Canada is committing $10 million to increase the permanent endowment supporting wild Atlantic salmon, extending the pool for watershed conservation in Atlantic Canada and Quebec and related community projects.
The Foundation for Conservation of Atlantic Salmon (FCAS) will receive the grant. Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson announced it Nov. 9, saying the award will expand the Atlantic Salmon Endowment Fund, a continuing source of conservation funding in those regions.
The award is one portion of a broader $81.7 million commitment Canada announced in March 2026 for its nature protection strategy. The wider package aims to rebuild wild salmon populations and protect Atlantic salmon habitat. The $10 million allocation is designated for FCAS’s endowment.
The fund began with a $30 million federal investment in 2007. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) says its supported projects have restored 7.5 million meters of habitat and opened access to nearly 200 square kilometers of habitat.
FCAS plans to direct the new resources to watershed projects. Its work will include habitat restoration, improving salmon movement through waterways, monitoring populations and studying climate adaptation. Applied research is also among the planned areas.
FCAS Executive Director Charline McCoy said the larger endowment would let the foundation finance more community-led conservation and strengthen coordination with government, Indigenous and local partners. She also cited joint watershed planning and management as areas the added funding can support.
Thompson said Atlantic salmon matter to the region’s ecology, communities, culture and economy. She credited FCAS with bringing together partners from different communities and organizations.
Canada published its national Atlantic salmon strategy in 2025. It calls for salmon populations able to withstand climate pressures, management consistent with Indigenous rights, broader public knowledge and participation, and transparent decisions. DFO said the new funding will help advance conservation actions under the strategy.
