University of New Brunswick – Canadian salmon restoration project earns highest global recognition for ecosystem restoration – Education News Canada
January 6, 2026
The initiative, led by Indigenous, academic and government partners, Parks Canada, and UNB researchers and students, has earned the United Nation’s top global honour for ecosystem recovery, blending Indigenous Knowledge with cutting-edge technology.
The University of New Brunswick is proud to share that a salmon conservation initiative led by Indigenous partners, Parks Canada, UNB and an extensive network of academic, government and community partners, has been named one of the UN World Restoration Flagship Initiatives.
The project, Respectful Returns: Restoring Resilience to Salmon Ecosystems, was selected for its leadership in Indigenous-led, science-based conservation and its transformative impact. This designation places the project among the world’s most exemplary efforts to restore ecosystems at scale under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
