Keep Mactaquac Biodiversity Facility

AI summary

Petitioners ask the Minister to keep Mactaquac Biodiversity Facility operating until alternatives exist, consult Wolastoqey, and release all salmon appropriately. The government responds it ended the Live Gene Bank and is consulting.

AI summaries describe petitioners’ requests and claims. Consult the official record for the full text.

Official petition

Petition to the House of Commons The Mactaquac Biodiversity Facility (MBF), located on the banks of the Wolastoq (Saint John River) in New Brunswick, has protected Polamuwok (Atlantic Salmon) for more than 50 years. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) announced it will close the MBF without meaningful consultation with the Wolastoqey Nation; Atlantic salmon populations above the Mactaquac Dam have declined from an estimated 100,000 returning fish annually before industrialization to just a few hundred per year. The MBF is the primary reason those genetics still exist; The 1968 agreement establishing the MBF committed DFO to the operation of the MBF for “the life of the Mactaquac Project” and that project is being extended to 2068; and Polamuwok is a sacred species for the Wolastoqey people. They are an important part of Wolastoqey identity, stories, way of life, and Aboriginal and Treaty Rights. We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Minister of Fisheries to: 1. Keep the MBF programs operational at minimum until viable alternatives are established, and improved fish passage is implemented through the Mactaquac Life Achievement Project; 2. Immediately engage in meaningful consultation with the Wolastoqey Nation in New Brunswick regarding the future of the MBF, the programs it supports, and decisions affecting salmon in the Wolastoq; 3. Reaffirm Canada's commitment to Atlantic salmon conservation in the Wolastoq watershed, equivalent to investments made in other river systems such as Pacific Salmon and Atlantic Salmon in other areas of the region; and 4. Ensure that all salmon currently at the facility are released at biologically appropriate times and locations.

Government response

Response by the Minister of Fisheries Signed by Ernie Klassen Fisheries and Oceans Canada recognizes the cultural and spiritual importance of wild Atlantic salmon to the Wolastoqey Nation and the important stewardship role that the Wolastoqey play in protecting and conserving the species in the Wolastoq watershed. The decision to end Fisheries and Oceans Canada Live Gene Bank program was made as part of the Government of Canada’s Comprehensive Expenditure Review. Since the announcement of the closure, discussions have been underway with external partners on various aspects of the implementation of the Comprehensive Expenditure Review decision, including plans for the release or transfer of fish from the facility to new locations. Despite 25 years of significant investments in terms of cost and the excellent efforts of staff in maintaining the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Atlantic Salmon Live Gene Bank Program and smolt-to-adult supplementation program, Atlantic salmon returns remain low — largely due to poor marine survival linked to changing ocean conditions. Overall, recent data for Inner Bay of Fundy and Outer Bay of Fundy Atlantic Salmon indicate that population abundance has not improved and may have further declined. According to the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada Science advice, there are very low annual returns of adult Inner Bay of Fundy and Outer Bay of Fundy Atlantic salmon, with many rivers experiencing no returns or only a handful of fish. After more than two decades of investment and ongoing costs totaling tens of millions over the past decade, the science indicates that marine survival remains extremely low and outcomes have not improved, limiting the conservation benefit delivered for the level of public investment. Fisheries and Oceans Canada understands the significance of this decision on the Wolastoqey, and is committed to consultation pertaining to Outer Bay of Fundy salmon release plans, the future of the MBF facility MLAP fish passage and offsetting requirements, and the future of the salmon stock assessment program. Wolastoqey leadership has been engaged by DFO and discussions have taken place on the operationalization of the decision. Fisheries and Oceans Canada is working to support a temporary extension of the Tobique SAS program at MBF while New Brunswick Power accelerates their work to assume responsibility for this program. DFO will work with New Brunswick Power to support the transition of these activities and will continue to engage with Wolastoqey leadership directly to advance discussions on this topic. The Department values the historical and ongoing collaboration with the Wolastoqey on Atlantic salmon conservation in the Wolastoq watershed. DFO will continue to engage with the Wolastoqey on potential opportunities to collaborate on measures that support conservation and recovery of Atlantic salmon, including potential funding for salmon enhancement and monitoring activities led by First Nations. In March 2026, the Government of Canada announced A Force of Nature: Canada’s Strategy to Protect Nature, which included a historic investment of $81.7 million over five years to stabilize and rebuild wild Atlantic Salmon and further the long-term goals of Canada’s National Strategy to Ensure the Future of Atlantic Salmon. This investment will support Indigenous partners and stakeholders in restoring habitat, mitigating risks caused by climate change and protecting wild Atlantic salmon.