Sep 27, 2022
OTTAWA, Sept. 27, 2022 -The Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) is pleased to announce the full release of the Canadian Aquatic Barriers Database (CABD), the first publicly accessible inventory of its kind in Canada.
“More than half of Canada's freshwater fish are at risk of extinction,” said Rick Bates, CEO of CWF. “But thanks to the development of the Canadian Aquatic Barriers Database, we can now begin to assess the full magnitude of barriers to fish passage and support work across the country to protect and conserve aquatic species.”
Through AquaticBarriers.ca the public can:
- Explore barrier data
- Click on barrier and fishway points to explore their attributes
- Filter layers based on geography or attributes
- Download the barrier and fishway data in multiple formats
- View the data sources used
- Help fill in knowledge gaps by submitting data updates
This national-scale, centralized database is a multi-year project that is supported partially by a financial contribution from Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
“Freshwater habitat in lakes, rivers, streams and waterways across Canada have long been affected by human activity and climate change. We are pleased to support projects like the Canadian Aquatic Barriers Database that will fill important data gaps, helping us better protect freshwater resources for the future," said the Hon. Joyce Murray, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.
The database is also funded in part by the RBC Foundation in support of RBC Tech for Nature.
“We believe that innovation is key to addressing and scaling solutions focused on the massive environmental issues we are facing,” said Mark Beckles, Vice-President, Social Impact & Innovation, RBC. “That’s why we’re committed to bringing the power of RBC Tech for Nature to life through our partnership with the Canadian Wildlife Federation. Their work through the Canadian Aquatic Barriers Database is creating long lasting change by providing curated, openly accessible information on barriers to fish passage in Canada, ultimately improving freshwater connectivity across the country.”
Currently the database is compiled from more than 100 dam, waterfall, and fishway datasets and includes:
- More than 36,000 dams and associated structures
- More than 22,000 waterfalls
- More than 400 fishways which help aquatic species navigate barriers
Stream crossing data, where roads, rail lines, or trails cross streams, will be the next barrier type added over the coming year. There are likely more than one million of these barriers in Canada, CWF said. The database is currently available in English but will soon be translated to French.
About the Canadian Wildlife Federation
The Canadian Wildlife Federation is a national, not-for-profit charitable organization dedicated to fostering awareness and appreciation of our natural world. By spreading knowledge of human impacts on the environment, carrying out research, developing and delivering education programs, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, recommending changes to policy and co-operating with like-minded partners, CWF encourages a future in which Canadians can live in harmony with nature. For more information visit CanadianWildlifeFederation.ca.
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Contact:
Heather Robison,
Media and Community Relations Officer,
heatherr@cwf-fcf.org
613-599-9594 x 212
Or media@cwf-fcf.org
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