The Ford government slashed the annual funding for the Anishinabek/Ontario Fisheries Resource Centre from $860,000 to $250,000, a 70% cut that threatens jobs and disrupts programs supporting 40 Anishinabek First Nations. In response, General Manager Peter Meisenheimer has communicated the situation to Indigenous communities and is actively seeking alternative funding sources to ensure the continuation of ongoing projects.

The Ontario government slashed 70% of provincial funding to the Anishinabek/Ontario Fisheries Resource Centre, jeopardizing its ability to provide independent scientific support to Indigenous communities in managing natural resources. The centre, which has served as a trusted source of data and collaboration between First Nations and government bodies since 1995, is now scrambling to secure alternative funding to sustain its critical operations.

Following a 70% reduction in provincial funding announced by the Ontario government on April 12, 2019, the Anishinabek/Ontario Fisheries Resource Centre is scrambling to secure alternative financial resources in order to maintain its independent scientific advisory services to Indigenous communities. The funding cut, part of a broader budget strategy by the Ford government, threatens the centre’s operations and its longstanding role as a trusted source of scientific information for sustainable fisheries management.