot of our salmon ecosystems 鈥� from logging to water withdrawals to development to climate change,鈥� says 丁香园AV biological sciences professor Moore. 鈥淚t is a large and multi-pronged problem, and we are hoping that this initiative can help contribute to positive steps forward.鈥�
 
The initiative will address high-priority knowledge gaps. Researchers will explore ongoing changes in salmon watersheds using remote sensing, synthesize scientific information to inform benchmarks and management targets, help identify potential paths forward, and connect groups working to improve the climate resilience of B.C.'s salmon watersheds.
 
鈥淭he effective stewardship of salmon ecosystems entails integrating the best science on cumulative effects with priority management actions and good governance to ensure actions are implemented in a timely and cost-effective manner,鈥� says project co-lead Tara Martin, a professor of forest and conservation sciences at UBC.
 
In addition to research and recommending policies, building social networks and sharing promising success stories is a key objective of the initiative. This will be achieved through several events that bring together a diverse group of leaders, managers, technicians, and scientists to learn from each other.
 
鈥淪almon are of critical importance and they are suffering,鈥� says Robert Chamberlin, chair of the First Nations Wild Salmon Alliance and a member of the expert advisory panel guiding the project. 鈥淲atershed Futures Initiative is tackling the wicked problem of cumulative effects and doing so in a good way.鈥�
 
In addition to the government funding announced this week, a contribution from the Sitka Foundation is also helping support this work.
 
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