Salmon research bonanza

The government says the investment will help inform federal policy on Canada’s oceans, waterways and fisheries while also creating new full-time science jobs.

The announcement was made on Wednesday in Ottawa by Hunter Tootoo, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, and Minister of Science Kirsty Duncan.

"Today's investment highlights the Government of Canada's commitment to science, evidence-based decision making, and to using science to answer questions that are relevant and important to Canadians,” Duncan said at a press conference.

"This is a smart and meaningful investment, which will allow us to make better, science-based decisions to sustain our fisheries and protect our aquatic environment," Minister Tootoo added.

The announcement marks a change of direction after years of criticism by the scientific community, which accused Ottawa of cutting more than 2,000 science jobs and closing research facilities.

The statement said the fisheries department will also acquire "new and innovative technologies, including state-of-the-art acoustic and remote sensing technologies and high performance lab equipment to better monitor our fish stocks and changing ocean conditions."

The jobs will be posted in a few days and will call for research scientists, biologists, oceanographers and technicians to apply.

It’s the single biggest recruitment push for Fisheries and Oceans Canada and marks a significant change in tone from the previous administration.

The former Conservative government cut funding to several major science programs and was accused of “muzzling” publicly-funded scientists, particularly on the topic of climate change.

Leaders in the science community have been quick to applaud the investment and say they hope to see more science roles across other departments.

The government says the $197 million investment will help pay for research on salmon populations, sustainable aquaculture, and freshwater ecosystems.