POLL: Large majority of British Columbians support government investment in Pacific salmon recovery
October 7, 2025
Vancouver, B.C. – New polling shows that more than four in five British Columbians support government investment in salmon recovery, with nearly half expressing strong support.
In a recent survey by Canadian market research expert Leger, 82 per cent of 1,000 respondents expressed support for government investment in rebuilding wild salmon populations, with only 3 per cent opposing and 15 per cent neither supporting nor opposing.
The Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF) commissioned this survey after a summer dominated by headlines of better-than-expected Fraser sockeye returns and accompanying opportunities for Indigenous, commercial, and recreational fishing.
Pacific Salmon Foundation scientists conducting marine research
The polling shows that this year’s hopeful signs for some salmon runs has not pulled the focus of British Columbians away from the overall decline in salmon populations and the need for sustained recovery efforts. Two-thirds of salmon populations in B.C. and the Yukon are below their historical averages, which was evident in PSF’s 2025 State of Salmon Report.
The polling affirms PSF recommendations to renew investments in salmon recovery in Budget 2025 to ensure progress made through these initiatives continues.
The Liberal Party under Mark Carney specifically committed to revamping the British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund (BCSRIF) and increasing its funding by 20 per cent in its 2025 ‘Canada Strong’ election platform. BCSRIF is a joint federal/provincial fund, and the B.C. NDP also included expanding investment in salmon restoration in its election platform.
Pacific Salmon Foundation research in the Discovery Islands, B.C. Photo: Chelsea Pope
Michael Meneer, President and CEO of the Pacific Salmon Foundation, said:
“Investing in wild Pacific salmon is a win-win-win for people, ecosystems and the economy. PSF, along with 80 per cent of British Columbians, agree on the need for renewed government funding for Pacific salmon recovery. We call on our government to listen to British Columbians and include funding for Pacific salmon in the federal budget. We encourage the Government to follow through with its campaign commitment to renew funding for the B.C. Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund, which flows needed funds to First Nations and community organizations to implement salmon recovery and conservation projects across British Columbia.”
Media contact:
Oscar Beardmore-Gray
Communications Specialist, Pacific Salmon Foundation
604-664-7664 ext. 1010
