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Failure to list coho under Species at Risk Act puts salmon at riskApril 12, 2006 - VANCOUVER - The federal government's decision to ignore its own scientists and not list interior Fraser River coho as an endangered species under Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA) puts the fish at an elevated risk of disappearing altogether, says the David Suzuki Foundation. Despite recommendations from Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) scientists, Loyola Hearn, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, refused to list the Fraser River coho under SARA. Through the SARA public consultation process the David Suzuki Foundation made strong recommendations to list the coho stock, a move that would have formalized a well-funded recovery process. “Fraser River coho have been in serious decline for more than ten years and problems persist,” says Mr. Wareham. “The Minister suggested that his ministry has the tools to take care of coho, but they have had those same tools for years and coho have not recovered. More formal protection, a well-funded recovery plan and improved fisheries management is necessary,” adds Wareham. In the DFO’s Wild Salmon Policy, which outlines conservation objectives to conserve salmon diversity, Fraser River coho were identified as one of many stocks requiring formalized protection and recovery strategies. “The depleted Fraser River coho stock is symptomatic of broader issues. Many other stocks are at risk and require aggressive conservation efforts,” Mr. Wareham says. The Species at Risk Act is a key federal government commitment to legally protect wildlife species from becoming extinct and secure the necessary actions for their recovery.
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