VANCOUVER – The provincial government is floating a proposal to formally designate the salmon as B.C.’s official fish.
The proposal was put on the table by several conservationist groups as B.C. enters the peak of salmon fishing season and a federal commission investigates the decline of the sockeye.
David Marshall, with the Fraser Basin Council, says most of the public already associates the province with the fish, so taking the next step shouldn’t make a splash.
He says the aim of the symbolic move is raising more awareness of the salmon’s economic, cultural and environmental significance in efforts to promote sustainability.
B.C. has designated six other emblems over the past 60 years, including the dogwood as the official flower and western red cedar as the official tree.
NDP tourism critic Spencer Chandra Herbert says his party supports the move, which is why he introduced a motion more than a year ago to make the designation — though it has yet to sink or swim.
Local news from metronews.ca/vancouver
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