Naked Chicks

[CrisD]

 

Have You Done Your Part To Save Wild Salmon

If you haven't signed up, WHY!

 

Click Here To Sign Alex Morton’s Petition

Petition to Protect Wild Salmon..

 

Petition to Protect Wild Salmon written by Alexandra Morton

 

To: The Fisheries Minister The Honourable Gail Shea and

Gordon Campbell, Premier of British Columbia

 

Wild salmon are the backbone of the BC Coast. On February 9, 2009

BC Supreme Court ruled that salmon farms are a fishery and a federal responsibility.

The science is in. The feedlot fishery is damaging wild salmon stocks worldwide

(Ford and Myers 2008). Fraser sockeye and all southcoast BC salmon and

steelhead are now at risk as a result of the Provincial policy of allowing the

feedlot fishery to use Canada's most valuable wild salmon habitat .

 

We the undersigned demand that Fisheries and Oceans Canada

apply the Fisheries Act to this industry and immediately:

 

− Place observers during feedlot salmon harvest to assess unlawful by-catch;

 

− Examine feedlot salmon as they are cleaned for presence of wild fish in their

digestive tract;

 

− Licence vessels transporting aquaculture salmon like all other commercial

fishing vessels;

 

− As per Pacific Fishery Regulation "Prohibited Fishing

Methods" ban grow lights on fish feedlots to end wild prey species

attraction into the pens;

 

- Remove the marine feedlot industry from wild salmon migration routes.

 

The landmark BC Supreme Court decision states, “The inclusion of fisheries in s.

91(12) of the Constitution Act, 1867 was a recognition that fisheries, as a national

resource, require uniformity of the legislation”.

 

We insist that the Fisheries Act be applied to the salmon feedlot fishery immediately.

 

Standing by,

[CrisD]

Made ya look.

Here is another peak.

[CrisD]

bump

[Harps]

Come on... this one is making big waves!!

Lets show folks that Native, wild fish are more important than industrial agriculture (fish feedlots).

 

Thanks for posting this CrisD!

 

The Globe and Mail

Fisheries ignored 500 names. Can it ignore 5,000?

by Mark Hume

March 23, 2009

 

VANCOUVER -- The form letter that Premier Gordon Campbell and federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea keep ignoring is just getting longer.

 

In circulation for only a few weeks, it already has nearly 5,000 signatories, and more names are being added daily as it circulates on the Web.

 

When it first went to the politicians, 500 names were affixed. It was ignored, so it went back into circulation and soon was resubmitted with 2,000 names, then with 4,000. It's making the rounds again this week, and is still growing.

 

Started by research scientist and fisheries activist Alexandra Morton, the letter asks the government to take decisive action to protect wild salmon from the threats posed by salmon farms.

 

One of the key requests is that salmon farms be moved away from wild salmon migration routes because of the transmission of sea lice from caged fish.

 

The people who signed the letter worry that salmon farms are an unacceptable risk to wild stocks.

 

And that fear is about to be heightened by a study being released today that shows juvenile sockeye from the Fraser River are encountering fish farms at an alarming rate.

 

Michael Price, a biologist with Raincoast Conservation Foundation, and Craig Orr, executive director of Watershed Watch, studied 800 wild sockeye collected in 2007-08 in northern Georgia Strait.

 

About 70 per cent of those fish had one to 20 sea lice attached to them. And the fish caught near farms were the most likely to be infected.

 

"The lice levels appear to be higher near farms," said Mr. Price, who is still analyzing the data.

 

Past studies by Ms. Morton have documented the spread of lice from farms to wild pink and chum salmon in the Broughton Archipelago, an area off Vancouver Island's northeast shoulder.

 

But the study by Mr. Price and Dr. Orr looks at sockeye, and for the first time uses DNA analysis to trace the infected fish to their watershed of origin.

 

The researchers conclude most of the sockeye they caught migrating near salmon farms (60 per cent in 2007 and 99 per cent in 2008) came from the Fraser River.

 

Sockeye are the most valuable of all salmon species because they draw a higher price on the market and because they are the fish of choice for native food and ceremonial fisheries.

 

Mr. Price and Dr. Orr have now linked the most valuable fish, from B.C.'s most important salmon river, to farms and lice.

 

Mr. Price said juvenile sockeye can follow three routes as they migrate through Georgia Strait on the outward leg of their journey to the Gulf of Alaska.

 

"But all these routes converge before the Broughton Archipelago [at the north end of Georgia Strait] where there are a dozen farms," he said.

 

"It's clear that no fish can make this journey without encountering a farm."

 

Mr. Price said studies have shown that one to three lice can kill a juvenile pink salmon, so it's fair to assume sockeye are dying as well.

 

Could this help explain the collapse of Fraser River sockeye stocks?

 

Some people will no doubt find this an alarming possibility.

 

The form letter, triggered by concerns about pink and chum, describes wild salmon as "the backbone of the B.C. Coast," and urges both Ms. Shea and Mr. Campbell to protect migrating wild stocks from fish farms.

 

So far, the politicians have been able to ignore the ever-growing letter. But the new study can only ratchet up the pressure.

 

Now that people know it's not just pink salmon, but Fraser River sockeye stocks that are at risk, one has to wonder how many more names will get added to that letter.

 

 

BTW this petition is about Canada... not New Zealand... so some people here should put their money (signature at least) where their mouth is...

 

The West coast is taking a beating... we can't afford to F this up, there will be no recovery.

[jimbow]

last week i attended a luncheon put on by the Save Our Salmon Marine Conservation Foundation to raise awareness and funds. they spoke about Alexandra Morton's work too.

 

the devastation of the wild salmon stocks as a direct result of the salmon farms is on an eye-popping level.

 

a big kick in the teeth is that not only are the farms leading to the extinction of our wild salmon over 90% are owned by Norwegian companies who pay nothing for the license to operate farms. and have already killed off the wild salmon in their own country.

 

oh yeah it's not just the salmon stocks either. the effluent and chemicals from the farms are killing the sea floor too.

 

Save our salmon website

[CPs]

Here's a link to a Youtube video that Alexandra Morton did, it describes the causes and effects of the salmon farming industry on wild salmon populations for those that don't know too much about it.

 

 

It also doesn't require money to do anything about (though donations are always needed by organizations like Save our Salmon.) One of the simplest ways to help is to stop eating farmed salmon. At the grocery store read the labels, when eating out ask your waiter/waitress, and if in doubt don't buy it!

 

-Caitlin @ CP's

[robert]

Farming isn't the only reason for the decline of the pacific salmon stocks, but this post is almost entirely laying the blame on it's shoulders... how about throwing overfishing in there, loss and destruction of fresh water habitats, the list goes on...

 

 

[Harps]

Robert...

You're right, farming isn't the only cause... but it makes it worse.

 

The board seems to shrug off other causes (this is about the world's largest supertankers (how many miles required to break?) going up to a location where they haven't been and about the construction of a giant pipeline and NEW marine terminal plus there are tons of spills that people don't know about killing wildlife), and others have been discussed here:

Habitat loss

Overfishing

And what about dumping pollution in lakes which now the US has adopted in Alaska's salmon rearing areas.

 

We need to create awarness (and concern) over all these negative things happening, and then we Need People To Act.

 

And we need to take action all around the world to show that we "think globally".

 

Kudoos to Caitlin, brndawg and ChrisD for keeping these issues current!!

[robert]

well, not to sound negative here but all you need to do is look east to see where this is likely heading. I was born and raised in newfoundland and look at the situation with the fisheries there. Total and complete collapse in 1992 and that's exactly where the pacific salmon stocks and the BC fisheries are going to end up if things aren't changed in a hurry.

 

When economics are involved, things aren't going to change and no amount of petitioning is going to fix things. Ask yourself this question? What would happen if BC took the same steps and closed down everything related to the BC salmon fishery? Cause that's probably what's going to have to happen to solve this?? Maybe i'm wrong.

 

Everything is in trouble on the east coast, lobster, crab and whatever else swims in the ocean - the food chain is broken. Now how does one fix that?

 

Supply/demand and greed are the biggest part of the problem on every level and that's what has to change. People demand, supplies are made to fulfill that demand.

[Harps]

Robert,

The situations on the coast are fundamentally the same, yet quite dissimilar.

 

Stocks (Cod) collapsed in the Atlantic largely due to overfishing everywhere, and overfishing in an area where spawning and rearing occurred. Selective gear and closed areas could have prevented that, along with better front end research and harvest restrictions.

 

Now the only option is a moratorium (cod) … let nature find a balance, if it can. There are other, more sustainable sources of protein.

There is a great recovery story coming out of England right now… the Thames, a dead river, now supports trout.

 

Atlantic Salmon are still returning to northern areas, albeit in much lower numbers. Overfishing in the ocean has hit them hard, but a lot of the big issues are in freshwater (dams, logging, road crossings, recreational fishing, etc). Restoring habitat quality in rivers will help produce fish that can try to survive the major, major dangers in the open sea.

 

 

In the pacific, this issue is about salmonids. Rearing and spawning areas are in freshwater and the mouths to these rivers are critical. Unfortunately the mouths are also the best area for fish farming (inflow and outflow, plus protection from most sea weather).

There are still returns of fish from the ocean. But can they get up into the streams?

 

There are many things that we can do to change the demand. Not eating farmed fish will take away from the demand, and there for diminish the supply by your logic. Public demanding a (multi-million dollar) recreational fishery will ensure the construction of proper road culverts to allow fish to pass up. Angler pressure on government will lessen the desire to dam rivers. Choosing sustainable lumber (FSC certified) will force better logging practices.

 

Action is required, letters, petitions, but most of all>>> Changes in Lifestyle; as simple as making a choice at the grocery store.

 

[robert]

Ok, lets discuss this for a minute... So far this is the 10th response to this thread but over 600 views... what does that tell you first of all. I asked a question that wasn't answered - what do you think would happen if the BC fisheries were shut down? Is there another way? The population of the world is pushing 7 billion and that's alot of hungry mouths.

 

Stocks (Cod) collapsed in the Atlantic largely due to overfishing everywhere, and overfishing in an area where spawning and rearing occurred. Selective gear and closed areas could have prevented that, along with better front end research and harvest restrictions.

 

Ok, it wasn't just overfishing - it was the way it was fished and it still happens today - pure economics. The habitat was destroyed when the trawlers were raping the ocean floor - everything came up with the cod - the food chain is broken. Are we really dissimilar here? You talk of the spawning grounds being destroyed - just in a different way with a different species. How is that dissimilar? Yes, things could have been done differently, and they could have been done differently on the BC coast as well. How long has farming been going on in BC now? I'll freely admit that things could have been done differently - but we as a race tend to take the easy way out - technology gives us easier ways to take.

 

Now the only option is a moratorium (cod) … let nature find a balance, if it can. There are other, more sustainable sources of protein.

The other, more sustainable sources of protien? here we go with the salmon - yep, great source of protein. So why can't a moratorium work for the BC salmon stocks or the fishery in general? Again, supply and demand with econonics tossed in.

 

People have to eat - and people have to work - and that's the attitude. Since the moratoruim in Newfoundland, concentration has been focused on other stocks like lobsters and other fish. How long will they survive?

 

Atlantic Salmon are still returning to northern areas, albeit in much lower numbers. Overfishing in the ocean has hit them hard, but a lot of the big issues are in freshwater (dams, logging, road crossings, recreational fishing, etc). Restoring habitat quality in rivers will help produce fish that can try to survive the major, major dangers in the open sea.

In the pacific, this issue is about salmonids. Rearing and spawning areas are in freshwater and the mouths to these rivers are critical. Unfortunately the mouths are also the best area for fish farming (inflow and outflow, plus protection from most sea weather).

There are still returns of fish from the ocean. But can they get up into the streams?

 

So what is the real solution here? Do you think the government really cares? No, they don't. It was mismanagement and greed that killed the newfoundland fisheries - is that different in BC? That's the point i'm trying to make.

 

There are many things that we can do to change the demand. Not eating farmed fish will take away from the demand, and there for diminish the supply by your logic. Public demanding a (multi-million dollar) recreational fishery will ensure the construction of proper road culverts to allow fish to pass up. Angler pressure on government will lessen the desire to dam rivers. Choosing sustainable lumber (FSC certified) will force better logging practices.

 

Not eating farmed fish... My personal take on farmed fish is that it's disgusting, i'd prefer wild and it's not often i'll eat salmon anyway. But it's still demand.

 

People still want their big vehicles, they still want their toys, they still want food, they still want oil - again, not to sound negative but how do you change that? People as a whole won't moderate themselves so others want more rules put in place to moderate them - all of us. Now how do you exact change given those circumstances?

 

It's not just the BC Salmon stocks that are in trouble - all the BC fisheries are in trouble. Concentrating on one isn't going to fix the whole.

[Harps]

Ok, lets discuss this for a minute... So far this is the 10th response to this thread but over 600 views... what does that tell you first of all. I asked a question that wasn't answered - what do you think would happen if the BC fisheries were shut down? Is there another way? The population of the world is pushing 7 billion and that's alot of hungry mouths.

Robert,

I haven't said much to the contrary of what you've said...

I pointed out the thread on the west coast to demostrate that folks here, looking at these topics don't agree and don't want to change. There are people who will read this and may make a decision tonight at the supermarket.

If BC Salmon fisheries shut down (commercial or rec?), like you asked, folks would focus on farmed fish and other fisheries (Arctic, US, Atlantic, Southern). There are fisheries all over the world abusing the resourse... any one would be happy to fill the niche lost by BC. Of course, unlike Cod (the fishery shut down in the Atlantic), Salmon can be dumped into rivers to support all the fisheries, commercial and rec. Cod couldn't be artificially propagated.

 

Ok, it wasn't just overfishing - it was the way it was fished and it still happens today - pure economics. The habitat was destroyed when the trawlers were raping the ocean floor - everything came up with the cod - the food chain is broken. Are we really dissimilar here? You talk of the spawning grounds being destroyed - just in a different way with a different species. How is that dissimilar? Yes, things could have been done differently, and they could have been done differently on the BC coast as well. How long has farming been going on in BC now? I'll freely admit that things could have been done differently - but we as a race tend to take the easy way out - technology gives us easier ways to take.

I said similar and dissimilar. Salmon can be artificially propagated and legislation is already in force (not always enforced) to protect the young... giving them a much better chance then cod ever had. I also mentioned gear selection alluding to trawls destroying the bed.

I also mentioned early research was required... we need to know so we can change the rules about the harvest.

 

The other, more sustainable sources of protien? here we go with the salmon - yep, great source of protein. So why can't a moratorium work for the BC salmon stocks or the fishery in general? Again, supply and demand with econonics tossed in.

Not sure what you're saying here? A moratorium would improve salmon stocks, but that's not the issue. Regulations can still work if applied before salmon reach a critical low... of course pacific salmon die when they spawn, so it is much different then cod that need to spawn again and again (salmon pops can be quick to react, making it easier to manage in the short term... cod needed long term management).

Inland freshwater fish farms can still produce trout for the table, and Canada has an abundance of other protein sources (but I hate soy which requies too much irrigation... not as much as I hate Sod... stupid generation of instant gratification, I think watching grass grow is great).

 

People have to eat - and people have to work - and that's the attitude. Since the moratoruim in Newfoundland, concentration has been focused on other stocks like lobsters and other fish. How long will they survive?

Changing fising requires money for gear. Also an abundance of fishermen does not change what the regulations are. Good set regulations will protect stocks irregardless of number of fishers.

 

So what is the real solution here? Do you think the government really cares? No, they don't. It was mismanagement and greed that killed the newfoundland fisheries - is that different in BC? That's the point i'm trying to make.

I agree completely, I'm just in a mood to argue

BC's mismanagement can be corrected before its too late. The Atlantic situation crashed, but was identified years ago... a difference may have been made, but it could have been too late.

 

Not eating farmed fish... My personal take on farmed fish is that it's disgusting, i'd prefer wild and it's not often i'll eat salmon anyway. But it's still demand.

Unfortunately.

 

People still want their big vehicles, they still want their toys, they still want food, they still want oil - again, not to sound negative but how do you change that? People as a whole won't moderate themselves so others want more rules put in place to moderate them - all of us. Now how do you exact change given those circumstances?

There are more small cars on the road... all it took was gas hikes followed by a worldwide economic crisis.

There are simple (complicated) solutions. Exxon has finally invested in algae produced fuel (announced just this week). Exxon had previously reffered to biofuels as "Moonshine". That's change.

I'll bet the number of EnergyStar appliances in Canadian households is increasing exponentially.

Solar panel technology has made huge leaps (great new flexible solar panals being produced, and the technology to produce ultra thin film solar cells is amazing!!).

What about the upsurge in Hybrid vehicles and the interest in electric (of course that means more pressure on the grid, and more power production, likely by coal)?

There is change.

 

It's not just the BC Salmon stocks that are in trouble - all the BC fisheries are in trouble. Concentrating on one isn't going to fix the whole.

I agree with alot of what you're saying, I'm just trying to put it into context. Right now the environment is being "killed by a thousand cuts". Let's stop as many as we can, while we can and maybe we can do enough.

Fish farming, as it is now, is preventing salmon from returning to the rivers and killing them as they leave. Easy fix!

 

Ya need to start somewhere.

[Hawgstoppah]

Maybe BC needs to fix the problem of alienating fellow canadians from their fisheries and they'd have more friends in these matters.

[jimbow]

Farming isn't the only reason for the decline of the pacific salmon stocks, but this post is almost entirely laying the blame on it's shoulders... how about throwing overfishing in there, loss and destruction of fresh water habitats, the list goes on...

 

although there are other factors but the farming issue is likely the most significant one that has science behind it. open net salmon farming makes no sense at all unless of course you're one of the norwegian companies raping the resource.....

 

there are salmon farming methods that are sustainable and don't destroy the wild stocks and ocean floor that should be utilized. that's the answer to your supply and demand point.

 

as for what would happen if the fishery were shut down....who knows? the gov't would buy out licences and boats as they have in the past, people would find new ways to earn their living.

 

not only don't buy farmed salmon in the grocery don't buy it in restaurants and be sure to tell the business that you are not buying their products. most consumers have no idea about farmed salmon....the destruction of the stocks and ocean or that it wouldn't be orange in colour unless the farmed fish were fed orange #243 (or whatever it is that gives them the colour).

 

if consumers (or voters) knew about all of that they would likely start voting with their cheque books and maybe there would be change.

[Michelle]

I am convinced, my family and I will no longer purchase farmed Salmon. AND I will pass it on.

[Wolfie]

This is one of the Best threads I've read in this forum so far... I have first hand encounter with 'fish farms'..trout to be exact. Where I lived on Vancouver Island, in which a quarry now naturally filled with prime trout water [lime stone quarry which got flooded by error] was rented out to a fish farm..in this quarry trout both rainbow and speckle were being stocked for a couple of years prior, giving great fishing..not so any longer! For the sake of a $$$$, the fish farm was put in place, things started to happen to this once clean clear water, slime started, which was caused by the waste of the fishes that were being feed ..pellets..thus the insect population was effected, from this slime and different form of algae, other insects invaded the waters. The original population of trout were being killed off do to the introduction of the man made food given to those that were being farmed.

 

..I can go on and on about this , but my anger will get the best of me, so this is what I've done and will keep on doing despite if this food chain or any one else tries to stop me..

 

..Safeway is a big offender just as Superstore is and when I shop in these stores I make point of going to check out the fresh fish they have for sale..right now they are selling 'pink salmon' for a very cheap price and ppl are buying them just because..however..let it be known that 'Pinks' have a certain cycle which is every odd year the numbers increase, that is wild fish..NOW I'll stop anyone who is looking at those fish that are on sale and tell whoever that these are farm fish, feed on rabbit pellets, cause the run of pinks have not started yet..PPL do not know of these things, their are totally ingorant to what these huge stores get to sell to them, after I give my little informative speech..more than one person turns away and leaves those fish for some other non educated person. And in my observation those others are Asians unfortunately.

 

.............................my two cents................Wolfie

[jimbow]

wolfie, not sure i read your correctly but are you saying the pinks in the store are farmed? my understanding is that only atlantic salmon are farmed. no pacific salmon species (is that the correct term?) are farmed in canada. although i was in a restaurant recently where they indicated organic alaskan chinook that was in fact farmed. didn't have time to really ask any questions about that fish but will if i'm ever there again.

[Wolfie]

wolfie, not sure i read your correctly but are you saying the pinks in the store are farmed? my understanding is that only atlantic salmon are farmed. no pacific salmon species (is that the correct term?) are farmed in canada. although i was in a restaurant recently where they indicated organic alaskan chinook that was in fact farmed. didn't have time to really ask any questions about that fish but will if i'm ever there again.

 

yes....that is exactly what I was implying..when the farm industry first started in BC, the information was that 'Atlantic Salmon' was the target, however, after being successful with that specie, it was further taken into the 'Pacific Species', including trout [in my case in the quarry it was 'rainbow trout'.

 

..I just find it very strange to see those 'pinks' at an earlier time then when they would enter the mouths of the rivers in great numbers to warrant the very low cost of each fish..besides..'Pacific Salmon', like Atlantic specie has 'orange or reddish orange flesh'....NOT the very pale colour of the flesh that those pinks have in both stores...

 

.......................................................................Wolfie