The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans announced a new Call for Proposals for the Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk (CNFASAR) for multiyear projects that take place between 2022 and 2026. The fund aims to support the recovery and protection of aquatic species at risk by enabling multi-species, place-based and threat-based approaches to recovery. $28.95 million, through Budget 2021, will go toward CNFASAR projects as part of the Enhanced Nature Legacy initiative, this includes $4.15 million to support the consideration of Indigenous knowledge and capacity building. These federal investments will directly support aquatic conservation and species at risk across the country and in Canada’s oceans.
DFO’s CNFASAR website has been updated and relaunched to accompany this announcement. The website describes the expanded priorities for CNFASAR, which now include:
- New priority areas in Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Arctic;
- Three new priority species have been identified – Atlantic salmon, Pacific salmon, and North Atlantic right whales – alongside continued support for all aquatic species at risk; and
- Consideration of Indigenous knowledge and support for Indigenous capacity-building related to these priorities.