Member for kukatlam burke, mountain isle, pacific salmon are in crisis. Interior fraser steelhead are on the brink of extinction. First nations scientists and wild salmon stewards tell us. Action is needed now, along with a significant investment if we are to turn the trend around for bc's wild salmon and put them on a path to recovery, whether it's unsustainable harvest rates, pathogens from open net salmon farms or destruction of salmon habitat all have contributed to the current dismal returns.

That's why I've been working hard along with bc's minister responsible fisheries on a wild salmon strategic strategy and action plan for bc. Mr speaker, we know what is needed. Co-Manage wild salmon with first nations move salmon farms off wild salmon migration route, apply a salmon lens to all ministries that impact wild salmon in their habitat, protect that habitat in designated salmon parks and sanctuaries, heal the land, with a focus on restoring riparian areas and implementing nature-based solutions in fire and flood prone watersheds.

Remove barriers that prevent wild salmon from getting to their spawning grounds expand the lake enrichment program that adds nutrients to the sockeye rearing lakes, clip the adipose fins of all hatchery fin fish in bc. We know the province can't do this alone. That's why we need to sign an agreement with the with the federal government and first nations committing us to one coordinated, wild salmon recovery plan for british columbia. We also know a significant investment in wild salmon. Recovery effort is needed similar to the scale of the pacific salmon strategic initiative.

What's at stake, mr speaker, we risk seeing wild pacific salmon go the way of the atlantic cod. It's been 30 years since that moratorium was put in place and atlantic cods still haven't recovered. Mr speaker, we can't let that happen to bc's wild pacific salmon and interior fraser steelhead. Thank you.