On the Move: Salmon Swimming Upstream wins 2022/23 Pacific Salmon Conservation Stamp Competition
Vancouver, B.C. – The Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF) is pleased to announce the winning image for the annual Salmon Conservation Stamp Competition. Eric Jablonowski was awarded first place with his submission titled, On the Move – Salmon Swimming Upstream, of 13 entries in this year’s competition.
The winning entry is featured on the 2022-23 Salmon Conservation Stamp, a required purchase to retain any species of Pacific salmon caught in the marine environment in British Columbia.
Eric Jablonowski is a first-time winner of the PSF Salmon Conservation Stamp competition. The avid outdoorsman spends countless hours in the field and on the stream photographing and studying animals and objects in their environment. His paintings reflect his love for wilderness and the outdoors.
“My painting, On the Move, is a snapshot of the beautifully colored Sockeye Salmon, painted to represent their incredible journey upstream to spawn. As a wildlife artist, it is always a privilege to study and paint a species so that others may enjoy the wonders of some of the most beautiful and fascinating creatures on earth,” says Jablonowski.
“The Department of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard is proud to partner annually with the Pacific Salmon Foundation through the Salmon Conservation Stamp. It’s urgent that we continue our efforts to restore wild Pacific salmon and recognize the support of efforts like the Salmon Conservation Stamp, which helps advance the work of thousands of community salmon stewards,” says Honorable Joyce Murray, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.
Through the individual purchase of each $6.25 Salmon Conservation Stamp, hundreds of thousands of recreational anglers support Pacific salmon conservation and restoration efforts. To date in 2021, the Pacific Salmon Foundation has granted nearly $1.3 million to 114 projects in 65 communities across B.C. and the Yukon. The total value of these projects including volunteer time and in-kind donations was leveraged to $8 million in value to the community.
“This year has been particularly difficult for Pacific salmon with the impacts of major climate-related events –floods, heatwaves, drought –on salmon and their habitat. The Salmon Conservation Stamp provides dedicated community stewardship groups and volunteers with the funds they need to carry out game-changing projects. The impacts are tangible as restored spawning and rearing habitat supports the return of salmon populations,” says Michael Meneer, PSF President and CEO.
Revenue from the sale of the Salmon Conservation Stamp is directed by the federal government to PSF, and provides, on average, more than $1.2 million for salmon restoration, conservation and enhancement each year through the Foundation’s Community Salmon Program. Since 1989, $19.4 million in Salmon Conservation Stamp revenue has supported 2,860 unique salmon projects across British Columbia and the Yukon.
In addition to funds generated from the Salmon Conservation Stamp, and from the Province of B.C., grants provided to thousands of community conservation projects are possible by generous individuals, and corporate donors, including: Mosaic Forest Management, Methanex, Seaspan, BC Hydro, Encorp Pacific (ReturnIt), Neptune Terminals. Transmountain, Paper Excellence, Pembina Pipelines, Fortis BC.
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About the Artist: Eric Jablonowski grew up in southwestern Pennsylvania and spent the better part of his childhood surrounded by nature. After graduating from college, Eric built a long career as a medical illustrator and is widely published in medical journals and books. He is most fulfilled by his passion for wildlife and landscape painting and keen to continue photographing and painting all creatures, from salmon to water buffalo and more. After years of experience in the field observing wildlife in their natural habitats, he believes that conservation efforts are vital to maintaining healthy populations.
About the Pacific Salmon Foundation: PSF is the independent, thoughtful leader and catalyst in conservation, restoration, and enhancement of Pacific salmon and their ecosystems through strategic partnerships and leveraged use of resources. www.psf.ca
