alexandra morton

Dear Minister Shea - Please resign

May 31, 2010

Minister Gail Shea
Minister of Fisheries and Oceans
Ottawa, ONT

Dear Fisheries Minister Shea:

Twenty-one thousand, two hundred and eighty (21,280) people have signed a letter asking you to apply the laws of Canada to the Norwegian salmon factory farming industry and to remove the industry from wild salmon migration routes. How do you respond? www.salmonaresacred.org

Five thousand people showed up at the Parliament Buildings in Victoria to support the Get Out Migration demanding removal of Norwegian factory farms from Canadian waters. What is your response? (Parliament Security crowd estimate)

Scientists at an international conference May 10th report farm sea lice are becoming harder to control, leading to more toxic drugs released into the ocean. BC sockeye and other salmon migrating past salmon farms are now heavily infested with sea lice once again this year. Are you aware of this?

Did you know that Norwegian corporations are threatening to refuse to release disease information to government if it can become public through Freedom of Information legislation, even though they are releasing these pathogens into public waters exposing Canada’s largest wild salmon populations to feedlot diseases? press release

While the industry demands their disease outbreaks remain confidential, their processing plants are releasing blood water carrying pathogens directly into Canada’s wild salmon habitat. This is indefensible.

Why did it take an order from the Department of Justice to force your department to lay a charge against Marine Harvest for unlawful possession of wild salmon and herring even though DFO knew about this alleged offense for months previous?

Inter-government memos reveal the Provincial ministry in charge of fish farms refuses to share fish farm disease information with the ministry in charge of protecting wild salmon. Why is that?

Minister Shea when you come to BC you visit Norwegian fish farms, seen here with Marine Harvest. You also go to Norway to sell this coast to the corporate fish farming industry, but you have not even looked at the impact of salmon farming on wild fish.

BC is bereft of political defense of wild salmon both provincially and federally. British Columbia needs a minister who understands and who is willing to protect the public fishery resources.

While I understand you have given thoughtful consideration to east coast fishery issues, may I suggest, with all due respect, that you resign and make room for someone who understands the issues we face in BC - our wild fisheries are going to hell out here. Wild salmon have irreplaceable value economically, in terms of food security, biologically, socially and spiritually. Wild salmon feed the trees that make oxygen and this is not even factored in by the political decisions that are driving wild salmon extinct. In Alaska wild salmon have political will and Alaskans are enjoying record returns, as is Russia. All our fish are feeding in the same ocean.

I suggest Member of Parliament John Cummins for Minister of Fisheries. As I walked the length of Vancouver Island in the Get Out Migration, I heard unprecedented, powerful unity among the factions of west fishery politics. First Nations reported they are more united by this issue than any other. Native, commercial, U.S. and sport fishermen walked side-by-side. If we are going to allow our children the wealth of wild salmon we are going to have to act now. Get the Norwegian salmon farms out of BC waters. Assist the 1,200 people directly employed by salmon farms as they are not responsible for this mistake.

If you can’t see the serious issues with salmon farming and that the industry must move into tanks on land for its own survival, and the survival of wild salmon, we need someone who is closer to BC. You personally wrote me there is no “strong evidence” ISA virus can be introduced to the Pacific Ocean in Atlantic salmon eggs, however, the Norwegian scientists tracking this virus say introduction to BC is “gaurenteed” in Atlantic eggs. I don’t think you have the experience to make this irreversible decision for all of Canada. We cannot recall viruses, anymore than the people of the Gulf Coast can recall the oil. It is time to really look at the risks governments are carelessly taking under pressure from corporate interests at the expense of the people of this planet.

If we in BC are not allowed to have our wild salmon protected by government, we stand warned that we do not live in a democracy.

Alexandra Morton Salmonaresacred.org

Fish Disease not public

Salmon Farms refuse to release disease information if the province of BC makes fish farm disease public.

Eighteen years of secrets, the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands and Gordon Campbell

 
 
(May 28, 2010 Sointula) In July 1992, IHN virus broke out in Atlantic salmon smolts as they were put in salmon farm in Okisollo Channel.  Okisollo is within the Fraser sockeye migration route. Even though the Fraser sockeye were migrating through the area, no one called for the IHN infected farm salmon to be culled.  The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) kept this epidemic secret from the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks (MELP) even though there was a disease sharing protocol in place. When MELP heard “rumors” of this IHN outbreak three months later, MAFF still refused to give them the details of the outbreak. The policy in enhancement hatcheries is to destroy IHN infected smolts to prevent spreading to wild salmon. 
 
Today, MAL is misinforming the public about the extent of past IHN outbreaks on their website and in a recent legal decision all BC salmon farming companies state they will refuse to reveal disease records if their reports to MAL are made public.
 
Note: MAL and MAFF are the same agency and MELP and MOE are the same.
 
 
1992 memos - a trail of secrets and disregard for wild salmon health
 
October 5 1992 Don Peterson at MELP :  “Our fish health staff report …. rumours of an IHN virus outbreak in Atlantic salmon… Please provide …information …..IHNV is easily transmitted to trout and Pacific salmon species and we need to make an assessment of risk to wild stocks please respond ASAP.”
 
October 8, 1992 Don Peterson, MELP:  “Had a call from Al Castledine (MAFF3) ….There has been an outbreak….DFO doesn’t want this to become an issue at this time, Al specifically asked that we not make a media issue of this – at least not until DFO has their act together.” This was 4 months after the outbreak began
 
October 28, 1992 the Minister of MELP John Cashore to MAFF:  “IHN virus is lethal to trout and steelhead. These wild fish inhabit the marine environment where this farm is located… my Fish Culture staff only learned of this incident very recently …. There is … a protocol agreement that is intended to alert each of our agencies when problems such as this arise….the breakdown in communication could have potentially serious consequences for fish stocks….”
 
November 12, 1992 Harvey Andrusak MELP to MAFF: “The recent outbreak of IHN virus in Atlantic salmon smolts owned by BC Packers causes considerable concern for the Fisheries Branch of MELP….I request your cooperation.”
 
November 19, 1992 J. E. Fralick MAFF to MELP “results are considered proprietary by our Animal Health Branch and cannot be released.  I firmly believe…the IHN outbreak poses very minimal risk to wild stocks.” 
 
November 27, 1992 H. Andrusak, MELP to MAFF “I am disappointed with your response….when  MAFF is asked for information…we are referred to DFO, when we ask DFO, I am referred to you. This is unacceptable….fish health is the responsibility of DFO … and MELP….why is MAFF involved in fish health at all?” 
 
December 17, 1992 G.R.Armstrong MELP “Prior to the IHN outbreak, fish health scientists believed that IHN was transmitted only in fresh water.  The significance of the outbreak is that it apparently occurred in sea water…Atlantic salmon farms are now a potential vector for transfer of IHN.”
 
January 5, 1993 G.R. Armstrong MELP to MAFF “I do not understand how the Department of Fisheries and Oceans can have little concern for IHN simply because it is endemic to wild salmon…. Atlantic salmon in pens are now a potential vector.”
 
While the 100,000s of Atlantic salmon in the IHN infected fish farm were left in the ocean on the Fraser salmon migration route,  300,000 trout were culled in a provincial hatchery in 1991 due to IHN. B.C. Environment, Lands and Park – Information Issue 92-35
 
When Gordon Campbell took office in 2001 he cancelled MELP and so the BC public lost the only team of bureaucrats who were fighting to protect our wild salmon from corporate salmon.
 
MAL website today - inaccurate
 
Have things improved, No.
 
While the MAL website acknowledges there have been IHN outbreaks in Atlantic salmon farms, it grossly misinforms the public about the timing and location of the outbreaks.
 
“Outbreaks of this disease (IHN) in Atlantic salmon farms in British Columbia occurred in 1992, 1995, 1996,1997 and 2001. All reported cases occurred within the Campbell River area.” .http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/ahc/fish_health/IHNV.htm (website updated May 16, 2004)
 
In fact, there were in 12 million Atlantic salmon infected from 2001 – 2003 over 400km of the BC coast from Clayoquot Sound to Klemtu (Saksida 2006).  More than 1/3 of BC’s wild salmon and many Washington State salmon use this area and were challenged with this highly infectious disease generation after generation.  The BC Liberal government did nothing to stem this flow of pathogens.
 
February 2002 - BC Supreme Court Injunction identifies IHN risk to wild salmon
 
When a salmon farm in the Broughton Archipelago tried to dispose of 1.6 million IHN infected farm salmon in 2002, BC Supreme Court granted the Musqueam First Nations an injunction to prevent delivery of these fish to a processing plant in the Fraser River because these fish threatened the Fraser River’s wild salmon with IHN.
 
What about the other 10 million left in net pens on the marine migratory routes used by the Fraser all south coast, and Clayoquot wild salmon and steelhead?
 
March  1, 2010 - Ruling instructs MAL to release fish farm disease information and fish farmers threaten to cease all public reporting of disease outbreaks
 
Four years ago the T. Buck Suzuki Foundation filed a Freedom of Information request to MAL for salmon farm disease records.  MAL refused. But BC’s Freedom of Information and Privacy Commissioner ruled on March 1, 2010 that MAL could not legally conceal this information and to release it by April 12, 2010. In the decision, the fish farm companies of BC are on the record stating if their disease information is released they will never report diseases to the province of BC ever again. (see below) T. Buck Suzuki is still awaiting full disclosure.
 
“Mainstream flatly submits that it will not supply similar information when it
is in the public interest that similar information continues to be supplied.66 
Mainstream does not explicitly say there is no authority under which it may be
compelled to provide data for the audit.”
 
“Marine Harvest submits there are “no regulations or laws” which require it
to release the information it gives to Ministry veterinarians or designates during
on-site visits.  It states that release of the requested information would result in
Mainstream no longer supplying the requested information”
 
“Grieg Seafoods contends there is no statutory requirement that allows
the collection of audit data and that it only provides data on the understanding
the data would be kept confidential.  It states it will no longer submit the data if
the applicant‟s access request is granted”
 
“Creative Salmon argues that it provides audit information on a voluntary
basis and if the applicant’s access request is granted it will “immediately cease
to volunteer further information to the Ministry”
 
The Decision

How can the governments of Canada and British Columbia allow this ongoing suppression of information that is clearly in the public interest and the courts have ruled threatens a resource the people of Canada and British Columbia are passionate about?  Salmon farms are in the public waters of Canada, they are leasing Crown Land supposedly “to provide the greatest benefits for British Columbians” (Crown Lands BC website) and they do not legally own their fish. Will the BC Liberal government allow them to operate in secret, to the detriment of a highly valued public resource?   We will all get to find out.
 
Who is going to fix this?  
 
 www.salmonaresacred.org     

Sea Lice Secrets

Government memos reveal fish farmers pressured government to keep sea lice drugs secret, six years before biologist Alexandra Morton made it public

(May 26, Sointula) A series of government memos reveal a heated debate in 1995 over a sea louse outbreak on a farm salmon on the Fraser sockeye migration route (Okisollo Channel). In 1995, a salmon farm requested permission to use hydrogen peroxide to treat an extremely heavy outbreak of sea lice on their fish. When the Ministry of Environment, Parks and Lands (MELP) informed the company that their drug application would have to be released to the public, the fish farmer withdrew the request. When environmental groups found out about the sea lice outbreak, the BC Salmon Farmers Association called for an investigation of MELP and a guarantee that fish farmers had a right to secrecy in the future.

Sept 6, 1995 Don Peterson of MELP writes, “The company has withdrawn their application (for hydrogen peroxide) because they heard there was a requirement to advertise if a pesticide was going to be applied. I guess they were either afraid of the shareholders…or the public finding out... the company has asked that this request be kept strictly confidential and that all correspondence on the subject be destroyed.”

September 28, 1995 the BC Salmon Farmers Association criticized Minister Moe Sihota (MELP): “…government has an obligation to maintain confidentiality… Government is further prevented from unauthorized collection, use or disclosure of information…. puts at risk … capital investment of private citizens and individual companies…”

However, salmon farms operate in Canada’s public waters and impact a Canadian resource - wild fish.

On October 23 Earl Warnock of MELP writes, “I find it unconscionable that they (fish farmers) are only prepared to undertake measures appropriate to protect their stock health and the environment unless they can do it in a clandestine manner.... and for them and MAFF to ask us to operate with them in this way says something about the people we are dealing with.”

“MAFF” = Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, now Ministry of Agriculture and Lands (MAL).

Either the sea lice remained on the farm fish on the Fraser sockeye migration route or they were treated without permission from MELP.

November 03, 1995, Bryan Ludwig, MELP writes: “…we are in the difficult position of being concerned about use of pesticides for treatment of sea lice, but also wanting to ensure we avoid a severe outbreak for fear of transfer to wild stocks.”

These documents reveal heroes among our MELP bureaucrats who tried to protect our wild salmon from salmon farms. Gordon Campbell disbanded MELP as soon as he took office in 2001, and he renamed MAFF, MAL and gave them control of allocation of Crown Land. The fish farm industry did not develop a sea lice action plan, the public lost their government biologist advocates, sea lice outbreaks continue with lethal infection underway today rates on wild juvenile salmon on the Fraser migration route (Okisollo Channel) (photos available) and Fraser sockeye stocks migrating through Okisollo Channel are in steep decline.

October 23, 1995 Earl Warnock MELP: “If the truth harms their integrity perhaps they need to look at themselves…”

If we cannot save wild salmon in British Columbia, we do not live in a democracy.

All documents available at www.salmonaresacred.org, “Breaking News”

Wild Juvenile salmon Okisollo Channel May 25, 2010

Letter to Minister of Agriculture and Lands

May 24, 2010
Dear Minister Steve Thomson, Ministry of Agriculture and Lands (MAL):
I am writing to request attendance at farm salmon harvests to assess unlawful consumption/destruction of wild fish such as commercial fishermen are required.

On May 19, I met with your assistants Harvey Sasaki and R. J. Senko and MAL scientists Drs. Roth and Sheppard. Our conversation raised several concerns.

First, your scientists still think stickleback are an important source of sea lice infection on juvenile wild salmon. This politically favorable hypothesis has been long debunked by scientists, including a DFO paper reporting that sea lice cannot survive on sticklebacks (Jones et al. 2006). It is unacceptable that MAL scientists refuse to accept scientific opinion on a subject of considerable public interest.
Second, international scientists warn that farm lice drug resistance is a growing global problem, but your team was unable to verbalize any precautions underway to protect BC. Drug resistance means fish farms switch to toxic bath treatments that are released directly into the ocean. Such a drug, Salmosan, is already advertised in Northern Aquaculture “in response to the serious and growing problems with sea lice.”
It is in the public interest for you to prevent lice drug resistance to protect BC fisheries from toxic bath chemicals.
I was told to defer to Dr. Sheppard’s opinion that drug resistance has not occurred in BC, but he could not produce a single test result. Senior scientist, Dr. Larry Dill recently testified: “I will comment on the resistance to SLICE first. I felt that Dr. Sheppard's commentary on that was highly irresponsible and very unscientific when he said there was no evidence for it... … contrary to the absolute nonsense claimed by provincial veterinarian Mark Shepherd there are a rather large number of credible scientists myself included who disagree with him when he says there is insufficient information to suggest that lice on farms is affecting pacific salmon in a detrimental way.” (Federal Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans May 12, 2010).
Minister Thomsen, the advice from your team is not credible and could be seen as unreasonably supportive of corporate interests. Downsizing the Norwegian salmon farm industry is the only way to prevent negative impact on BC. The MAL Crown Lands mission statement is … to provide the greatest benefits for British Columbians (http://www.al.gov.bc.ca/clad/). As such many fish farm leases must be rescinded. You can protect aquaculture jobs with the arising Canadian solutions.

The public wants their towns to thrive and thus want wild salmon. Corruption allegations are surfacing at the BC Rail trial concerning Liberal government payment to people to disrupt salmon farm protests. There are many reasons you should re-examine your assessment of Norwegian salmon farm impact on BC and allow public scrutiny.

I await your response.

Alexandra Morton, www.salmonaresacred.org

Allegations Gordon Campbell BC Supreme Court

Hello

In the article below there are allegations arising in BC Supreme Court that the Campbell BC Liberal government paid people to support salmon farms at a protest rally in Victoria several years ago.

The article below is extremely disturbing. If it is true, there is no reason to expect the salmon farming issue to ever be resolved.  You might want to contact government and ask if your tax dollars were used in this manner to disrupt a democratic process concerning a public resource. 

To find Gordon Campbell and MLA emails addresses: 

It is essential that the BC government learn how many people in BC want to keep wild salmon - giving full consideration to the people employed in the industry, but not at the expense of losing our wild salmon.  www.salmonaresacred.org "The Petition"

This is now about keeping our towns alive, public food security and government integrity.

Alexandra Morton

Lawyer alleges Campbell advised accused to 'keep mouth shut'
Claims made in corruption trial immediately denied in the witness stand by B.C. Premier’s chief of staff
Mark Hume
Vancouver — From Friday's Globe and Mail Published on Thursday, May. 20, 2010 9:03PM EDT
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/lawyer-alleges-campbell-advised-accused-to-keep-mouth-shut/article1576517/

Allegations that Premier Gordon Campbell and Martyn Brown, his chief of staff, each called a political operative under police investigation and told him “he would be taken care of if he kept his mouth shut” were made in the Supreme Court of British Columbia on Thursday.

The stunning claims – which were immediately denied by Mr. Brown from the witness stand – came in the form of questions put during cross examination by Kevin McCullough.

Madam Justice Anne MacKenzie reminded the jury questions put by lawyers are not to be taken as evidence.

Mr. McCullough is defending Bobby Virk, one of three former government employees facing charges of fraud, breach of trust and money laundering in relation to the 2003 sale of BC Rail for $1-billion.

“I’m going to suggest you called Mr. Virk regularly [after police raided his legislature office on Dec. 28, 2003] … and that you assured him the government would be taking care of him … if he kept his mouth shut,” said Mr. McCullough, standing at a podium beside the jury box.

“That is absolutely untrue,” said Mr. Brown, who has been Mr. Campbell’s chief political adviser since the Liberals first took power in B.C. in 2001.

“Were you aware that Mr. Campbell was [also] calling Mr. Virk … [and that] Campbell assured him he would take care of him?” asked Mr. McCullough.

“No. Never heard that before. I would be shocked, completely shocked if that was the case – because I don’t believe that ever happened,” said Mr. Brown, who kept his composure, although he had trouble recalling certain events as the questions kept coming.

Mr. McCullough asked who had recommended Mr. Virk for his job as ministerial assistant to then transportation minister Judith Reid. Mr. Brown, who did the hiring, couldn’t remember.

“Do you recall interviewing Mr. Virk and telling him he was going to get the job … because Premier Campbell personally recommended him?” Mr. McCullough said.

“I don’t recall that … if I said that I don’t remember saying that. … It’s not impossible,” Mr. Brown said.

Asked if he remembered introducing Mr. Virk at a Liberal caucus meeting once as “Bob from Burnaby,” which prompted a standing ovation, Mr. Brown shook his head.

“I don’t remember any meeting … I’m not saying I didn’t … . It would be helpful if you told me the context,” he said.

“A Christmas party full of Liberal MLAs,” prompted Mr. McCullough.

“If I did, I don’t remember,” Mr. Brown said.

He did recall, however, that “Bob from Burnaby” was the identity Mr. Virk gave when he called in to radio hotline shows, to pose soft questions when Mr. Campbell was on air.

“I think that’s a perfectly acceptable and long standing political practice,” he said.

“You don’t think it’s a deceptive practice to use your workers?” Mr. McCullough asked.

“No, … all parties do that because it’s all about having your message get out,” Mr. Brown said.

Mr. Brown also defended the actions of Mike McDonald, head of special projects for the Premier, who the defence alleged helped organize the disruption of an anti-fish farm rally in Victoria.

Mr. Brown said Mr. McDonald didn’t organize things, he simply told pro-fish farm people it was in their best interest “to protest the protest.”

When Mr. McCullough asked if he would be surprised to learn one of the accused, Dave Basi, had worked with Mr. McDonald on that issue and had “paid people $100 a head” to attend.

“It would not only surprise me, it would shock me,” Mr. Brown said.

Cross examination of Mr. Brown is to continue Tuesday when the case against Mr. Virk, Mr. Basi and Aneal Basi, continues.

 

BC Liberals Uninformed

Dear Mr. Foster, MLA:

In your letter below, you are inaccurate in your assessment of the BC Liberal party's understanding of the science of salmon farming impact on wild fish. I met this week with MAL Ministerial Assistant, R. J. Senko and Assistant Deputy Minister Harvey Sasaki and they actually believe that stickleback are the cause of sea lice on juvenile wild salmon in BC. This theory has been thoroughly debunked by scientists and is the joke of the BC non-government scientific community studying sea lice.

Your government is also behind the times on the advances in closed containment and thus you are hindering this Canadian industry from developing.

I find the BC Liberal government's obedience to the Norwegian salmon farming industry slavish. You need to examine the reality of the situation. No government in its right mind would hold a coast ransom for a foreign industry with as terrible an environmental and social record as the Norwegian salmon farming industry when the same fish grows here for free. The era of easy oil is clearly over, the situation in the Gulf of Mexico is going to terribly impact millions of people. The Norwegian salmon farming industry is raising Atlantic salmon in the Pacific - feeding them on fish from Chile, in pens that bar public access. It takes large amounts of oil to do this. Our wild salmon on the other hand produce far more jobs, return to this coast for free, supporting our economy, making oxygen and they are food security. Why is your government is so nervous about the Canadian public having free access to food?

These Norwegian salmon farms are unconstitutional in Canada as they privatize ocean spaces and attempt to own fish in the sovereign waters of Canada. There is a wall of secrecy around this industry guarded by the Liberal government of BC.

I challenge you, Mr. Foster, to go with me on fish farms as they pull up their nets and pump fish out of their pens and lets see what is actually in the pens. These Norwegian companies are not licensed for wild fish.

Many Norwegian salmon farms are operating on leases that the BC government stated there would never be salmon farms. Only the Fraser sockeye that migrate past salmon farms collapsed. Other south coast sockeye did better than DFO forecast and this is entirely consistent with this industry's record around the world. If fish farm disease is infecting Fraser sockeye, they would be carrying those pathogens north and exposing Rivers Inlet and Skeena salmon as well.

You can repeat things ad infinitum, but it does not make them true.

It is time to remove the Norwegian salmon farms from the waters of British Columbia because they are unconstitutional and also break the natural biological laws of wild salmon to the detriment of the present and future generations of Canadians. Invest in Canadians who are developing the solutions despite you and would provide better jobs and allow wild salmon to thrive. Everywhere in the North Pacific where there are no salmon farms, wild salmon are thriving! Why would we not try and have both wild and farmed salmon. It is long past time to move forward on this issue and stop denying the obvious.

The thousands of people at rally on May 8 at the Parliament Buildings are speaking to you. If you cannot hear them over the corporate interests you will bring your government down with this issue alone.

Alexandra Morton
www.salmonaresacred.org

----- Original Message -----
From: Foster.MLA, Eric
To: Jim Mellors
Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2010 10:58 AM
Subject: RE: [fishermenlist] New Video

Dear Mr. Mellors,

Thank you for your e-mail dated May 18, 2010 regarding salmon farming.

Upon my contact with the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, I have obtained some information on the matter.

I would like to assure you that a sustainable, stable aquaculture industry remains a top priority for government.

There have been some encouraging developments in closed containment systems but to date it is not yet possible to apply this technology at an industry-wide scale and government does support the evaluation of new technologies like closed containment to determine their viability. Our support to date has been in processes such as the Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat review which summarized the state of knowledge on closed containment and salmon farming and the viability of closed containment systems has been part of our discussions with the federal government as we transition regulation to their jurisdiction.

I want to reiterate that government is well informed on the latest science related to this industry, which to date demonstrates that wild salmon and salmon farming can coexist. I also feel it is important to emphasize the value salmon farming brings to British Columbia’s coastal communities. The aquaculture industry provides an estimated 6,000 jobs and over $224 million in wages for British Columbians, with over half these jobs being filled by women and First Nations.

Government is committed to an effective, science-based regulation of fish farming practices in British Columbia and understands the importance that salmon bring to our communities all across the province.

Thank you for taking the time to inform me of your concerns.

Sincerely,

Eric

Mr. Eric Foster, MLA
Vernon-Monashee

Mary Ellen Walling I Dare YOU

Dear Mary Ellen Walling

The nonsense that you have published below is in service to a global industry destroying local fish stocks in countries around the world. You are paid to make things easier for this industry in British Columbia and this letter goes too far. To suggest there is anything natural about salmon feedlots on our wild salmon runs is harming the future of the most valuable public resource in BC. You fail to note there were 40 lice per fish recently on a Grieg salmon farm and drugs failed to bring those lice to Provincial limit. You fail to note that infection rates on wild fish in the Broughton, where your industry is under the most scrutiny, are once again rising even with drug treatments. You fail to tell the public that drug resistance was identified as inevitable at a conference in Victoria BC by international experts studying the disasterous impact of your industry worldwide. This means we are going to get the more toxic drugs used by your industry. Dick Beamish's paper is a red-herring and does not refer to the problem, which is juvenile salmon leaving the rivers clean and becoming infested with lice passing by salmon farms. His work expounds on the presence of lice on adult salmon retuning from the ocean and is irrelevant. You must know this but you ignore it. You also fail to tell people why my prediction of extinction has not happen yet....because when I reported the lice your industry responded and cleaned up its mess....but even that is no longer possible as lice numbers are rising despite the drugs.

If your industry is passionate about wild salmon Get Off the wild salmon migration routes right now! Test every one of your farms for the virus ISA that is spreading with your industry worldwide. And I dare you to invite me to attend your farms at harvest time to see what is really in your pens. I think your industry is fighting to remain in BC waters because it is consuming wild herring and other species both as by-catch and to feed your industry's fish. Prove me wrong, invite me and the local First Nations to watch your industry pull up the nets and let's see what is really in there. How many rock cod, wild salmon, black cod, grey cod are in your industry's farms. Does anyone have a license for these?

It is time to end this ridiculous game of meaningless phrases. It is time to end the secrecy around your industry. It is time to release your people from the contracts they have signed not to talk about what they do on your industry's farms. Five thousand people showed up according to the security guards at the BC Parliament Buildings to demand the Norwegian net pen industry GET OUT of BC waters. It is time for the Canadian land-based fish farmers to step up and end the pollution and harm done by your industry.

And Mary Ellen Walling it is past time for words. Lets go farm to farm, talk to the employees, look at what fish you have in your pens, examine the drug records, watch as your industy's fish are cleaned. Let's see what they look like and what is their stomachs. The reign of secrecy and mis-truth has to end now!

Alexandra Morton
salmonaresacred.org

Dear Gordon Campbell

Hello

Please see this video on the Get Out Migration.  Watch it with pride...this one is about you!

Get Out Migration

The biggest environmental rally in the history of BC and government has not reacted. We may need to do this again. We may need to run for political office to protect our salmon, natural resources and our communities to survive.  Below is my letter to Gordon Campbell. Please build our community, let your contacts know they can join us in keeping this part of earth alive...salmonaresacred.org "What you can do" The Petition.

Thanks to all of you, you are awesome in the true sense of the word, look at all the signs, faces, towns, peaceful and powerful.... Life on earth is up to us.

alex

May 17, 2010
 
Dear Gordon Campbell
 
On the afternoon of May 8, 2010 thousands of British Columbians from all walks of life, from the far reaches of Kingcome Inlet, Hope Town and Gwayasdums, from Port McNeill to across the Strait of Georgia and from the bays and watersheds of Vancouver Island traveled to your office to tell you that we want salmon farms out of our ocean, because we want our wild salmon. Everywhere in the Pacific Ocean where salmon farms do not exist (Alaska and the western Pacific) wild salmon remain abundant, even the Fraser sockeye that do not pass salmon farms are thriving.  The people of BC want their salmon back.
 
Someday we are going to learn how Canada’s governments were sold on corporate salmon raised in public waters in cages that prevent public access when the Constitution states no one has the right to privatize ocean spaces, nor own a fish in the sovereign waters of Canada.   In 1989, fish farms were handed to the province to simply side-step the inconvenience of the Constitution, but this era is over and the industry remains fundamentally unconstitutional. Farm salmon enable dams on the Fraser River, oil wells, clear-cuts, open pit mines and I think this is why the bureaucracy has blindly pushed it no matter which government is in power or what scientists, lawyers, First Nations and everyone else has to say.  I think Ministry of Agriculture and Land’s handling of salmon farms needs thorough scrutiny.
 
Mr. Campbell, you did not cause this problem, but you have inherited it. The era of cheap oil is over with the people on the Gulf of Mexico being the first hit with what will be a cascading degradation of planet earth that all our children will inherit.  You cannot morally chose a salmon that robs one ocean, to pollute a second one while consuming fuel because it feeds Atlantic salmon in BC on fish from Chile.  You must choose the salmon that comes home to us without oil consumption feeding us, our forests and creating oxygen.
 
Norwegian salmon farming corporations are holding this coast ransom using the excuse “jobs”, when at the same time they are mechanizing to reduce their payroll.  Nothing about this industry appears legitimate to me.  It does not make food. It depletes global supply.  It is not sustainable as it is running out of cheap fish to grind into pellets.  It is not benign as it intensifies disease and pollutes. 
 
I do not believe the assurances from the Provincial Ministry of Agriculture and Lands (MAL), nor the Federal Pacific Biological Station that salmon farms are not damaging Canada’s public fishery resources. I believe their research has been skewed and suppressed. I eagerly accept any invitation to argue these points in a court of law.
 
The Norwegian salmon farming industry is consuming massive quantities of Canada’s wild fish with no accounting, or licenses. If you think I am wrong, let’s have a look.  Put cameras and observers on every fish pen as it is pulled to the surface, on every packer pumping out the pens and on the assembly line as these fish are gutted.  Commercial fishermen have accepted and borne the costs of this scrutiny to protect wild fish and the Norwegians can too. Why did it require an order from the Department of Justice to make DFO lay a charge against Marine Harvest for unlawful possession of wild salmon? Something is very wrong here.
 
Why won’t MAL test Atlantic salmon facilities for the Norwegian ISA virus? How can MAL say sea lice in Nootka Sound are not drug resistant without producing a single test result?
 
My colleagues from the First Nations, scientific, legal, environmental and political communities have all tried to bring reason to the Norwegian salmon farming industry, but the government sponsored level of secrecy surrounding it simply grows.  The only reason for secrecy is activity the public does not like.
 
If we remove corporate farmers and the European shareholders from this equation the solution is simple:
 
1-    Rescind the leases under all salmon farms in British Columbia and place covenants on these sites in trust for future generations, as they are BC’s most productive coastal wild fishery grounds.
2-    Invite Norway to graciously bow-out and go face the calamities they are experiencing in Chile and in their own shores.
3-    Protect aquaculture jobs by WISELY developing a sustainable, community-based land-based industry
4-    Use the best knowledge we have and actually restore the resilient wild fish, not enhanced fish, which are very unlikely to survive climate change.
 
If the people of British Columbia are your primary concern, there is no rational obstacle to embracing these solutions please start rescinding leases immediately.
 
There is something very wrong with this situation and it is only a matter of time before we figure it out. Lets move forward. Given their track record in Chile these Norwegian companies are not sustainable anyway. The state of the planet is a very serious concern and it is immoral to further degrade public resources that we will need on in the coming decades. This is about food-security and to pretend it is anything less is deceptive. In a world depleted of easy oil no one is going to be moving fish from the south Pacific to make less fish in the North Pacific, but we will most definitely be thankful to have millions of wild salmon returning to us for free!
 
Thousands of people showed up in person to deliver a message to you. Get salmon farms Out of BC waters. We await your response.
 
Sincerely,
 
Alexandra Morton
Salmonaresacred.org
 

It is Up to Us Again!

Hello

Once again it is up to us.

The Get Out Migration was a powerful and wildly successful effort. People in every town we passed through and on the road volunteered their time and expertise and the result is emergence of the people of the salmon, people who are strong, independent and understand the contribution of salmon in our lives, our future and our economy. The First Nation voice set the tone and eloquence - uniting, legendary and welcoming. People of all ages walked side-by-side to ensure a future where our children can thrive. We shut down one lane of highway 17 and the police kindly let us walk without traffic lights along Quadra and Government Streets. The Parliament lawns reportedly hold 20,000 people and looking out over the sea of people less than 1/3 of the lawn was visible.

And yet BC's two biggest newspapers mention there were only ---- "nearly 1000 people". This is so wrong in so many ways.

("Sea of people marches to fight fish farms" (The Times Colonist, 9th May): http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/people+marches+fight+fish+farms/3006060/story.html)

There is no mention of our First Nation families and friends and the number of people was five to ten times lower than reality. You can see video blogs of the Get Out Migration at salmonaresacred.org

Those of us who were at the Parliament Buildings in Victoria on May 8 saw who we are and that we exist, a powerful, peaceful, huge community of people! As we walked down the highway thousands more honked, waved, gave us a thumbs up, leaned out the windows cheering! Musicians played for us from the mountains to the sea. I believe we are a majority, but with the stroke of a pen thousands of us were deleted, so that the rest of Canada and the world do not know we exist.

The power of one is all we have BUT WE ALL HAVE IT! If we use it, we will get to keep our fish, our communities and our way of life. The great walk for wild salmon was peaceful, powerful, fun and it is clearly not over. Each us must do what we can to impress on government that they work for us and that we simply demand the opportunity to thrive, that we want our generous fish, the salmon. There are no losers here if you remove the European shareholders in the salmon farm companies from this equation. Land-based aquaculture exists, is feasible and is being done by British Columbia, there could be jobs in it if government supported it. There is no reason we need to beg for low paying jobs, raising fish we cannot touch, when we could have millions of salmon returning to us!

Here are some ideas:

Please reply and tell me if your First Nation, town, society, business, etc. supports the removal of fish farms from the ocean. I and others will do what we can to make you visible!

Write to the Times Colonist editor and tell them how many people you saw: letters@tc.canwest.com

Write your MP to Get salmon farms out of our oceans: http://webinfo.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/MainMPsCompleteList.aspx?TimePeriod=Current&Language=E

Write your MLA to support BC land-based aquaculture and to buy back the salmon farm ocean leases: http://www.leg.bc.ca/mla/3-1-7.htm

Write to MP Fin Donnelly to say you support his bill to remove salmon farms from the ocean: http://www.findonnelly.ca/

Write to Stephen Harper and tell him its time for a BC Fisheries Minister FYI John Duncan supports salmon farming, personally I have found John Cummins the best informed about our fish: pm@pm.gc.ca

Other notices:

We have some Get Out Migration and Salmon are Sacred T shirts left if you want one go to the donations button 1/2 way down the home page at salmonaresacred.org . Make a $25 donation and in the "message space" give your size and whether you want the Black or White shirts. Make sure you fill in your address. For the Back Bone of the Coast shirts go to http://www.oceanaura.com/magento/index.php/clothing

If you do not want to be part of this community of voices write UNSUBSCRIBE in the Subject Line

Salmon Are Sacred and we do exist!

Alexandra Morton

Powerful Experience Walking

Walking through the communities of Vancouver Island on the Get Out Migration has been a powerfully emotional experience. We are walking to tell people that if they simply stand up and make themselves visible to government, there is no reason we have to lose our wild salmon. But as we walk into towns with our flags flying, brilliant salmon signs, singing “we are walking to Victoria to save our fish,” an entirely unexpected thing is happening. People are coming up to me and holding me - crying. They are speaking about schools without children, independent livelihoods lost, communities dying. This is about much more than fish.

This is about the independent way of life that built these communities going extinct. As we walk I see a land of beautiful clear streams, fertile soil green with life, air sweet with flowers and then I enter towns so burdened by global corporate markets that they can no longer thrive on the richness of this land. There is something very wrong here, it is painful to witness and people are sad.

Somehow we have become blind to our public resource - millions of salmon flowing annually to our doorstep, feeding people and our economy province wide. We have somehow been convinced that Atlantic salmon, dyed pink, vaccinated, fed Chilean fish, in pens where we cannot catch them, infesting our fish with lice are better. We believe there are jobs even as the Norwegian companies are mechanizing as fast as they can to reduce the number of jobs. When people see us they know we have been duped and they don’t know how to turn this around. The Get Out Migration has been protected, blessed, gifted and honored by the First Nations who know best what has been lost. Everyday more people are joining our trek - weathering storms in tents, waving at thousand honking motorists on the road to Victoria. Our ranks swell as we enter the towns, white doves have been released, First Nation canoes parallel us, songs have been written, feasts laid out, flotillas surround us, people are awakening.

Do we still live in a democracy? Our essential rights and freedoms are being lost as foreign shareholders decide our fate, what happens on our land, dividing our communities, in an equation where they get more as we get less. As our salmon go so we go, they are a lifeline to the powerful natural world that gave birth to us. We must lead our governments back to where we can survive. Walk with us. May 8 Victoria, be there for our salmon, our towns, our children. www.salmonaresacred.org

Alexandra Morton