High above the lowlands of the Fraser basin on Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains, a glacier that melts and becomes a stream that leads down a trench that begins the journey of the greatest salmon watershed in the world: the Fraser River.
Fraser River salmon are both a cultural icon and a symbol of the health and survival of communities. From 2006-2012, Pacific Salmon Foundation and Fraser Basin Council jointly supported more than 300 projects to improve watershed governance, fisheries management, habitat, and public engagement in watershed stewardship. A major outgrowth of the program is Salmon Safe B.C., an eco-certification program that encourages farmers to use agricultural practices that protect Pacific salmon habitat and water quality.
The $22-million program was supported with investments by the Province of British Columbia through the B.C. Living Rivers Trust, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Pacific Salmon Endowment Fund.