Monthly, commercial-free publication by Wild Game Fish Conservation International. Conservation efforts including open pen salmon feedlots, oil and mineral exploitation, harvest management and more. Youth conservation, Featured artist, fishing adventure and wild game fish
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Wild Game Fish Conservation International (WGFCI): Established in 2011
to advocate for wild game fish, their fragile ecosystems and the cultures and economies that rely on their robust populations.
LEGACY: Complimentary, no-nonsense, monthly publication by conservationists for
conservationists
LEGACY, the WGFCI Facebook page and the WGFCI website are utilized
to educate fellow conservationists, elected officials, business owners and others regarding wild game fish, their contributions to society and the varied issues impacting them and those who rely on their sustainability.
LEGACY features wild game fish conservation projects, fishing adventures,
accommodations, equipment and more. Your photos and articles featuring wild game fish from around planet earth are welcome for possible inclusion in an upcoming issue
of LEGACY. Your “Letters to the Editor” are welcome.
Successful wild game fish conservation efforts around planet earth will ensure existence of these precious natural resources and their ecosystems for future
generations to enjoy and appreciate. This is our LEGACY.
LLeeggaaccyy
Wild Game Fish Conservation International
Wild Game Fish Conservation International founders:
Last Minute Wild Game Fish Conservation Headlines from Around Planet Earth.................................................. 8 Planet Earth ............................................................................................................................................................... 10
Norwegian delegation met by fish-farm protesters .................................................................................................. 10 How Corporations Corrupt Science at the Public's Expense ................................................................................. 12 Keystone XL: White House Backs Portion Of Pipeline That Ships U.S. Oil Overseas ......................................... 14 AgriMarine Signs Letter of Intent with Marine Harvest (Norway) – A Leading Salmon Producer Worldwide ... 18 Fish Feed ...................................................................................................................................................................... 19
Australia ..................................................................................................................................................................... 20 Tasmania .................................................................................................................................................................................... 20
Avoiding salmon pitfalls ............................................................................................................................................. 20 Brazil .......................................................................................................................................................................... 21
Removal of Indigenous Peoples of Belo Monte, Brazil Has Begun! ...................................................................... 21 Canada ....................................................................................................................................................................... 22
Northern Gateway Tankers: First Nations Angry Over Transport Canada Decision ............................................ 22 Canadian government is 'muzzling its scientists’ .................................................................................................... 23 Cenovus gets price boost with direct sale to China ................................................................................................ 25 Kinder Morgan's Grand Plan to Pipe Oil Sands Crude ............................................................................................ 26
Alberta ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 27 Gateway pipeline: Feds couldn't address aboriginal concerns, documents show .............................................. 27
British Columbia ........................................................................................................................................................................ 28 'Draconian' chinook cuts loom for anglers ............................................................................................................... 28 Letter to Norwegian Parliamentary Delegation – Dr. Alexandra Morton ................................................................ 30 CTV NEWS: Video coverage of salmon feedlot protest – March 9, 2012 ............................................................... 32 Setting the record straight on what we do around salmon farming ....................................................................... 34 Lake Babine First Nations partners with others in commercial inland fishery ..................................................... 35 Salmon farmers show commitment to best practices with important new agreement ........................................ 36 Veteran Fish Scientist Highlights Key Risks from Enbridge Pipelines .................................................................. 37 Transport Canada's Clearing of Enbridge Ignores the Facts .................................................................................. 38
Nova Scotia ................................................................................................................................................................................ 40 Infectious Salmon Anaemia Confirmed in Nova Scotia ........................................................................................... 40 Salmon virus prompts concern in Nova Scotia ........................................................................................................ 41 Think tank positive about future of Atlantic Canada's aquaculture sector ........................................................... 42 Cooke gives up on Shelburne fish farm .................................................................................................................... 45 Salmon Virus Confirmed, Cooke Aquaculture Won’t Stop $150 Million Expansion ............................................. 46
Ireland ........................................................................................................................................................................ 48 Evidence for sea lice-induced marine mortality of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) … .......................................... 49 Parties argue over moves to save salmon from extinction ..................................................................................... 49 Opposition to €3.5m fish farm over navigational, waste and tourist issues ......................................................... 50
Norway ....................................................................................................................................................................... 51 ISA confirmed at Nordmøre ........................................................................................................................................ 51 Is the Current PD Strategy Enough? ......................................................................................................................... 52
Russia ........................................................................................................................................................................ 53 Russia urges Norway to restrict salmon fishery ...................................................................................................... 53
House Passes Extreme “Drill Everywhere” Bill ........................................................................................................ 54 Alaska ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 55
Pebble Mine Permit Status .......................................................................................................................................... 55 Time to protect Bristol Bay cultures, not sell them ................................................................................................. 56
California .................................................................................................................................................................................... 58 A Bold Plan to Reshape the Central Valley Flood Plain .......................................................................................... 58 A Victory for Central Valley Salmon .......................................................................................................................... 59 Fishing the North Coast: Huge abundance of ocean salmon forecasted for 2012 ............................................... 60
North Carolina ............................................................................................................................................................................ 61 Aquaculture in NC: The Global Connection .............................................................................................................. 61
Washington State ...................................................................................................................................................................... 62 Large Wood Placement in Washington’s Waters – WSDOT Policy ........................................................................ 62 Is it time for “Capitol Lagoon” yet? ........................................................................................................................... 63 Ecology study finds high levels of pollutants in Port Angeles Harbor .................................................................. 66 Help LightHawk: Get Salmon-Tracking Antennae .................................................................................................... 67 Wild Game Fish Conservation International Opposes Chehalis River Dam .......................................................... 69 Whither the Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority ........................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined. Phase 1 Chehalis River Mainstem and Tributaries Comprehensive Salmonid Habitat Enhancement Plan ...... 71
Featured artist: Michelle Nickerson - For the Ocean, Wild Salmon and Me .......................................................... 72 Youth Conservation News (new section) ................................................................................................................. 73
McDonald Creek’s Hero #1.......................................................................................................................................... 73 2012 NORTHWEST YOUTH CONSERVATION & FLY FISHING ACADEMY ............................................................ 74 South Sound Student GREEN Congress ................................................................................................................... 75
Featured Fishing Photo from Around Planet Earth:................................................................................................ 76 Featured Wild Game Fish: Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout ..................................................................... 77 Featured Fishing adventures: Klickitat Riverfront Inn – Klickitat, Washington ................................................... 78 Legacy distribution ................................................................................................................................................... 79 Conservation Video Library – “Why we fight” ......................................................................................................... 80 Attention Conservation-minded Business Owners ................................................................................................. 81 WGFCI endorsed conservation organizations ......................................................................................................... 81
As the planet’s population increases the demands for cheap salmon and cheap petroleum products grow with it. These, like other addictions, are recipes for increased corporate greed and government corruption at the expense of human and environmental health.
Our addiction to “cheap” salmon that are readily available throughout the year has led to the exploding open pen salmon feedlot industry. This multi-billion dollar industry, its corporate officers and corrupt elected public officials are directly responsible for numerous human health risks and devastated marine environments, including once-plentiful wild Pacific and Atlantic salmon and their fragile ecosystems.
Similarly, our addiction to “cheap” petroleum products that are readily available has led to increased exploration and exploitation on land and in the oceans of the world, even in the most fragile ecosystems. As with our addiction to salmon (farmed or otherwise), our addiction to oil leads directly to corporate greed and corrupt government officials at the expense of human health and fragile ecosystems.
We at Wild Game Fish Conservation International understand that it is our responsibility to report current actions by Big Oil, Big Salmon, Big Timber, Big Hydropower and other multi-national conglomerates that directly impact the future of wild game fish and their environments. We fully expect that those who read Legacy will come to understand that what is good for sustainable wild fish is good for humans. The opposite is also true!
We continue to urge conservationists to speak out passionately and to demonstrate peacefully for wild game fish and their fragile ecosystems; ecosystems that we are but one small component of.
As recreational fishermen, conservation of wild game fish for future generations is our passion. Publishing “Legacy” is our responsibility to ensure the future of these precious gifts.
Upcoming Special Issue of Legacy – wild game fish versus hatchery-reared game fish: We
will be publishing a special issue of Legacy soon that will focus primarily on the issue
of wild game fish versus hatchery-reared game fish. If you have an interest in this topic and have research or opinions about it, one way or the other, please send it to us so
we can publish it in Legacy. We will do our best to publish as much as possible in this special issue.
Bruce Treichler James E. Wilcox Wild Game Fish Conservation International
Norwegian delegation met by fish-farm protesters March 08, 2012
New Music and Slideshow: “Runaway Train” featuring Eliza Gilkyson Group in B.C. to discuss aquaculture, indigenous peoples A top-level parliamentary delegation from Norway was met by fish-farm protesters in Victoria Wednesday and more demonstrations are expected when they head to Quadra Island today. The group, which includes Dag Terje Andersen, president of the Norwegian parliament, and seven other politicians, met with Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, Fisheries Minister Keith Ashfield and other politicians in Ottawa before travelling to B.C. But a meeting and seminars on aquaculture and indigenous peoples, to be held on Quadra Island and attended by Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan, has aroused the ire of some First Nations and those opposed to open-net pen salmon farms. The only First Nations invited to the meeting are the Ahousaht and Kitasoo, both of which are supportive of salmon farming, said Chief Bob Chamberlin of Kwicksutaineuk Ah-Kwamish First Nation on the north Island. "There will be a certain mindset in that room and it is something we are at odds with," said Chamberlin, who is also vice-president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs. Every First Nation has the right to make its own decision on whether to support salmon farming in its own territory, but the other side should also be presented, Chamberlin said. "I hope the delegation doesn't leave the country thinking it is all peace, love and harmony with this," he said. "All the resolutions that have come from UBCIC, with 104 tribes, do not include one resolution that supports fish farms." Chamberlin plans to be outside the meeting in full regalia, with another chief. "I am inviting myself in," he said.
"My minister is speaking on a topic near and dear to us, and I want to ask why he is supporting fish farms." A spokesman for Duncan's office said the meeting is being held to discuss aquaculture economic development and the guest list was developed by the Norwegian embassy. "Economic development opportunities for First Nations are one of our government's priorities, and aquaculture development has the potential to play a significant role in the diversification and strengthening of local and regional First Nations economies," he said. Chamberlin said he is not sure what he will do if he is not allowed into the meeting, but said it would send a signal to other First Nations on the government's priorities. "It all leads me to believe the government is more focused on the economy than the well-being of ecosystems and wild salmon," he said. Most of B.C.'s major salmon farming companies have Norwegian parent companies and demonstrators in Victoria presented the Norwegian politicians with a letter saying "salmon feedlots" should not be on wild salmon migration routes. "The [Fraser River sockeye] decline began when salmon feedlots were placed around Quadra Island on the migration route," it says. "We respectfully ask that you advise your corporations to remove their fish from B.C. waters."
Editorial Comment:
The photos of the Wild Salmon Warriors in the above article are posted in the Salmon Are
Sacred Facebook Group – Thanks to these and other dedicated wild salmon conservationists,
wild Pacific salmon will once again be free of the many ecosystem challenges associated with
problematic open pen salmon feedlots that are intentionally sited in wild salmon migration routes.
Wild Game Fish Conservation International salutes our wild salmon conservation colleagues
How Corporations Corrupt Science at the Public's Expense February 17, 2012
Federal decision makers need access to the best available science in order to craft policies that protect our health, safety, and environment.
Unfortunately, censorship of scientists and the manipulation, distortion, and suppression of scientific information have threatened federal science in recent years.
This problem has sparked much debate, but few have identified the key driver of political interference in federal science: the inappropriate influence of companies with a financial stake in the outcome.
A new UCS report, Heads They Win, Tails We Lose, shows how corporations influence the use of science in federal decision making to serve their own interests.
Methods of Abuse
The report describes five basic methods that corporations use to influence the scientific and policy-making processes:
How Do They Game the System?
Let Us Recount the Ways
Corrupting the Science. Corporations suppress research, intimidate scientists, manipulate study designs, ghostwrite scientific articles, and selectively publish results that suit their interests.
Shaping Public Perception. Private interests downplay evidence, exaggerate uncertainty, vilify scientists, hide behind front groups, and feed the media slanted news stories.
Restricting Agency Effectiveness. Companies attack the science behind agency policy, hinder the regulatory process, corrupt advisory panels, exploit the "revolving door" between corporate and government employment, censor scientists, and withhold information from the public.
Influencing Congress. By spending billions of dollars on lobbying and campaign contributions, corporate interests gain undue access to members of Congress, encouraging them to challenge scientific consensus, delay action on critical problems, and shape the use of science in policy making.
Exploiting Judicial Pathways. Corporate interests have expanded their influence on the judicial system, used the courts to undermine science, and exploited judicial processes to bully and silence scientists.
Progress Made (and Still To Be Made)
In his 2009 inaugural address, President Obama promised to "restore science to its rightful place." His administration has made progress toward that goal on several important fronts—elevating the role of science in government, ordering agencies to develop scientific integrity policies, improving transparency, and strengthening conflict-of-interest policies.
READ ENTIRE UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS ARTICLE HERE
US, Mexico agree to cooperate on oil, gas drilling below maritime border
February 20, 2012
LOS CABOS, Mexico — The United States and Mexico agreed Monday to work together when drilling for oil and gas below their maritime border in the Gulf of Mexico.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Mexico’s foreign minister signed the deal at a ceremony in the Mexican resort of Los Cabos as Mexican President Felipe Calderon and U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar looked on.
The cooperation stems from an understanding that President Barack Obama and Calderon reached in 2010 to share in the profits and work together to avoid spills.
Clinton said the deal would “ensure safe, efficient, responsible exploration of the oil and gas reservoirs in the Gulf of Mexico.”
“These reservoirs could hold considerable reserves that would benefit the United States and Mexico alike,” she said.
But they don’t necessarily stop neatly at our maritime boundary,” Clinton added. “This could lead to disputes if a company discovers a reservoir that straddles the boundary — disputes, for example, over who should do the extraction and how much they should extract.”
Clinton said the agreement will prevent such disputes and create new business opportunities.
Calderon said the deal creates clear rules and should erase any fear among Mexicans that their oil will be appropriated by Americans.
And he stressed that “operations will be done in a safe and responsible manner, with full respect to the environment.”
Under the agreement, U.S. companies will now be allowed to partner with Mexico’s national oil company in drilling. But neither country is constrained by the other.
If the two governments can’t agree on how to exploit a reservoir, either can take its share unilaterally.
The U.S. Interior Department said the agreement makes nearly 1.5 million acres of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf more accessible for exploration and production activities.
“This is an area larger than the state of Delaware,” Salazar said.
Editorial Comment:
Wild Game Fish Conservation International and our associates are concerned about aggressive
American and Mexican expansion of offshore oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. Increased likelihood
of irreversible devastation to wild game fish and their ecosystems will result from:
• system failures such as that experienced with the Deep Water Horizon
• tanker accidents due to increased traffic to expanding Asian markets
• oil platform damage associated with increasing hurricanes
Keystone XL: White House Backs Portion Of Pipeline That Ships U.S. Oil
Overseas February 27, 2012
WASHINGTON -- The White House is throwing its support behind a decision by TransCanada to build a portion of the Keystone XL pipeline, even though the project will result in more oil going overseas and potentially higher gas prices.
TransCanada announced Monday that it plans to begin building the southern part of the pipeline , which would ship crude oil from Cushing, Okla., to the Gulf of Mexico.
White House press secretary Jay Carney said President Barack Obama "welcomes" the news that the Canadian pipeline company is moving ahead with its plans, despite the fact that the administration halted work on the cross-border portion of Keystone through 2013 -- a move that sparked outcry among congressional Republicans -- until TransCanada works out a new route through Nebraska that avoids ecologically sensitive areas.
"As the President made clear in January, we support the company's interest in proceeding with this project, which will help address the bottleneck of oil in Cushing that has resulted in large part from increased domestic oil production, currently at an eight year high. Moving oil from the Midwest to the world-class, state-of-the-art refineries on the Gulf Coast will modernize our infrastructure, create jobs, and encourage American energy production," Carney said in a statement.
Obama also touched on domestic energy and gas prices during remarks to the National Governors Association on Monday. "We've got to develop new sources of American energy so that we're less dependent on foreign oil and yearly spikes in gas prices," he said.
But if the argument for building Keystone is to generate new oil within the United States and bring down gas prices, TransCanada's plans don't deliver. In fact, environmental groups say, TransCanada's plans for Keystone mean more domestic oil will head overseas and a potential spike in gas prices.
"At a time of public worry about rising gas prices, lawmakers should be concerned about a project that will [be] diverting oil from the Midwest gasoline refining operations to Gulf Coast diesel refining operations thereby raising U.S. oil and gas prices," Susan Casey-Lefkowitz, director of the International Program at the National Resources Defense Council, wrote in a Monday blog post .
"The southern route pipeline will still provide the main service to oil companies that Keystone XL would provide: it will divert tar sands from the Midwest to the Gulf, raising American oil prices and likely also gasoline prices. An Oklahoma to Texas tar sands pipeline will mean more tar sands converted to diesel and available for export overseas."
Kim Huynh, speaking for Friends of the Earth, accused the president of trying to have it both ways by touting his commitment to clean energy "while simultaneously shilling for one of the dirtiest industries on Earth" by endorsing the pipeline's construction.
"What the administration seems to be missing is that the southern segment of this pipeline would exacerbate air pollution in refinery communities along the Gulf Coast and threaten our heartland with costly spills -- all for oil that likely won't make it to Americans' gas tanks," Huynh said in a statement.
Northern Gateway Tankers: First Nations Angry Over Transport Canada Decision February 24, 2012
VANCOUVER - First Nations along British Columbia's north and central coast say it's unfathomable that Transport Canada approves the use of oil supertankers in the province's treacherous inlets and marine passages.
Coastal First Nations executive director Art Sterritt said Friday that the department ruling ignores safety issues such as poor weather, human error, and the narrow, unforgiving waterways.
Transport Canada filed its report on Thursday to the regulatory panel weighing Enbridge Inc.'s $5.5-billion proposal to ship Alberta crude to the West Coast by pipeline and export the oil to Asian markets via supertankers loaded in Kitimat.
The report does not identify any regulatory concerns and says residual risks are present in any project.
Sterritt said that's nonsensical and shocking because a recent study by Coastal First Nations suggested a tanker spill could cost $23 billion, creating catastrophic economic, environmental and cultural damage.
On Friday, the Yinka Dene Alliance announced it has filed a complaint and sent a representative to the United Nations in Geneva to speak about the federal government's intention to go ahead with the proposed pipeline.
"The government has said repeatedly that they are planning to push Enbridge through despite the
fact that our nations have said no," said Anne Sam
She will be speaking about the complaint with the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
"The Harper government is ignoring us so we have no option but to escalate this issue to the global community."
Enbridge (TSX:ENB) maintains the pipeline will bring jobs and economic development to northern B.C., but opponents insist the risks are too high.
They have packed Joint Review Panel hearings underway across B.C. and Alberta through 2013.
"The moment they start messing with the economic driver to the point that opportunity and
expectation [of catching fish] are gone, they will destroy that economic driving force," he said.
The spinoff effect would take in fishing lodges, about 50 fishing charter operations, marinas,
campgrounds, tackle shops and hotels, Paish said. "It would have a huge impact on Sooke and
Metchosin. The sports fishery drives tourism in this area."
No one from DFO was available to talk about the proposals Friday, but Tom Cole, assistant chairman
of the advisory board, said DFO representatives will be at a meeting Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Four
Points Sheraton Hotel in Langford.
"We are expecting about 700 or 800 people at that meeting," Cole said.
The issue revolves around some Fraser River chinook runs with poor returns. Those chinook turn up
in Juan de Fuca Strait in the summer at the same time as chinook from more abundant runs.
Two years ago, the recreational fishery, which takes only a fraction of the threatened stocks, agreed
to catch limits in an effort to conserve those stocks, even though most chinook caught in the fishery
come from the abundant runs, Paish said. The complicated rules now allow fishermen to take two
chinook a day in the summer, with varying size constraints.
Instead of targeting sports fishermen, when further restrictions would have no effect on conservation
of the stocks, DFO should be looking at the commercial or First Nations fisheries, which take many
more fish, and its own allocation policy, said Bos and Paish.
Root causes are habitat loss and water extraction from the Fraser, but DFO has done little to address
those problems and seems focused only on ratcheting down the sports fishery, Bos said.
"DFO has suddenly set its hair on fire and said they need more restrictions and they have put a bull's
eye on our back," he said.
"We have already done our part to reduce the impact on these stocks."
Editorial Comment:
This proposed retention reduction of sport caught wild Chinook salmon is yet another attempt to
divide and conquer stakeholders (First Nations, Commercial fishermen and recreational
fishermen) while assuming that we’ll fight each other for an artificially derived number of fish. The
days of this ridiculous strategy are over, DFO!
These stakeholders, along with business associations, conservationists and others are uniting to
address and reform the real issues impacting wild Pacific salmon including open pen salmon
feedlots, oil and mineral exploration and exploitation, hydropower dams, irresponsible logging
practices, floodplain development, etc.
We at Wild Game Fish Conservation International wonder how long agency heads and elected
officials will be allowed by their constituents to manage uniquely valuable, publically owned
natural resources into extinction.
We also wonder if this proposed change will impact Washington state Chinook fisheries along
the Strait of Juan de Fuca as Fraser River-bound Chinook salmon know no borders.
Letter to Norwegian Parliamentary Delegation – Dr. Alexandra Morton March 6, 2012
To the Delegation of Leaders from Norway:
We hope your visit to Canada has been a good
experience. On March 8, you are traveling to
Quadra Island to meet with John Duncan, MP,
and representatives of First Nations that are in
agreements with your salmon feedlot corporations.
We appreciate that you show respect for some
First Nations. However, there are other people and
Nations who are not party to these deals who feel
your industry is taking away something far too
precious. Quadra Island is in the middle of the
largest wild salmon migration route in Canada.
Because the Fraser sockeye are so essential to British Columbia, in 2009 the Canadian government
called a Commission of Inquiry into the reasons for the virtual collapse of the Fraser River Sockeye.
The decline began when salmon feedlots were placed around Quadra Island on the migration route.
We want you to know this inquiry revealed a government cover-up that the federal government never
informed this Inquiry that ISA influenza virus was detected in Fraser sockeye in 2004. The Stó:lō
Nation was not informed that 100% of Cultus sockeye tested positive for ISA virus.
Last fall, we found European strain ISA virus in wild BC salmon. As you know, the Chilean ISA
outbreak, which caused $2 billion in damages, was traced back to a hatchery in central Norway. ISA
virus has become a problem around the world where Atlantic salmon are put in ocean net pens. We
too are working to trace ISA virus back to its source. Chile did not sue the companies involved, but
BC would.
Unlike in Norway, BC wild salmon are not just fished for sport. Here in BC, First Nations have rights to
wild salmon. Many people depend on them for food. Salmon fuel a $1.5 billion tourism industry and
an important commercial fishery. We understand the BC feedlots are your gateway into China, since
China refuses Norwegian salmon and so you come to Quadra Island to protect the interests of your
corporations; Marine Harvest, Cermaq and Grieg. However, we see serious problems arising for us
from your industry and we are not prepared to sacrifice wild salmon to profit Norway. We no
longer trust the government John Duncan represents since we learned they hid ISA virus from a
federal inquiry.
We want you to know there is one run of Fraser sockeye have not declined. They are designated
BC’s first “salmon stronghold”. They are the Harrison sockeye and they migrate southward to sea via
a salmon feedlot-free route. The fish are telling us what we need to know about impact of salmon
feedlots in BC. We want all BC wild salmon to migrate to sea without passing your salmon feedlot
sewage over their gills.
Please understand that the fight against what we see as an invasion of salmon feedlots into one
of the most important wild salmon migration routes left on earth has only begun. There is no
place in the world we can look to and see salmon feedlots and wild salmon co-existing. We
respectfully ask that you advise your corporations to remove their fish from BC waters. The market
value of feedlot salmon is so low, we are hopeful there is far more to be gained by Norway as social
and environmental leaders on a planet being destroyed by corporate predation
Dr. Alexandra Morton
Marine Biologist
Editorial Comment:
Wild Game Fish Conservation International is in absolute agreement
with the respectful remarks made here by Dr. Alexandra Morton
including the following that are emphasized above:
• “we are not prepared to sacrifice wild salmon to profit Norway”
• “the fight against what we see as an invasion of salmon
feedlots into one of the most important wild salmon migration
routes left on earth has only begun.”
CTV NEWS: Video coverage of salmon feedlot protest – March 9, 2012
CTV News: Correction – Fish Farm Industry pushed protester and a Norwegian delegate, not the other way around as originally reported
Dr. Alexandra Morton with members of the “A” Team fearlessly, respectfully and peacefully oppose Norwegian-owned, open-pen salmon feedlots sited in British Columbia’s uniquely beautiful and naturally productive marine ecosystems. (March 9, 2012)
OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Feb. 24, 2012) - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
is seeking comments on a disease surveillance plan for salmon in British Columbia.
The aim of the surveillance is to get a comprehensive picture of the health status of salmon in British Columbia. Fish will be tested for three diseases: infectious haematopoietic necrosis, infectious pancreatic necrosis and infectious salmon anaemia.
The CFIA will lead the surveillance with support from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), the Province of British Columbia and industry. All testing, as well as any activities undertaken to respond to confirmed cases of disease, will be directed by science, international guidelines and national aquatic animal health requirements.
Approximately 5000 wild salmon will be collected per year for a minimum of two years, starting in the spring of 2012. In addition, the CFIA will evaluate ongoing, industry-led testing of farmed salmon.
The design of the proposed surveillance plan was based on internationally accepted surveillance principles and developed by the CFIA in consultation with DFO, the Province of BC and the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. A summary of the initiative is available on the CFIA web site at www.inspection.gc.ca/aquatic .
To request a copy of the detailed draft surveillance initiative, or to submit comments, contact [email protected]. Comments will be accepted until March 16, 2012.
For more information on salmon diseases, visit www.inspection.gc.ca/aquatic or call 1-800-442-2342
Follow us on Twitter for the latest on animal health: www.twitter.com/CFIA_Animals .
Transport Canada's Clearing of Enbridge Ignores the Facts February 25, 2012
What an interesting pair of stories – on the one hand Transport Canada has said that tanker traffic is
safe on our pristine west coast while another tells of Enbridge repairing its faulty pipeline that
resulted in yet another spill for the company this past May in the Northwest Territories.
Now sisters and brothers, repeat after me: LEAKS AND SPILLS FROM THE TAR SANDS TO THE
COAST AND THEREAFTER, DOWN THE COAST ARE INEVITABLE AND THE
CONSEQUENCES WILL BE CATASTROPHES.
Editorial Comment:
The following article, as with all articles in Legacy, is published as written to capture the
We are being subjected to an Orwellian barrage of bullshit .
What I’m saying re the pipelines and tankers is true – the dangers of this horrific Northern Gateway are absolute. They are mathematically inevitable.
This is not some hyperbole but absolute fact matched I might say by Environment Canada’s own documents which predict periodic oil spills from tankers with one “major spill every 15 years”. I wonder of Environment Canada has ever met with Transport Canada.
If you scan Enbridge’s documents you will see reams and reams of stuff on how to deal with spills and nary a suggestion that they can be avoided.
It’s interesting to note how the PR flacks have got people changing “Tar Sands” to “Oil Sands”, which this gunk clearly is not.
The federal government, with backing from Victoria, is now embarked on a careful policy of propaganda and bribes. They want us, the public, to accept the inevitability of the pipelines and tankers. The propaganda will be flying. Evermore bribes will flow to First Nations, communities and lower level governments. BC citizens of all stripes will be tempted with prospects of jobs (about 560, mostly in Calgary - with fewer than 40 permanent ones in BC). The construction jobs will mostly be done by expert teams with lower income, short term jobs to locals.
As the huge campaign gets going and you are bombarded with crap, please remember this – it is inevitable that there will be leaks and spills and the consequences to our land and oceans catastrophic…And remember, no one is going to stop the pipelines and tankers after a disaster - they will continue to run as if nothing had happened!
When these catastrophes happen, and you have supported them either actively or by your silence, please then look your kids and grandkids in the eye and say, "I didn’t care enough to fight the bastards."
Pictured above: Ramlah, a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) class tanker designed to transport up to
2.1 million gallons of oil and gas. VLCC class tankers will carry tar sands oil from Kitimat, British
Columbia to Asian and American markets via the treacherous Douglas Channel on BC’s west coast if
the Enbridge-owned Northern Gateway Pipelines are constructed between Edmonton and Kitimat..
A typical BC farming site. (Photo: BC Salmon Farmers Association)
Infectious Salmon Anaemia Confirmed in Nova Scotia March 07, 2012 17:30 ET
OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - March 7, 2012) - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed infectious salmon anaemia at a commercial aquaculture facility in Nova Scotia.
Infectious salmon anaemia does not affect human health or food safety, but it does pose risks to fish health and the economy.
Protecting fish health is a top priority, and appropriate measures are being taken to prevent further disease spread.
A quarantine remains on the facility to control movements of people, vessels, equipment and fish onto or off of the site. As a precautionary disease control measure, the owner of the facility chose to euthanize two pens containing affected salmon when the disease was first suspected. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency will now order a third cage of salmon to be humanely destroyed and disposed of, with compensation paid to the owner.
The Agency will continue to monitor and test the rest of the salmon at the facility. If additional cases of infectious salmon anaemia are detected, more fish may be ordered destroyed.
Pens, cages and equipment will be cleaned and disinfected. Once cleaning and disinfecting is complete, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency will evaluate the facility to determine when the quarantine may be removed.
The measures being taken are consistent with international disease control guidelines for infectious salmon anaemia.
The response is being carried out in collaboration with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Province of Nova Scotia and the aquaculture industry.
The Government of Canada appreciates the proactive approach taken by the company following the suspect finding. Their actions are an excellent example of how the industry takes their responsibility for fish health and these situations seriously.
This finding does not change Canada's status for infectious salmon anaemia. The disease is known to exist in the waters off Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.
Salmon virus prompts concern in Nova Scotia March 8, 2012
Nova Scotia communities are voicing opposition to the province’s growing aquaculture industry now that a salmon farm has been found to have a virus.
A Shelburne, N.S.-based salmon farm has destroyed tens of thousands of fish at its operations after routine testing detected suspected infectious salmon anemia on Feb. 10. A Canadian Food Inspection Agency investigation on Wednesday confirmed the results. The fish farm, which is owned by New Brunswick-based Cooke Aquaculture, remains in quarantine.
The fatal and highly contagious virus, which occurs naturally, causes severe anemia in fish. Though some show symptoms, others don’t.
Citizens, local businesses and fishermen on the province’s eastern shore formed a group called the Association for the Preservation of the Eastern Shore on Feb. 17 following news of the outbreak. Its aim is to stop another company, the Snow Island Salmon Inc., from opening three finfish salmon farms in Shoal Bay, Spry Bay and Beaver Harbour, which lie on the eastern shore. They call fish farms a threat to their livelihood and say the farms aren’t healthy for the fish — or the local community.
In Queens County, a similar group called the Friends of Port Mouton Bay is pushing its municipality to ban farm fishing in its bay. The group claims it has proof a fish farm, which closed in 2009, polluted Port Mouton Bay with antibiotics and other contaminants.
Although Nova Scotia’s aquaculture industry is still relatively small, it shows no signs of slowing down. The industry, which mainly generates salmon and trout, is a $50 million business.
Peter Tyedmers, an associate professor at the School for Resource and Environmental Studies at Dalhousie University in Halifax, said the virus is serious. He pointed to a 2007 outbreak in Chile, which decimated the country’s industry within days.
“Where the virus isn’t contained it has disastrous consequences,” Tyedmers said.
Greg Roach, Nova Scotia’s deputy minister of fisheries and aquaculture, had said that if the CFIA results confirmed an outbreak, the department would work with the federal agency to remedy the problem.
Shelburne Mayor Al Delaney said he was concerned about the virus, but added that Cooke Aquaculture plans to expand its fish farming operations in the community.
Tyedmers said fish farming will be relied on more as the population grows. “I think well managed monitored aquaculture could expand in Nova Scotia,” said Tyedmers.
Editorial Comment:
Although open pen salmon feedlots around the world wipe out natural ecosystems and lead directly
to human health risks, greedy corporate giants and corrupt government officials continue to put entire
communities in harm’s way. Salmon feedlot industry representatives are doing whatever they can
wherever they see an opening for expansion of this multi-billion dollar per year industry.
To stop this illogical, unsustainable raping and pillaging of earth’s natural resources, consumers must
stop buying these cancer-causing fish that are often referred to as “sewer trout”.
Think tank positive about future of Atlantic Canada's aquaculture sector March 02, 2012
Atlantic Canada’s salmon-based aquaculture sector continues to enjoy remarkable growth thanks to new investments and increasing global demand for farmed seafood, reads the latest Report Card by the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council (APEC).
"Aquaculture is the fastest growing source of food production in the world and Atlantic Canada is benefitting from this industry's rapid growth," said APEC Research Analyst Patrick Brannon.
At the same time, the industry must keep making efforts to cope with the strong Canadian dollar, fish diseases, increasing competition and environmental concerns.
"The aquaculture does get a lot of push back from other sectors that some industries don't because they share the same waters with the fishing industry," said Brannon, The Canadian Press reports.
The report looked at trends in the region's aquaculture-related production, which boomed from CAD 160 million (USD 161.4 million) in 1996 to CAD 356 million (USD 359.1 million) in 2010. The industry provided nearly 2,500 direct jobs in 2007 and another 2,200 indirectly.
"The aquaculture industry is particularly important in several rural regions with high unemployment levels where it provides much-needed work," noted Brannon.
New Brunswick's aquaculture industry has tended to be largest in the region, with production worth CAD 168 million (USD 169.5 million) in 2010. In Newfoundland and Labrador, private investment has helped the aquaculture industry develop rapidly from less than CAD 20 million (USD 20.2 million) in 2003 to more than CAD 116 million (USD 117 million) in 2010.
In Nova Scotia, new investment in aquaculture is pushing the industry forward from the CAD 41 million (USD 41.35 million) in 2010 activity. Though Prince Edward Island's aquaculture industry is Atlantic Canada's smallest, generating CAD 30 million (USD 30.26 million) in 2010, it has specialized in mussels and oysters instead of doing so in Atlantic salmon like the rest of the region.
Brannon believes there is lots of potential for growth in the region, especially for Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.
The report affirmed that enterprises in Atlantic Canada will need to enhance their competitive edge by way of research, investment in infrastructure, productivity improvements and a sales focus on burgeoning markets while simultaneously slashing their environmental impact. The industry needs to be fully integrated and include productive growers and processors, strong supporting industries and linkages to universities and research institutes to maximize benefits in Atlantic Canada and augment its competitive position in the global food products industry.
Editorial Comment: It’s true that the global demand for protein is growing and that Canada’s salmon-based aquaculture sector has grown over the past two decades. It’s equally true that the open pen salmon feedlot industry, like the tobacco industry, is directly responsible for increased human health risks (including cancer) and for the irreversible destruction of uniquely-productive marine ecosystems wherever in the world these feedlots are sited.
• Open pen salmon feedlots must be removed from marine ecosystems • Salmon feedlots must be sustainable with no negative impacts to human health or to marine
ecosystems
Salmon firm makes leap across pond February 26, 2012
A Loch Duart salmon leaping in the nets. Picture: Stephen Mansfield
Editorial Comment:
As has been documented in Legacy and elsewhere, open pen salmon feedlots are not
sustainable. It certainly does not matter if companies’ names are changed for marketing
purposes (i.e. Mainstream Canada, Marine Harvest or Snow Island Salmon); they remain directly
responsible for human health risks and marine ecosystem degradation.
These significant risks outweigh any potential benefits of the global salmon farming industry
Consumers of farm raised salmon in North America, Europe, China and elsewhere must demand
disease free salmon in our markets and restaurants. If this is not achievable, then open pen
THE salmon farming company that supplied the fish on the menu at the Royal Wedding has invested in a new site and brand in Nova Scotia, Canada, after reaching “the limits of growth” in Scotland.
Loch Duart, based in Sutherland and the Hebrides, currently produces 5,600 tonnes of salmon a year, but demand for its products in the United States has risen to the extent that a North American site is now viable.
Snow Island Salmon, as the new brand will be known, will be a subsidiary joint venture of Loch Duart and will compete in the same market.
Fish from the South Uist sites of the firm was served in Buckingham Palace after the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in April last year.
Loch Duart has purchased an existing salmon farming site at Owls Head on the eastern shore of Nova Scotia, and expects to increase its size over five to seven years to reach an equivalent volume of its Scottish presence.
The firm has a commitment to sustainability, with practices including leaving farms fallow for a year at a time, banning the use of fouling agents and carefully monitoring yield to avoid overwhelming stock.
Loch Duart opted for Canada because of the government’s and industry’s understanding and tolerance of sustainable practices, claiming the UK has a “lack of understanding” due to the fact that “almost no” food producers are represented in the Scottish Parliament.
Managing director Nick Joy, who has lived in Scotland for the past 35 years, said: “There are almost no food producers in the government, so there is a lack of understanding about how food is produced. Regulation without incentive is a carrot without a stick, and big sticks only work until you’re numb.”
The Snow Island site has been operational since 2008, and a group of expert Canadian salmon farmers who understand the different conditions of the country, including much colder water, will make up the workforce.
Its location also avoids the use of air freight to supply the North American market, which is currently Loch Duart’s only logistical option.
The US and Canada together comprise the largest market for salmon in the world.
Joy added: “There are lots of interesting challenges. Snow Island is not interested in having its headquarters in Scotland; there will be accountability on site.
“We hope to farm 18,000 tonnes from this site, equivalent to one of our sites in Scotland, and to support the brand by saying it is produced with Loch Duart’s methods. There is plenty of room in the market for a product made with the best methods and practices.”
Canada, he added, was an obvious choice. “I like the people and I like how they think. The government acknowledges the balance between sustainability and cost, and that a better form of salmon farming may take years.”
Cooke gives up on Shelburne fish farm February 20, 2012
Abandonment issues? In a surprising announcement on Friday by the federal government, Cooke Aquaculture subsidiary Kelly Cove Salmon (KCS) has thrown in the towel in the controversial application for a aquaculture license within yards of McNutts Island in Shelburne Harbour, following Cooke's admission that there is suspicion of the incurable and destructive Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA) virus at one of the firm’s several industrial farm sites in the harbour. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has placed a quarantine on the suspect site, but Cooke,a New-Brunswick-based, $500 million, multinational corporation, has refused to disclose the location of the deadly virus.
In a news release Sunday from Mayday Shelburne County and Friends of Shelburne Harbour, it was disclosed that the federal employee overseeing the environmental review for three mega-sites being proposed by Cooke told Mayday that “KCS has confirmed that they are no longer pursuing site 1357 (Middle Head)”, near the eastern shore of McNutt's Island and 2.5 kilometers of another large site with a capacity of one million fish. Uncharacteristic of a company known for its aggressive public relations programme, Cooke has given no public notice of the decision and it does not appear on their web site. Cooke PR vice president Nell Halse declined to answer any questions from SCT, saying in an email that she would not elaborate on Cooke's plans not to pursue the lease 'at this time' , except to say "we are abandoning our plans."
No answers to simple questions
On Friday, Halse also declined to answer questions from SCT about the circumstances which prompted Cooke's decision to not pursue the lease, or what date KCS became aware that there might be a fish health problem at the site, or the the number of fish removed from Shelburne Harbour between Feb 10 and 17.
Salmon Virus Confirmed, Cooke Aquaculture Won’t Stop $150 Million Expansion March 9, 2012
A yet another breakout of salmon virus was reported at a commercial Nova Scotia fish farm in Shelburne. The findings carried out by Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed presence of the infectious salmon anemia. The results were based on tests carried out on a sample of 13 salmon weighing about two kilograms each.
However, these results are nowhere to affect the plans of Cooke Aquaculture. The company is firm on its decision to set up the farms they were looking forward to.
Nell Halse, Cooke Spokesperson said: “This does not impact our plans. We're still going full steam ahead with our plans for Nova Scotia, for creating new jobs and building a hatchery and a plant and expanding our feed mill”. However, at the same time, the company is considering the outbreak as a serious issue.
She stated that the company has dealt with such situations before also, and that too very well. The company was struck with case as such this February when the virus was detected for the first time in New Brunswick. As a result, the company had to destroy two cages. However, the total number of salmon that were discarded in the rendering plant was not known but the number was believed to be I n thousands.
After this outbreak, the CFIA has adjured the company to destroy its third cage. However, a total of three cages had to be destroyed out of 20 cages, which made an effect but the effect was somewhat tolerable and not much. At the same time, the company is looking forward to approvals for their two farms, which will each include up to one million fish in Jordan Bay.
After these incidents, the Federal Government has issued new rules. Under these rules, the company dealing with aquaculture, if ordered to destroy their fishes, will be compensated.
Editorial Comment:
Seriously?
“the company dealing with aquaculture, if ordered to destroy their fishes, will be compensated.”
More money paid by Canadians to subsidize the salmon feedlot industry’s loss due to salmon disease outbreaks they facilitate..
Organic Accumulation under Salmon Aquaculture Cages February 21, 2012
On Thursday, February 23 at 16:00, Alex Allison
will present his master‘s thesis entitled Organic
Accumulation under Salmon Aquaculture Cages
in Fossafjörður, Iceland. The presentation will be
given via video conference in English and is open
to all interested in the subject.
The advisor of the project is dr. Þorleifur Eiríksson,
director of the Westfjords Natural History
Institute and the external reader is dr. Stefán Óli
Steingrímsson, Associate Professor in Aquaculture
at Hólar University Collage.
Abstract
Marine based salmon aquaculture inputs large amount of organic material into the surrounding environment. This organic material is mainly composed of uneaten salmon feed and feces. This material often accumulates in the environment under the cages. In Iceland there is no data on organic output coming from aquaculture nets and sparse data on the impacts of accumulation of this organic material. This study will be the first in Iceland to look at the amount of organic material that accumulates under salmon cages and areas of greatest accumulation. Six sediment traps were used to sample sediment underneath two salmon cages in Fossfjördur Iceland Three were placed 20 m from the cages and three were placed 0 m from the cages. The trap contents were then dried, weighed, and placed into a sodium hypochlorite solution in order to dissolve organic material. After organic material was dissolved samples were dried and weighed to determine how much of the original dry weight was organic. Traps that were closest to the nets (0 m) had greater organic content when compared to traps that were father from nets (20 m). Traps that were down current also collected greater amounts of organic material when compared to traps up stream. This spatial trend was linked to deposition rates of feed pellets settling in a closer proximity to cages whereas feces dispersed farther. Throughout the study period the overall trap organic material increased. This temporal trend was linked to the increase use of feed pellets as the fish grew throughout study. This study was the first study of its kind and aims to provide baseline data into organic output and accumulation occurring underneath salmon cages. The methods used in the study can also be utilized as a tool for management and the development of a monitoring program. This data provides the opportunity for further research into mitigation and management of this issue such as multi-trophic aquaculture.
Alex Allison
Ireland
Northern Ireland Executive Fisheries Minister Carál Ní Chuilín has provided
an update on the conservation of salmon stocks in waterways across the north.
The Minister said: “There is evidence that wild Atlantic salmon are in serious decline, and face the very
real threat of extinction. We must all be focused on the need to save this iconic fish species.
“Therefore, I must consider any activity which kills wild salmon. This includes commercial salmon netting and recreational angling which targets the fish.
“My officials have been in dialogue with the coastal salmon nets men. The salmon nets men have proposed a number of measures including voluntary cessation for this season. These discussions are constructive and I have therefore deferred my decision on the licensing of commercial salmon nets until the conclusion of this dialogue. I should also emphasise that no net fishing is presently taking place – the season has not commenced. We therefore have a window in which to engage and conclude an agreed position with the nets men.”
The Minister also announced a Catch and Release Only directive for those fishing in public angling estate waters.
“It is clear that all stakeholders must act to address this issue – and angling removes as many, if not more, fish from the water than commercial nets,” the Minister said.
“Therefore, in relation to recreational angling, we must take the most robust measures we can within the existing legislation.”
Guidance will be issued to anglers from DCAL directing that all wild salmon caught in DCAL Public Angling Estate waters must be released. The new policy is the latest measure to conserve salmon stocks in the north. The catch and release rule is among the conditions anglers agree to abide by when purchasing a Game Angling Permit.
"I reiterate that I am calling on all anglers not to target salmon. Those that do are encouraged to use methods which are less likely to harm the fish. Anglers should use fly only with single barbless hooks to facilitate return of the salmon unharmed to the water, so giving the fish a chance to spawn and rebuild the population.”
The Minister added: “As outlined previously, the weight of scientific evidence and the threat of heavy EC infraction fines means the continued exploitation of salmon – for commercial or leisure purposes – is unsustainable.
“A wider consultation on Salmon conservation will begin shortly as we look at ways of tackling this issue in the long term. However, further actions will be required if salmon numbers continue to decline.
“This is a complex, emotive problem. I have heard compelling arguments from all stakeholders. I hope those who have made their voices heard through various outlets will engage constructively in this consultation, and we can work together in addressing this issue.
“Alongside this, officials will continue to clamp down on illegal fishing to ensure salmon have the best chance of survival.”
Evidence for sea lice-induced marine mortality of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) … Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 2012, 69:(2) 343-353, 10.1139/f2011-155
Abstract Sea trout (Salmo trutta) stock collapses in coastal areas of western Ireland subject to salmon aquaculture were contemporaneous with high abundances of larval sea lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) on juvenile sea trout. Whereas sea trout remain in near-shore waters throughout their marine migration, Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolts typically move quickly offshore into oceanic waters. It might therefore be predicted that salmon smolts would be less vulnerable to coastal stressors and less likely to be negatively affected by infestations of sea lice early in their marine phase. Groups of microtagged, hatchery-reared Atlantic salmon smolts were fed either untreated pellets or pellets incorporating the in-feed sea louse treatment SLICE (emamectin benzoate) prior to eight experimental releases in three marine locations over a 3-year period. In total, 74 324 smolts were released and analysis of tag recaptures from returning adult salmon showed that emamectin-treated smolts experienced increased survivorship and were 1.8 times more likely to return compared with control fish. These results suggest that sea lice-induced mortality on adult Atlantic salmon returns in Ireland can be significant, and that sea lice larvae emanating from farmed salmon may influence individual survivorship and population conservation status of wild salmon in these river systems.
Parties argue over moves to save salmon from extinction February 28, 2012
LOCAL politicians are at odds over how best to tackle the issue of dwindling salmon stocks. With experts warning that some species of wild Atlantic salmon are on the brink of extinction, the Stormont Culture Arts and Leisure Minister, Caral Ní Chuilín, has urged commercial and river anglers to support a range of voluntary conservation measures this year. Coastal and Lough Neagh fisheries have been asked for a “voluntary cessation” and recreational anglers are being encouraged to return any salmon they catch to the water. The minister’s approach is supported by East Antrim Sinn Fein MLA Oliver McMullan, but Ulster Unionist Assemblyman Roy Beggs Jnr has asked Ms Ní Chuilín why her Department issues licences for drift and bag nets along the coast. Mr Beggs recently attended a Stormont information session at which, he revealed, one of the major issues raised by angler groups was the continued use of bag nets in coastal waters. Mr Beggs said the practice was “supposedly banned” by the UN and European Union Directives.
Opposition to €3.5m fish farm over navigational, waste and tourist issues February 29.2012
MINISTER FOR the Marine Simon Coveney has been urged to meet opponents of a proposed €3.5 million fish farm project for Bantry Bay in west Cork. The group, known as Save Bantry Bay, says it is not opposed to aquaculture, but is opposed to this specific project planned for Shot Head off Adrigole. Bantry Bay Harbour Commissioners have added their voice to objections, primarily over navigational concerns. The Save Bantry Bay group, comprising residents, holidaymakers, tourism and environmental interests, met a Bantry Bay Harbour Commissioners sub-committee earlier this month to court support. The €3.5 million project planned by Norwegian-owned Marine Harvest Ireland is part of a €14 million investment programme by the company over the next five years for its existing 16 aquaculture sites around the coast. The company, which employs over 260 people in Donegal, Mayo and west Cork, has lodged an application with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine for aquaculture and foreshore licences for Shot Head. The site, 8km east of its existing Roancarrig farm in Bantry Bay, will employ six people full-time during establishment, and another two when fully operational. The firm plans to commission a marine vessel from a local boatbuilder to service the farm. It says that the Shot Head site would improve rotation of the fish crop and create a “world-class operation in the Beara peninsula which will secure the long-term future of the aquaculture industry in the area”. However, the Save Bantry Bay group says that the consultation procedure has been “inadequate” and does not comply with public participation commitments recommended in the Bantry Bay Charter and outlined in the Cork county development plan. It says that smolts from five salmon rivers running into Bantry Bay may be at risk of sea lice infestation, and says that the Shot Head location is “prime ground” for local commercial fishermen who may lose income. The group says that Shot Head is an “integral part of the ‘natural capital’ of Bantry Bay”, which is noted for its water quality. It says that it has “not been proven” that the bay’s tidal and current movements will carry waste from the farm into the Atlantic. Harbour commissioners’ chairman Michael Hennebry said his group had lodged an objection on grounds that the proposed location was too close to an anchorage point and to a pilot boarding location. The commissioners have asked the department to take environmental factors into account when considering the application, he said. Marine Harvest Ireland technical manager Catherine McManus said that there had been salmon farming in Bantry Bay since the 1970s, and the company had the “highest regard for this local environment and community”. It was committed “to delivering this development in line with best environmental practice”, she said. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine said that “observations from the general public on foot of the period of public consultation are under active consideration by the department and its technical and scientific advisers at present”.
Russia urges Norway to restrict salmon fishery February 15, 2012
“Coastal fisheries for Atlantic salmon in Finnmark, where salmon of Russian origin are intercepted,
must be regulated by more restrict measures,” writes the Federal Agency for Fisheries in an unusual
strong letter to Norwegian authorities.
The problem is that Norwegian fishermen with nets catch salmon that are migrating along the coast and the fjords of Finnmark towards Russian or Norwegian, Finnish rivers for breeding.
Salmon fishing net in a fjord in Finnmark. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
In a letter dated January 31, Deputy Head of Department for International Cooperation in Russia’s Federal Agency for Fisheries V. Chiklinenkov writes: “”The Russian Federation is deeply disappointed by the proposals of the Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management to not only maintain the regulations that were in place for the salmon sea fisheries in coastal waters of Northern Norway in 2011, but to weaken the restrictions for this fishery be increasing its duration in the beginning of June by one more day per week.”
The dispute between Norway and Russia on coastal net fisheries catching salmon in Finnmark has been going on for nearly two decades. The North Atlantic Salmon Fund (NASF) points to a scientific study stating that between 60 and 70 percent of the biggest salmon catches by Norwegian nets belong to Russia and Finland.
The Russian letter is triggered by the Norwegian Directorate’s 2012 regulation for salmon sea fishery. The regulations does not allow for the protest from the Russian side. “Russia is gravely concerned by the interceptor mixed-stock fishery in Northern Norway, as killing quite a large number of migrating salmon,” the letter reads.
House Passes Extreme “Drill Everywhere” Bill March 2, 2012
With all the excitement around the Republican presidential primaries, one alarming piece of environmental news was barely noticed. Just a few days ago, the House of Representatives voted to open the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge—and also almost every acre of our coastline including off the East Coast, West Coast, the protected eastern Gulf of Mexico and Alaska’s Bristol Bay to oil drilling.
According to the press release from Caitlin Leutwiler at Defenders of Wildlife, this is all under the guise of funding this year’s transportation bill.
The funding issue is a scam. Even the most generous revenue estimates from this reckless expansion of drilling will not be enough to fund proposed transportation projects in the bill. In addition, what small amounts of revenue might be generated from oil and gas leasing in the Arctic refuge would not be seen for ten years as oil companies will still need to explore, apply for drilling permits and start development. In short, H.R. 3408 is a fiscal gimmick that relies on unknown future revenues that are speculative at best to pay for transportation projects today.
Upon passage of the bill, Defenders’ president and CEO Jamie Rappaport Clark said, “Today, the House approved the most radical drilling-bill we have seen in recent memory. This fiscal boondoggle would industrialize the pristine coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, home to iconic wildlife like polar bears and the Porcupine Caribou herd, exposing thousands of miles of coastline to chronic pollution from offshore drilling and potential oil disasters like the Deepwater Horizon.
The vote came only one day after an exploratory well exploded on Alaska’s North Slope, spewing drilling mud, leaking natural gas and requiring the intervention of a company specializing in blowout control.
“Yesterday’s exploratory well explosion on Alaska’s North Slope demonstrates once again that drilling is a dangerous business. We can’t afford to take those risks with some of our most pristine and fragile places, some of which may never recover should a drilling accident occur. The Senate should reject this funding scam and look for realistic ways to meet our transportation needs without sacrificing the health of our environment.”
US Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler (Washington State – 3rd Congressional District) Thank you for contacting me regarding your concerns with the proposed Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay in Alaska. It is an honor to represent the people of Southwest Washington and I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with me.
Since the Clean Water Act (CWA) was signed into law in 1972, enormous advances have been made to the quality of water in this country. Under the CWA, discharges from a point source into a "water of the United States" will trigger the need for a permit under the Act. Before this permit is approved, certain controls are set in place, and the effect the discharge will have on the critical water is evaluated. Under Section 404(c) of the CWA, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can preemptively veto a permit application without a thorough review of the project. This authority has rarely been used, especially since there is an intense review process before a permit is approved for discharge into a critical water.
The EPA considered using the 404(c) veto authority in Bristol Bay but instead decided to go through the entire review process. By going through this review process, a permit is not guaranteed for mining operations. However, when the process is completed, everyone that uses the Bay – for fishing, pleasure or commercial uses – will have a solid understanding of whether or not they can coexist with the mining operation.
I appreciate your concerns for the health of Bristol Bay. I will continue to follow this issue as the permit application for the proposed Pebble Mine continues through EPA's process.
Thank you again for contacting me on this important issue.
Sincerely,
Jaime Herrera Beutler
Member of Congress
Time to protect Bristol Bay cultures, not sell them
March 9, 2012
Count me among the Alaska Natives who are saddened by multinational mining companies who work
tirelessly to create the illusion of local, Native support for their dangerous projects. They call it “local
consent” or “social license” when they think we aren’t listening. In board rooms in London and
Vancouver, men in suits sit to budget and calculate the cost of our consent. They predictably put a
select few on their payroll, have them form third-party groups, and head to our nation’s capitol to give
our leaders a false impression. It is currently happening here in Bristol Bay, and I’m writing to set the
record straight.
The people of Bristol Bay overwhelmingly oppose the proposed Pebble Mine. Our Yup’ik, Dena’ina,
and Alutiq people who have thrived on our land for thousands of years know the Pebble Mine could
devastate our environment and therefore our cultures. Our subsistence way of life couldn’t exist
without our pristine environment our ancestors fought to ensure we would have for the future
generations. Why would we ever consent to the potential destruction of our people to develop what
could be the world’s largest copper and gold mine at the headwaters of our bay -- home to the
greatest salmon run left on our planet.
The most recent survey conducted by Bristol Bay Native Corporation showed more than 80 percent of
their in-region shareholders do not approve of the project. Perhaps more impressively, less than 10
percent of local residents strongly support it. That’s why I was so shocked when I read that a group
called “Nuna Resources” traveled to Washington D.C. to attempt to skew our region’s resounding
opposition to the Pebble project.
Nuna Resources is funded entirely by the multinational mining companies who seek to develop
Pebble Mine. Their five member board consists of high-profile individuals who contract directly and
indirectly with the companies who want to develop Pebble. So as Pebble is effectively paying their
salaries, they have the nerve to go back to DC using the disguise of “cultural survival” to promote
Pebble. Anyone in Bristol Bay who knows anything about subsistence and our cultures has no doubt
that first and foremost for our cultures to survive we have to respect and protect our land and waters
in Bristol Bay. Shame on Nuna Resources for abusing and using their heritage to promote the Pebble
Mine. They even had the nerve to criticize us for partnering with the coalition of stakeholders such as
commercial fishermen and sportsmen who agree that developing Pebble poses an unacceptable risk
to not only our subsistence way of life, but also our sustainable resource based economies.
The native people of Bristol Bay are fighting Pebble for cultural survival. Not because of profits, self
interest, or a corporate board decision, but because we have to protect our salmon, land, and water
to ensure our way of life continues for our the generations to come.
This is why our tribal governments, Native corporations, and others have banded together to ask the
Environmental Protection Agency to use their power to take a closer look at our region and protect
Bristol Bay. They heeded our call and we are awaiting the release of their Watershed Assessment
this spring. We are thankful the EPA is upholding their trust responsibility to our tribes and have
welcomed their visits to Bristol Bay to listen to our people’s overwhelming concern about Pebble.
Throughout our history, even in times of great change and uncertainty our ancestors have ensured
our cultures survived. The time has come for this generation to work for our cultural survival by
fighting unsustainable resource development like Pebble. It’s a sad day for the Alaska Native
community when people like those who run Nuna Resources abuse their connection to our land and
heritage in the name of greed. But in Bristol Bay we know the resounding opposition to Pebble proves
our cultures and people don’t have a price tag.
California
A Bold Plan to Reshape the Central Valley Flood Plain
March 1, 2012
Jacob Katz, a Ph.D candidate at the University of California, Davis, at an experimental flood plain
Jacob Katz stood shin-deep in a flooded rice paddy that is often dried out at this time of year. He
thrust his hand into a writhing mass of baby salmon in his net and plucked three of the silver fry from
the wind-whipped water’s surface. Jacob Katz stood shin-deep in a flooded rice paddy that is often
dried out at this time of year. He thrust his hand into a writhing mass of baby salmon in his net and
plucked three of the silver fry from the wind-whipped water’s surface.
In late January, five acres of this farmland in Yolo County was flooded and stocked with thousands of
weeks-old Chinook salmon. It was the beginning of a three-year experiment that conservationists and
government officials hope will provide scientific data to help guide a sweeping transformation of
riverfront lands throughout the Central Valley, California’s prolific farming region.
“They were about two-thirds this size when we put them in,” said Mr. Katz, a doctoral candidate at the
University of California, Davis, as the plump fry flapped off his palm and into the water. “They’re
growing very, very rapidly. They’re looking great. It’s exactly what we want to see.”
An ambitious draft flood-prevention plan, published in December by the California Department of
Water Resources, would re-engineer the valley’s network of rivers, canals and levees in an effort to
prevent floods, restore wildlife habitat and protect water supplies for millions of people in the Bay
Area and other parts of California. The plan, which calls for reversing the effects of 160 years of ad
hoc levee building in the Central Valley, is a response to the deadly 2005 floods in New Orleans that
followed Hurricane Katrina. Experts say a collapse of the Central Valley levees could cause similar
Aquaculture in NC: The Global Connection February 15th, 2012
“We just sold a much bigger one to Denmark, but couldn’t be this style”, said the trade show representative as if he had traveled to the town next door. Aquaculture has its roots in northern Europe in many ways, mainly through connections to the beginnings of domesticating Atlantic salmon. So many American companies are making good money selling their technology and feed to customers around the world that have already made the step into large-scale aquacultural production.
A few countries in particular made their influence known several times: Denmark, Chile, and Canada. Though these have prominent roles in the global capture fisheries as well, their particular geology gave them a head start on salmon that is expanding over into other types of aquaculture.
According to Denmark’s Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries, they are expecting advances in saltwater breeding and reduction of environmental impacts of aquaculture to further expand their industry in the coming years. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, Denmark is already the sixth largest exporter of seafood products, mostly of freshwater farmed trout and trout roe, which have a century of history in the country.
Chile’s start in aquaculture began with Atlantic salmon in the wrong hemisphere – that is, they brought salmon from Norway down to the similar ecosystem of the Chilean coast, jumping the barrier of warm equatorial water that prevented the salmon from doing so naturally. They’ve added bivalves and the seagrass Grassilaria to the portfolio. According to the FAO, they export most of their aquaculture products and growth is currently halted due to environmental concern from the grand salmon experiment.
Aquaculture in Canada is much more highly organized, with several professional organizations such as the Aquaculture Association and the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance. They trace their aquaculture back to stocking programs of trout and oysters in the 1950′s (FAO fact sheet), but it is now mostly comprised of salmon. Future expansions will focus on cod, halibut, and haddock. Our connection to Canadian fisheries is likely due to proximity, because though highly organized, they represent only .3% of the world’s aquaculture production.
Either way, the connection to these countries is through aquaculture technology. We share UV sterilization technology, water quality testing, feed formulations, and other demands. Our producers play on the same stage at the world seafood expos such as the one in Boston, where our American Prawn Cooperative recently had a display. The biggest international news of late is that China is crossing the boundary this year from a net exporter of seafood to a net importer. Our connections to Denmark, Chile, and Canada through networking in the global seafood expos might help North Carolina seafood explode on the global market to meet this new demand. But then again, maybe we’ll let the big producers bear the heavy burden and keep North Carolinian seafood to ourselves, the pride of our land and sea. Only the future will tell.
Hood Canal group seeks Atlantic salmon moratorium February 16th, 2012
Hood Canal Coordinating Council has voted to support Jefferson County — one of its three member counties — in calling for a moratorium on the deployment of new net pens for raising Atlantic salmon.
Manchester Research Station in Kitsap County conducts studies
involving fish diseases. /NOAA photo A resolution presented to the council yesterday asks Gov. Chris Gregoire to impose and maintain the moratorium “until there is a plan in place to ensure that there is no risk to native salmon runs.”
I’m not sure how much direct authority the governor has over siting net pens, but she appoints the director of the Department of Ecology — one of the agencies that permits aquaculture projects.
Kitsap County Commissioner Josh Brown, chairman of the coordinating council, said he supported the resolution as a way to encourage the governor to increase research into the environmental impacts of salmon farming. Brown said he does not intend for his support to influence Kitsap County’s shoreline planning process.
The latest draft of the Kitsap County Shoreline Master Program includes language that would allow net
pens and other aquaculture (PDG 60 kb) with limitations:
“Aquaculture activities should be located, designed and operated in a manner that supports long term beneficial use of the shoreline and protects and maintains shoreline ecological functions and processes and should not be permitted where it would result in a net loss of shoreline ecological functions and processes…
“Aquaculture facilities should be designed and located with the capacity to prevent: a) the spread of aquatic pathogens, b) the establishment new non native species in the natural environment, and c) significant impact to the aesthetic qualities of the shoreline.”
Ecology study finds high levels of pollutants in Port Angeles Harbor
PORT ANGELES — The Clallam County Health Department wants to know exactly how dangerous it is to eat fish and shellfish from Port Angeles Harbor after a study found several contaminants in excess of screening levels. The long-delayed $1.5 million report, conducted by the state Department of Ecology and released Wednesday, found 22 of its 172 sediment samples exceeding standards for pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, mercury and arsenic. Large amounts of wood debris also were found in the western harbor and around the former Rayonier mill site. Ecology took 18 samples from fish and shellfish. The agency concluded that the cancer risk exceeded 1 in 100,000 for both subsistence and recreation fishermen due to high levels of arsenic and PCB in the tissue. The report doesn’t say how much has to be consumed for the risk to be met. Dr. Tom Locke, health officer for Clallam and Jefferson counties, said he wants more information on the health risks of eating shellfish and fish from the harbor, including data on how much people have to consume to be at risk. Locke said he has requested that the state Department of Health conduct its own study, which he expects to occur sometime this year, to determine whether new closures or advisories should be put into effect. “In order to really make a good determination, we need another level of analysis,” he said. The harbor already is closed to clamming, and an advisory has been in place since 2007 for harvesting crabs. “My first impression is, yes, the crab advisory should continue,” Locke said. “The question now is should it be extended to fish.”
READ ENTIRE PENINSULA DAILY NEWS ARTICLE HERE
Editorial Comment:
The open pen Atlantic salmon feedlots sited in the
harbor at Port Angeles, Washington have a long and
problematic history (escapes, pollution, more). Now
we learn that these farm-raised Atlantics are being
reared in contaminated water prior to going to
market. Additionally, the Port Angeles harbor is just
east of the Atlantic salmon and Steelhead trout net
pen facility proposed for the Strait of Juan de Fuca,
20th Annual Student GREEN Congress – Watershed Summit For Nearly 400 Local Students
Date: Friday, March 23rd, 2012
Time: 8:30 am to 3:00 pm
Location: The Evergreen State College Longhouse
South Sound Global Rivers Environmental Education Project (South Sound GREEN) and the Nisqually River Education Project (NREP) are celebrating 20 years of providing opportunities for hundreds of teachers and thousands of students to do hands-on, real world science in the field at their locally adopted stream, river, lake, or shoreline of the Puget Sound.
Students (grades 3-12) participating in these programs gather water quality monitoring data throughout the school year in their respective watersheds. Students also engage in a variety of restoration projects and plantings at their adopted location.
The Student GREEN Congress is a culminating event for more than 400 student delegates to present their data, discuss water related issues in their communities, and generate recommendations for solving problems.
This year’s Keynote presentation will be a fun and engaging performance by Dana Lyons. This local singer, song writer, and author is most well know for his radio hit “Cows With Guns” and his award-winning illustrated children’s book The Tree.
Students also attend environmental skill building workshops taught by local resource professionals. Delegates are from schools in the South Sound (North Thurston, Olympia, Griffin and Tumwater School Districts) and Nisqually Watersheds (Yelm, Clover Park, Steilacoom Eatonville, and North Thurston School Districts).
Workshops include a salmon carcass dissection, making bird boxes, getting up close with inter-tidal creatures or stream bugs, shellfish tasting, Native American beading and storytelling, nature journaling, fly casting, live raptors, tree planting, and much more.
Congress concludes with students adopting the Nisqually and South Sound Watershed Action Declaration, which will include activities the students have agreed to participate in to protect and restore their local watersheds.
In an effort to support this event, a restaurant fundraiser and silent auction will be held on March 20 th from 4-midnight at McMenamins Spar Café. Bring the family out to enjoy a dinner out for a good cause!
CONTACT: Anne Mills or Amber Smith
South Sound GREEN Program Coordinators, (360) 754-3588 ext. 108
www.thurstoncd.com/south-sound-green.html
Or Sheila Wilson, Nisqually River Education Project Coordinator, (360) 561-0203.
Martine Bouchard: Quebec, Canada Gouffre River in Saint-Urbain-de-Cahrlevoix
“I was so proud to catch my first Atlantic salmon ever all by myself on August the 19th 2011, at Du Gouffre River in Saint-Urbain-de-Cahrlevoix, Québec, Canada.” Martine
Bouchard
Featured Wild Game Fish: Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout
The Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout is a form of the Yellowstone cutthroat trout
(Oncorhynchus clarki bouvieri) subspecies. Sub-species designation has been proposed with a
trinomial classification of Oncorhynchus clarki behnkei, but the sub-species is not formally
recognized. This cutthroat trout takes its common name from its original habitat, the Snake River of
southern Idaho and western Wyoming, and from its unusual pattern of hundreds of small spots that
cover most of its body.
While fine-spotted x rainbow trout crosses are observed in the South Fork of the Snake River in Idaho, they are
infrequently encountered and appear to be hatchery hybrids. Conversely, Yellowstone x rainbow crosses are common;
the "cutbows" of Yellowstone Park in the Lamar River drainage are natural hybrids.
In addition to their natural aversion to cross-breeding with other trout, fine-spotted cutthroats are unusual in their
pursuit of a vertebrate diet, mainly other fish, but occasionally including small mammals. They are the only river
cutthroat with a vertebrate diet, and as a result their territorial waters are almost devoid of whitefish. While the fine-
spotted cutthroats can be very selective feeders during a major hatch of aquatic invertebrates, they are not as focused
as rainbow or brown trout, and can be diverted with small terrestrial imitations. In addition, when there is no obvious
hatch, anglers can be very successful with large streamer flies that imitate small fish.
The above photo and text are from Wikipedia.
Thanks to Bruce Treichler (WGFCI co-founder) for submitting this material for publication in Legacy.
Legacy readers are encouraged to submit photos and descriptions of wild game fish to Legacy Publisher
Many businesses around planet earth rely in part on sustained populations of wild game fish. This is true for fishing guide/charter services, resort and hotel owners, fishing tackle and boat retail stores, clothing stores, eco/photo tours, grocery stores, gas stations and many more. In fact, wild game fish are the backbone of a multi-billion dollar per year industry on a global scale.
This is why we at Wild Game Fish Conservation International offer complimentary
space in each issue of “LEGACY” for business owners who rely on sustained wild
game fish populations to sustain your business. An article with one or more photos about your business and how it relies on wild game fish may be submitted for
publication to LEGACY PUBLISHER. Please include your business website and
contact information to be published with your business article. Selected submissions will be published each month.
Sustained wild game fish populations provide family wage jobs and balanced eco-systems while ensuring cultural values. They also provide a unique, natural resources- based lifestyle for those fortunate to have these magnificent creatures in our lives.
Conservationists working together with the business community can effectively protect and restore planet earth’s wild game fish for this and future generations to enjoy and