The decision to close the Mactaquac Biodiversity Facility in New Brunswick has sparked criticism from the Wolastoqey Nation and conservationists focused on Atlantic salmon. This facility, located in French Village beneath the Mactaquac Dam on the St. John River, is being shut down by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in line with government cost-cutting measures.
The closure of this facility will also lead to the discontinuation of the Atlantic salmon live gene bank program and related salmon-stocking activities. The Wolastoqey group, representing six Wolastoqey communities, expressed deep concern over the decision, emphasizing the lack of consultation that directly impacts their Aboriginal and Treaty rights, the river ecosystem, and the salmon species.
According to Tommi Linnansaari, a biology professor at the University of New Brunswick, the Mactaquac facility undertakes various crucial programs. These include collecting wild brood stock, fertilizing eggs, releasing baby salmon into different areas upstream, and growing and releasing juvenile salmon back into the Tobique River. The closure of the hatchery could result in dire consequences for salmon populations in the region.
David Roth, the New Brunswick program director for the Atlantic Salmon Federation, highlighted the significant role of the hatchery in sustaining salmon populations in the St. John River. The closure of the facility and termination of stocking programs would have catastrophic effects on salmon conservation efforts. The Wolastoqey Nation is evaluating the impacts of this decision, including potential job losses and setbacks in salmon conservation.
The Mactaquac Biodiversity Facility was established in 1968 under an agreement between the federal Fisheries Minister and N.B. Power to mitigate the ecological impacts of the Mactaquac Dam. Despite the utility’s acknowledgment of upcoming changes at the facility, concerns remain regarding the future of salmon populations and the fulfillment of fish passage obligations.
While the closure of the Mactaquac hatchery may be a cost-cutting measure, experts emphasize the need for alternative solutions to sustain salmon populations. Revamping recovery programs or providing funding for improved facilities could offer a lifeline for the endangered salmon species. The closure of the hatchery, even for a year, could jeopardize decades of conservation efforts and genetic diversity essential for the survival of salmon populations.
