T.Buck Suzuki Environmental Foundation

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T.Buck Suzuki Environmental Foundation

Working together towards healthy marine ecosystems, abundant and sustainable fisheries, and thriving coastal communities. Since 1981. V3M 4H6.

Protecting the environment and fish habitat has always been a priority for the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union (UFAWU-CAW). In 1981, just 10 years after fishermen had waged a successful campaign to stop the damming of the Fraser River at Moran Canyon, the UFAWU worked with fishermen and environmentalists to launch the T. Buck Suzuki Environmental Foundation. Today, fishermen, fish plant

workers and others in the commercial fishing industry continue to take an active part in the Foundation's campaigns while the foundation itself has earned a respected place in the growing environmental movement. Since its establishment, it has been involved in numerous habitat-related campaigns, including efforts to halt pulp and sewage pollution, destructive logging practices and water diversions. Working with other organizations, the Foundation played a leadership role in the campaign that led to the cancellation of the Kemano Completion Project on the Nechako River - a development that threatened millions of salmon in the Fraser watershed. In addition to its campaigns, the Foundation has initiated marsh reclamation projects and established a riparian nursery dedicated to rearing native plants for stream restoration. The Foundation relies on donations from people who are concerned about protecting our streams and our ocean. We are a registered charity and all those who donate will receive a charitable tax receipt. Donations can be made online at www.bucksuzuki.org or sent to the Foundation at: First Floor - 326 12th Street, New Westminster, B.C.

06/01/2026

Happy !

05/25/2026

Our 2026 Outreach Roadmap ☀️

The tides are turning toward summer, and that means it’s time to celebrate the bounty of our B.C. coast!

We’re packing up our outreach materials and hitting the road! We’ve got plenty of updates on our latest projects to share, but we’re also bringing along fun games, books, and colouring activities so there is something for everyone! Whether you want to dive deep into a chat about sustainable fisheries or just need a fun spot for the little ones to learn about the ocean, come find us!
Here’s where you can find us this season:

📍 Victoria | World Ocean Day
Sunday, May 31 | 11AM – 4PM | Fisherman’s Wharf | A fun, free, and family-friendly day hosted by Eagle Wing Whale Watching Tours. Expect touch tanks, live diving presentations, and marine exhibits. Stop by our booth to chat, play a salmon game, and grab “Know Your Catch” colouring books for the kids!

📍 Nanaimo | Harbour Debris Cleanup
Friday, June 5 | 9AM - 3PM | Nanaimo Waterfront | Action-oriented! TBuck is partnering with SEAMOR Marine and the City of Nanaimo, Nanaimo Prosperity Corporation, Nanaimo Port Authority, and other community partners for an underwater cleanup at Maffeo Sutton Park. ROV pilots and freedivers will work the waterway to remove debris or sources of pollution. This is community stewardship in action. Whether you want to bring your family, or simply learn more about local marine health, we would love to see you there.

📍 Prince Rupert | Seafest
June 12 – 14 | Prince Rupert Waterfront | This year features the theme Whale Tales and Ocean Trails, bringing a lively energy to the coast with a parade and bustling waterfront markets. Be sure to explore the various fisheries focused activities and maritime festivities that make this weekend a must-visit event!

📍 Victoria | BC CrabFest
Saturday, July 18 | 11 AM – 10 PM | Ship Point, Inner Harbour | A massive harbour celebration anchored by the BC Dungeness Crab Boil! Enjoy chef demos, local drinks, and coastal storytelling in the heart of Victoria. Stop by our booth in the educational marketplace from 11 AM - 5 PM to learn about our recent work with ocean acidification monitoring.

We hope to see you at an event this summer!

05/15/2026

TBuck continues to stand firmly behind the North Coast oil tanker moratorium. We do not want to see oil tankers threatening our northern waters, ecosystems, and communities.

Watch and share this video from SkeenaWild Conservation Trust to see why we must keep fighting.

05/07/2026

Rooted in community and driven by the sea.

We believe that people are not separate from nature, but a vital part of it. Fish harvesters possess a deep, direct knowledge of the marine environments that sustain their livelihoods and our food supply. By supporting local fisheries, we aren't just protecting an industry, we are maintaining the physical, economic, and cultural well-being of B.C.’s coastal communities.

We’re curious, which coastal community are you tuning in from today?

04/28/2026

Why send a research vessel when a fishing fleet is already there?

We’re sharing our segment from the new Climate Ready BC Seafood film. Watch as Jeff Douglas explains why it just makes sense for fishers to collect ocean data. They’re already out there every day, so why not use that expertise to reduce research costs and get consistent data collected year-round?

This project, which was one of the 11 Climate Ready BC Seafood funded programs, was presented at the BC OAH Forum in Nanaimo on March 3rd. The success of our project relied on the dedication of harvesters like Jeff and Guy to bridge the gap between industry and science.

Check out our segment in the new Climate Ready BC Seafood documentary! For the full video, and to learn about the 10 other projects funded by this program visit: https://youtu.be/EeSmh0e4_BE

The Climate Ready BC Seafood program was facilitated through the BC Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia (OAH) Action Plan and was organized through the Tula Foundation’s Ocean Decade Collaborative Center.

04/22/2026

3 Actions for our B.C. Coast this Earth Day!

Our power to protect the planet starts with our daily choices. One of the impactful ways you can help is to “Eat with the Seasons”. It diversifies your plate and supports a balanced ocean ecosystem.

Check out the 'Know Your Catch' colouring guide to help plan your next local meal: https://www.bucksuzuki.org/post/know-your-catch-a-colouring-guide-to-bc-seafood

This month’s highlights: ✅ Fresh Lingcod ✅ Fresh Halibut ✅ Fresh Sablefish

Invest in your community and the Earth by putting more seafood on your plate that is local and in season. Every choice helps keep our coastal communities thriving and our footprint on the planet smaller.

04/01/2026

Yesterday’s federal "A Force of Nature" announcement is a major win for ghost gear removal and ocean health. The Canadian government has dedicated $15 million over three years to modernize the location, retrieval and disposal of ghost gear in our waters.

Since 2020, over 2,500 tonnes of abandoned gear have been pulled from Canadian waters. We’ve been at the forefront of this effort, working with harvesters to map hotspots and understanding why gear gets lost, from seafloor snags to unpredictable West Coast weather.

This recent investment ensures the Ghost Gear Fund will not only continue the important work already completed but will also evolve with better technology and more efficient methods.

Read more about our research on lost gear:
Why and Where? Fishing Gear Lost on the BC Coast https://www.bucksuzuki.org/post/why-and-where-fishing-gear-lost-on-the-bc-coast

Read the full federal release: https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2026/03/31/prime-minister-carney-launches-new-nature-strategy-protect-canadas

03/09/2026

On March 1, we hosted our first Salmon in Schools fundraiser, raising funds to put locally caught salmon directly into school meals!

School District 52, T. Buck Suzuki Environmental Foundation, Fukasaku, and Ecotrust Canada served a seven-course multicultural meal created by Prince Rupert chefs featuring local salmon. This fundraiser will provide students with more culturally relevant and nutritious food … it also supports local community economic development by purchasing local fish!

Our first event raised over $17,500. A huge thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this possible!

If you’d like to donate, please e-transfer to [email protected] and include “Salmon Fundraiser” in the notes so your donation can be tracked. Tax receipts are available upon request.

For more information, email [email protected]

The early stages of the Salmon in Schools initiative were made possible with funding from the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction and facilitation from the Public Health Association of British Columbia and Food Banks BC.

Chelsey Ellis Photography

Fukasaku of Prince Rupert T.Buck Suzuki Environmental Foundation

https://ecotrust.ca/priorities/food-systems/north-coast-food-hub/

03/08/2026

Happy International Women’s Day!

Today we are shining a light on the women in ocean research who help keep our fisheries sustainable and support our coastal communities.

Whether it’s evaluating the compounding impacts of MPAs or tackling the complex challenge of ghost gear, their contributions are critical to the health of our BC coast. We are proud to collaborate with and showcase the work of these dedicated professionals, alongside the resilient women commercial harvesters who play an overlooked, yet indispensable role in the fishing community.

Check out our new website! Head over to our blog library to read about the research and projects led by women.

Link here 👉 https://www.bucksuzuki.org/blog

03/04/2026

BC OAH Action Forum - Bridging Science and Industry

The T. Buck Suzuki Environmental Foundation was at the BC OAH Action Forum in Nanaimo today. We were proud to present our “Harvesting pCO2: Bridging the gap between fish harvesters and ocean science for a sustainable B.C. coast” project. This project, led by Alaina Pyde in collaboration with the UFAWU, utilizes a citizen science approach for commercial harvesters to collect ocean data while fishing. Guy Johnston, who was able to attend the forum today, was one of this project's harvester participants.

As a veteran harvester, Guy has been instrumental in this initiative, using his vessel, the Michelle Rose, to collect critical data. We also want to recognize Jeff Douglass, whose dedicated data collection on the water helped build this robust dataset. By combining the on-the-water expertise of fishers like Guy and Jeff with the reliable data of the Hakai Institute and Burke Analytics, we’ve generated over 80 samples since 2024 to monitor the rising acidity of our oceans.

This project was made possible through the Climate Ready BC Seafood Program, demonstrating that harvesters are essential allies in advancing coastal sustainability through collaborative research between fishers and scientists.

Read about the the BC Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia (OAH) Action Plan here: https://oceandecadenortheastpacific.org/projects/british-columbia-ocean-acidification-and-hypoxia-action-plan

Address

Victoria, BC
V8Z4B8

Telephone

+12503601398

Website

http://www.bucksuzuki.org/

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