One River System Generates $110 Million in Direct Revenue
For Immediate Release
March 30, 2006, Smithers, BC The wild salmon of the Skeena River in Northwest British Columbia generates close to $110 million annually in direct revenue according to a new study by IBM that was released today.
Click here to download the report in PDF format (2 MB)
The report findings show the wild salmon Skeena fishery is very much an economic driver in Northern British Columbia, on par with mainstays like forestry. The total direct revenue from wild salmon of the Skeena River, one of British Columbia’s three major salmon rivers and one of the most healthy, is close to the annual timber revenue from the Skeena watershed estimated by the BC government at about $140 million.
The study, the first to value all revenues from wild salmon in BC, also showed close to half of the total direct revenue comes from commercial fishing, while the other half is comprised of tourism, sports fishing and the First Nations food fishery.
“Given the health and economic value of the Skeena fishery, it’s critical the wild salmon and the Skeena watershed are protected from direct threats like fish farm expansion, coalbed methane and the proposed oil and gas pipeline,” said Pat Moss, Executive Director of the Northwest Institute, which commissioned the March 2006 study.
She said 18 potential new fish farm sites are all located near the mouth of the Skeena River and three are close to being approved.
She added the wild salmon is also threatened from the proposed Enbridge pipeline and associated oil and gas tankers in the marine environment and proposed coalbed methane development. Shell Oil has tenures to develop coalbed methane in the upper Skeena headwaters.
The Northwest Institute, based in Smithers, is a nonprofit organization that conducts research and public education on resource issues in Northwest British Columbia.
The entire IBM study and methodology can be viewed at www.northwestinstitute.ca.
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For more information, please contact:
Pat Moss, Executive Director of the Northwest Institute, (250) 847-9693