(Whitehorse) – Yukon Energy is contributing $15,000 to a project aimed at improving the habitat of young chinook salmon in the Mayo area.
The Nacho Nyak Dun First Nation is spearheading the project, which will see a number of small channels excavated along the lower Mayo River. These channels provide a safe place for juvenile salmon to spend the first year of their lives before heading off down the Stewart River, then the Yukon River, and finally to the Bering Sea. These new rearing areas will give a larger number of juvenile salmon a better chance at survival.
"Healthy chinook salmon populations are extremely important to the Yukon, and we're happy that we can play a role in enhancing fish habitat in Mayo," Yukon Energy spokesperson Janet Patterson said. "This is another example of our strong commitment to environmentally-sound practices and our desire to support sustainable development in the territory."
The full cost of the project is expected to be about $55,000. In addition to Yukon Energy's contribution, money will come from the Yukon River Panel Restoration and Enhancement Fund. The Fund is an agreement enacted by the U.S. Congress that provides $US 1.2 million for restoring and enhancing Canadian origin salmon stocks, developing stewardship salmon habitat and resources, and maintaining viable fisheries within the Yukon River drainage system.
"We're happy that we've been able to find the money to go ahead with this project," Nacho Nyak Dun Chief Stephen Buyck said. "Not only will it help the survival rate of our salmon, but it will provide employment and training opportunities for local residents."
The trenching work is to begin this August and should take about two weeks. Two members of Nacho Nyak Dun are expected to help in the construction phase. Follow-up monitoring will provide another 10 days of work for a local resident in the fall.
This is a pilot project; work of this nature has not been attempted in the Yukon before. If additional funding can be found in the future, there'll be a long-term monitoring period of several years to determine the success of the project. This will provide employment for 20-25 days each year for other Nacho Nyak Dun citizens or local residents.
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