There's so much to see there as you know from being from the area. There's also a lot of activity both by non-government organizations and provincial governments. There are all kinds of activities related to protections. Protection barriers are operated by the province where salmon are protected in heavy waters when they come up. There are cold water refugia programs, restoration programs. A number of programs are looking at trying to assess returns. There are first nations collaborations.
I think the most interesting aspects are related to habitat. We keep talking about habitat because we shouldn't think that freshwater habitat and ocean habitat are independent. Fish that grow in the fresh water, if they have healthy environments probably are healthier smolts. Healthier smolts going to sea probably have better survival rates than fish that are unhealthy.
We can speak to the freshwater habitat being very important not just in producing smolts but producing healthy smolts. Examples of that are in the southern uplands of Nova Scotia. Fish can grow in acid-stressed rivers, but the smolts that go to sea are not as healthy. The survival rates are not as good.
We keep talking about freshwater habitat being important, but it's more than just producing fish, it's producing healthy fish. And we shouldn't think that the two are not linked, so I think a lot of activity in Miramichi that groups are doing focus on habitat. Those are key projects.