There are hundreds of thousands of human-made barriers in Canada's rivers and streams that limit the movement of fish and other aquatic animals, many of which rely on annual migrations to complete their life cycle. This loss of access to important habitat is one of the reasons fish populations are in decline across the country. One example is Canada's salmon populations, which are at an
all-time low with many facing imminent risk of extinction. The bright side of this story is that the habitat above a barrier is often still in excellent condition and all that is needed is to reconnect the river by eliminating the barrier. We call this restoring fish passage. An added benefit is that restoring access to habitat will help fish adapt to a changing climate and make important infrastructure like roads and railways more resilient to flooding.
The Canadian Wildlife Federation is committed to reconnecting our rivers and streams to stop habitat loss. Other countries have already recognized the benefits and acted -- the United States has committed over $2 billion to upgrade infrastructure to restore fish passage.
Without removing thousands of barriers affecting fish passage, Canada will see irreversible negative effects on the lives of many species like:
- Salmon and trout that are unable to reach many of their historic habitats
- American Eel, which are killed in turbines as they migrate to spawn
- Freshwater mussels, which rely on fish to disperse their juveniles throughout rivers
For the sake of our fish, other affected species, and their habitat, we are asking the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada to establish a National Fish Passage Program aimed at reconnecting our rivers and streams as part of Canada's commitment to achieving the 2030 Global Biodiversity Targets.
Sign now to strengthen our voice for the species and habitat that need us! 
