Village of Grand Manan

4 days ago

Congratulations to Fundy National Park, Parks Canada for your United Nations recognition of the Fundy Salmon Recovery project. The Village is proud to host the project in Dark Harbour.

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N.B. national parks honoured by UN for salmon restoration project
Sarah Seely, Times and Transcript, Dec. 05, 2025, tj.news/moncton-miramichi/n-b-national-parks-honoured-by-un-for-salmon-restoration-project

New Brunswick’s two national parks were among seven Canadian national parks that were recognized by the United Nations for their salmon conservation efforts. Following a thorough review of more than 200 submissions by over 30 international experts, Parks Canada’s Respectful Returns initiative—a national salmon restoration project—was selected to receive a United Nations World Restoration Flagship, making it the first-ever North American recipient. Jointly led by UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the awards are announced under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030). “The World Restoration Flagships represent some of the most ambitious, science-based, and inclusive examples of restoration in action,” said the UN in a news release.

Since 2010, Parks Canada has collaborated with Indigenous and local communities on the salmon initiative, focusing on restoring damaged rivers and streams in seven national parks. The seven sites are Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve, and Haida Heritage Site, Fundy National Park, Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Kouchibouguac National Park, Gros Morne National Park, and Terra Nova National Park. Corey Clarke, park manager for Fundy National Park, told Brunswick News that in the early 2000s there were very few Inner Bay of Fundy Atlantic salmon returning to Fundy rivers and that particular salmon population is considered an endangered species. Parks Canada has been working with Fort Folly First Nation and Cooke Aquaculture to take wild juvenile salmon and cultivate them at a marine farm on Grand Manan and every year the mature salmon are released in Upper Salmon River and Point Wolfe River, as well as tributaries of the Petitcodiac River to spawn. The rivers are continually monitored and Clarke said some years there have been as many as 100 salmon return. The initiative has made way for academic research on the species, as well as community and Indigenous ceremonies involving the salmon releases. “It’s a very satisfying thing to be part of,” he said. “A lot of ecological restoration stories can’t say things are better now than they were 10 or 15 years ago.” He pointed to the traditional knowledge from Fort Folly First Nation being invaluable to their efforts and decision making. Fort Folly Chief Rebecca Knockwood said in a statement that strong leadership is needed at all levels of government, but the collaborative work has helped salmon in the Inner Bay of Fundy. “Having salmon back in our rivers is restoring freshwater ecosystem health, helping to heal historic wounds through reconciliation and reconnecting our Indigenous youth to our culture,” said Knockwood. Clarke said the goal is to see a day when the river will have salmon returning and spawning without the need for intervention. “We’re not there yet, but we’re a lot closer to that than we were 15 years ago,” he said. The flagship recognition is indicative of the ecological, social and cultural impacts that have been happening in the Fundy area because of the salmon work, said Clarke. “I think the award is just really fitting. It’s a really good reflection of what’s happening,” he said.

In Kouchibouguac, the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence/Gaspé population of Atlantic salmon is listed as species of special concern and is not endangered; therefore the conservation work is different than its Fundy counterpart. The focus in Kouchibouguac is in-stream egg incubation where wild salmon are captured and eggs are fertilized in captivity and put in incubation trays, which are attached to the bottom of the river until the eggs hatch, said park ecosystem scientist David Mazerolle. Parks Canada also has partnerships with Elsipogtog First Nation and the Greater Kouchibouguac Watershed Association to improve the ecosystem outside the park boundary with things like restoring eroded riverbank and planting trees along the river where there has been development. “It’s nice to see those efforts get recognition,” Mazerolle said of the UN flagship. Two other initiatives were honoured by the UN alongside Parks Canada, including a shellfish reef restoration in Australia, and subtropical thicket restoration in South Africa. The three new flagships are added to a list of 27 already recognized flagships since 2022, collectively restoring over 18 million hectares of diverse ecosystems worldwide, with plans to restore a total of more than 68 million hectares, said the UN in the release. ... See MoreSee Less