Shae Denny expresses astonishment at the global recognition of local conservation efforts in Cape Breton. As an aquatic programs manager at the Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources, Denny emphasizes the significance of being stewards of the land since ancient times.
In December, the United Nations acknowledged a seven-year initiative involving scientists, Indigenous communities, and volunteers to restore the Atlantic salmon population in Cape Breton Highlands National Park. The UN honored a Parks Canada project, Respectful Returns, with a World Restoration Flagship for its substantial ecosystem restoration work.
Respectful Returns, launched in 2010, is a collaborative effort between Parks Canada, Indigenous groups, and local communities to revive rivers and streams nationwide. The project has successfully rehabilitated over 65,000 hectares of land and 228 kilometers of waterways in seven national parks.
Denny, a member of the Eskasoni First Nation, highlights the early awareness of declining salmon stocks in Cape Breton by the Mi’kmaq community in the 1950s. This led to the establishment of a salmon advisory committee involving Eskasoni Fish and Wildlife, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and local river associations.
The restoration program at Cape Breton Highlands National Park commenced in 2019 after witnessing a drastic decline in the salmon population. Park ecologist Sarah Penney mentions that in the 1980s, around 75 adult salmon returned annually, which decreased to approximately 10 in the 1990s and early 2000s due to high mortality rates among young salmon.
To address this issue, Parks Canada and partners began capturing juvenile salmon from the Chéticamp River and Clyburn Brook, raising them in captivity until they were ready for release back into the wild. This hands-on approach proved successful, with the salmon population meeting the conservation target of 75 for the first time in three decades.
Although Parks Canada received the flagship recognition in December, they held a ceremony on July 16 to honor four key groups in Cape Breton: the Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources, the Atlantic Salmon Federation, and local salmon associations. Bill Haley, vice-president of the Margaree Salmon Association, emphasized the importance of partnerships and expressed pride in being acknowledged alongside global conservation initiatives.
