This simple revelation brings the entire conflict into focus. Privatization of our oceans means we lose our right to protect our fisheries.
The Fraser River and U.S. Lake Washington sockeye collapsed while other southcoast sockeye, the Okanogan, Columbia, and Somass sockeye did much better than forecast. This means it was specifically the southcoast stocks that passed through Norwegian fish farm waters that failed.
It is completely unacceptable that we are left to guess about disease transfer from millions of Atlantic salmon simply to protect the interests of European shareholders.
At this meeting we heard repeatedly from the association of Canadian land-based salmon farmers
http://www.aquaculturebc.com/ In operation for 60, years this industry does not impact our wild salmon, does not dump its manure into public waters, creates jobs and is successful and yet they cannot even get a meeting with the provincial government!
Is this Canadian industry being suppressed by our provincial government because it makes the massive Norwegian net pen industry irrelevant? I realized I am not trying to protect wild salmon from aquaculture, I am trying to protect our coast from three Norwegian companies called Marine Harvest, Grieg and Cermaq (Mainstream).
Minister Steve Thompson MAL, your first commitment is to Canadians. Contact the Canadian salmon farmers, meet with them and given them a chance to resolve this issue. Otherwise, when you look at the entire situation, “corruption” is the word that comes to mind.
