The Lheidli T’enneh nation and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) have partnered to build a fully staffed hatchery on the north bank of the Nechako River near the confluence of the Nechako and the Fraser River watershed.
The DFO and Lheidli Nation worked together since the project’s inception, and Canfor has also played a role through a land sale the hatchery will be built on. Silverstein states that the forestry company already has access to groundwater in the location, “We’re working with them to make sure we’re not duplicating any infrastructure, and all the licensing and permitting for any of the water extraction is sorted.”
Adam Silverstein, Regional Manager of Hatchery Reform and Modernization at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) spoke with CFURadio about this development. - Ian Gregg, CFUR Due North