The leader of the BC Green Party is not holding out much hope that Thompson River steelhead stocks, which are teetering on the brink of extinction, can be saved.

Andrew Weaver says last week’s provincial budget was void of anything in the way of desperately needed habitat restoration.

“We wanted to see more in habitat restoration. We have work to do.”

Weaver was asked if some of the endangered species in this province, including the Thompson River steelhead, can be saved.

“The south Selkirk caribou, I think they are toast. The steelhead in the Thompson, I don’t know how they are going to survive, I honestly don’t. There is literally about three or four and you still got a guy apparently who is fishing them out. I don’t know what to say.”

He says habitat restoration especially in some streams and estuaries remains a top priority for the Greens.