Press Release from the David Suzuki Foundation:
November 19, 2008 – Fish farm companies in B.C. are seeking approval from the provincial
government to roughly double current licensed production on several
farms in critical wild salmon migration routes such as the Broughton
Archipelago and the northern Georgia Strait. Some farms could triple,
quadruple, or increase six-fold their current licensed production
levels. Click here to see maps.
Please ask Premier Campbell to stop this expansion and support
long-term solutions. The British Columbia coast needs immediate
protection from the negative impacts of current salmon-farming methods.
The B.C. government is considering amendments to existing
salmon-farming licences that would significantly increase production by
the salmon-farming industry in the Broughton Archipelago and northern
Strait of Georgia, both key salmon habitats.
Recently, scientists predicted that pink salmon could go extinct in the
Broughton Archipelago, a rich salmon nursery off the central coast of
B.C., because of the activities of open net-pen salmon farming. This
finding is not surprising as many other studies have demonstrated that
salmon farms pose a risk to migrating juvenile salmon.
Instead of allowing unsustainable practices to expand, the government
should take the lead and provide immediate protection to wild fish and
support a transition to closed systems that separate farmed fish from
the wild environment.
B.C. could be a leader in the creation of a sustainable salmon-farming industry.
Send a letter to Premier Gordon Campbell and tell him that you want his
government to reject the amendments for increased open net-cage salmon
farming. TAKE ACTION HERE!
Thanks in advance for being a champion for our oceans.
With your help we can stop the expansion of harmful salmon-farming
practices and support the development of a sustainable industry.
For More Information:
Backgrounder, November 19, 2008
News Release, November 19, 2008
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When making extreme claims, such as predicting extinction of a currently healthy species, you really need to include references for those of us who prefer to research and use our own brains to come to informed conclusions, rather than regurgitating someone else’s potentially biased conclusions. Outrageous claims with no basis in science only serve to further erode your own credibility, which is already questionable on the basis of pure sensationalism. If your claims have scientific merit, say so; it will only serve to strengthen your argument, and will give interested citizens the ability to fully understand the issue. This should really be the goal of all parties involved; get as much unbiased information as possible available to the general public, so consumers can be confident in making informed decisions based on their own set of values.
Good comment, Bill.
This post reported that recent scientific research had pointed to worries that current salmon farming practices could be devastating to wild pink salmon along the BC coast. You’re correct to write that we should have provided links to the relevant scientific study.
The primary research, which was published in the Journal Science, can be found here:
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/318/5857/1772?ck=nck