Wild Salmon Circle

Tell your MP that you support the new bill

On Wednesday May 5th, minister Fin Donnelly introduced Bill C-518, an Act to amend the Fisheries Act that would require the pacific salmon farming industry to move operations out of coastal waters and into closed containment.

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce a bill that aims to strengthen the Fisheries Act by requiring fish farm operations on B.C.’s west coast to move to close containment. The bill directs the fisheries minister to develop, table and implement a transition plan outlining how fish farm operations would make that move. The plan must ensure that those currently working in the industry would be protected during this transition.” — Minister Fin Donnelly

Find your MP below to let them know if you support this bill:

http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Compilations/HouseOfCommons/MemberByPostalCode.aspx?Menu=HOC

More info on this issue coming soon!

Stand Up For Wild Salmon in Victoria!

—Carpools now being arranged. Please click here!—

Wild Salmon Rally in Victoria

If you click on the above image, you can download the newest pdf version of this poster.

Route Map for May 8th

View Victoria Salmon are Sacred Rally and March in a larger map

Please join us on May 8th – at the culmination of a 17 day march from northern Vancouver Island to the parliament buildings in Victoria. Here’s how the day breaks down:

Itinerary for May 8th

8:00am – March starts: at Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre in Sidney (9811 Seaport Place)

12:30am – Meeting point: Lana Popham’s Office in Saanich (4085 Quadra Street)

2:00pm – Rally at Centennial [...]

Rally During the Games Draws Concerned Crowd

Please read below for more information about the rally…

Large Crowd Gathers for Wild Salmon Rally

The rally for wild salmon the Wild Salmon Circle held on Saturday brought out a crowd of over 200 people to listen to speakers and to add their voice to the growing unrest about the state of salmon farms on the coast of British Columbia. To the rallying cry “how do we want our salmon?” there was a resounding “WILD.”

Chief Bob Chamberlin Leads Welcoming Song

The sun shone brightly on banners in both English and Norwegian with the same general message: [...]

Rally During the Games to Save Wild Salmon!

Rally During the Games to Save Wild Salmon

When: Saturday, February 20th – 1:00 PM
Where: Vanier Park, behind the Planetarium

Calling all friends of wild salmon,

It’s time once again to stand up for wild salmon! More than 90% of fish farms in BC are owned by Norwegian companies. While the eyes of the Norwegian media are focused on Vancouver during the Olympics, let’s shine some light on the devastation that these farms are causing to our wild salmon runs.

Last summer less than 10% of the expected wild sockeye returned. Time is running out on our salmon.

Our last rally in October had over 600 people. Let’s make [...]

Farmed Salmon – Good for you and your family?

BC Salmon Farmers' Association Ad in 24Hrs Newspaper

This weeks issue of 24hrs newspaper (Jan. 29th-31st) issue ran the following ad on page 27. Thanks to Wild Salmon Circle member Suzy for bringing this to our attention.

Suzy asked us to: “write to the 24 hour General Manager Philip Tan (philip.tan@sunmedia.ca and Editor in Chief Dean Broughton (dean.broughton@sunmedia.ca) and Director of Sales Elena Dunn (elena.dunn@sunmedia.ca) let them know why you object to this advertisement.”
So we did. In fact we wrote 2 letters. And here is one of them. If you are inspired after reading this letter, we encourage you to write one as well.
Dear Mr. Broughton, Mr. Tan, [...]

Moratorium on New Fish Farms Announced

BC Supreme Court Decision

Breaking news: as you may be aware, Alexandra Morton and her team won another major decision in the BC Supreme Court on Tuesday, Jan. 26. The implications of the decision are huge. Particularly welcome and encouraging is the moratorium imposed by the court on all new fin fish farm applications and expansions.

Here is a link to the actual decision:

Jan. 26 BC Supreme Court Decision

Specifically paragraph 34 prohibits new licences:

[34] I conclude that Chief Chamberlin’s proposal is a reasonable solution to problems that may occur through the unrestricted extension of the period of suspension of invalidity. Therefore, I find [...]

From Grade 5 to Age 75

From Grade 5 to age 75, wild salmon are important to people throughout BC and beyond. After a recent presentation to a grade 5 class, one of the students sent the following drawing to our group.

From a Grade 5 Student

At the other end of the age spectrum there are those that have seen the massive salmon runs of the past and are growing extremely concerned by the evaporating runs of today. Some have chosen to volunteer for our group and spend some of their precious time spreading the word about the plight of wild salmon at farmers markets and other events. One of our [...]

“I will be telling my friends about it”

We’ve been hearing great reviews about the evening of the Farmed Salmon Exposed presentation. Damien’s film was very successful in tying together the broader international scope of fish farming problems, utilizing footage from Norway, Chile, Scotland, and other countries to make the case. After the film was over, four excellent panelists introduced themselves and took questions from the audience. Many of the questions were thoughtful and heartfelt and the discussion was lively. You can view select portions of the evening below:

An attendee expresses one portion of the evening as follows:

“As the middle-aged First Nation woman stood up from her wheelchair to speak, [...]

Farmed Salmon Exposed

Wild Salmon Circle Presents: New Film on Global Salmon Farming Industry + Panel Talk + Citizen Action

Date: Thursday, November 12
Time: 7-9 PM
Location: SFU Segal Centre - Room 1500-500 Granville St. (Downtown Vancouver – Granville & Pender)
Cost: $10 for Public / $5 for Students & Seniors

Join the Wild Salmon Circle on Nov. 12 from 7-9 PM at Vancouver’s SFU Segal Centre for the premiere of a new short documentary by filmmaker Damien Gillis, which shows how the British Columbia experience of salmon farming fits into a global pattern of catastrophe wrought by a predominantly Norwegian-owned industry.

“Farmed Salmon Exposed” is a 20-minute film showcasing footage and images from Norway, [...]

The Rally Was a Great Success

October 3rd Rally

A rally for wild salmon packed the grounds of the Art Gallery on Saturday with over 700 participants in a call to the government of Canada to close down salmon farms on the B.C. coast and pursue transparent solutions for restoring wild salmon stocks.

“We were so busy with people flooding the tent wanting to sign up, we couldn’t sit still for a minute” says Derek Spragg, member of the Wild Salmon Circle. The people wanted to be part of a fast-growing volunteer citizen base that plans to take strategic action to remove salmon farms from Canadian waters, and give political muscle to [...]

Latest on Mon, 01:32 pm

Angela Koch: Hi, Me again.....just having a thought about what it would take for the rest of Canada to wake up and "get this"....because from what I'm hearing lately when I talk to most people east of here about this, they're unaware of the extinction issue and the fragile time line that exists, and if they don’t know about that, then it only makes sense that they haven’t even thought about its impact on our ecosystem …… and I got this picture into my head of dragging those 9 starved dead bears out of their dens and throwing them before the [...]

Angela Koch: I’ve heard dozens of locals speak about their experiences since the fish farms have moved into their area and the rapidly declining stocks they are all witness to……one gentleman from Tofino area said 5 years ago they counted approximately 66,000 salmon coming to spawn up one river...then the fish farms went in……and last year only 18 fish coming up that same river....his story went further to say that they have already found 9 bear dens with dead bears in them, starved to death because they didn't have their wild salmon to fatten up for their hibernation..…..and since [...]

eric wickham: Einstein said insanity is "doing the same thing over and over, and >> expecting different results." We're now having yet another study >> about Canadian fisheries! This time it's a Royal Commission. The >> official studies never end, while our fish stocks never stop collapsing. Insanity. >> But why not? It only costs 60 or $70 million per commission and it >> gives the politicians a chance to stall in making responsible decisions. >> >> Meanwhile, the number of employees at the Department of Fisheries and >> Oceans keeps rising. The number now stands at around 10,000. We can >> be sure that [...]

ANDY VINE: This is a defining issue for BC. If we fail to protect wild salmon stocks we are effectively telling future generations we don't care about this amazing natural resource. I plan to sail my 28ft sailboat from Vancouver on Thursday/Friday to join the walk in Sidney on Saturday morning. I have room for two more people. If you are interested call me at 604 603 9018. Andy

Mary Russell: I think our declining salmon runs are entirely preventable. I think all it needs is a strong dose of integrity and commonsense at the govt helm. This, besides administering stern habitat protection as was DFO's sworn first mandate,would harness the willing hands of the public to the remedy via community teams helped by modest funding, engaged in habitat restoration on countless creeks and streams whose salmon runs have not entirely been lost. The number of salmon that can be brought back to depleted streams by a few good men with miminal funding and a simple hatchery setup is [...]

admin: Please tell us how you feel. We would like to collect all comments to submit to the Cohen Inquiry.

Miranda: I live in a very isolated community where people depend on the salmon runs every year. As the years have gone by it seems that not as much salmon are being harvested for the village and it is our right as a province and communities to speak up and speak out about depleting Salmon runs. We need to come together as a whole and demand a change.

Charles Eastham: For years I've enjoyed Vital Choice canned wild salmon. Sea lice are an evidence-based threat to salmon. Declining populations are a fact. There must be a way to modify industrial fish pens to enable a sustainable healthy future for all salmon. Respectfully, Chuck Eastham, New Jersey 9Mar10

Shelley Coleman: Please protect the wild salmon and control the salmon farms which are affecting the wild salmon due to lice and other pesiticdes from the salmon nurseries. This is at a critical state. We need to practice sustainable fishing and protect wild salmon.

Ray Seitcher Sr.: Open net farming must stop. We need to listen to the true information and trust our experience! Now!

Becky Campbell: We have a duty to protect our natural resources for our posterity. We must demand that people who use the resources in common (ie the salmon farmers) do so in a manner that does not destroy the common trust. Salmon farming can be done in ways that do not destroy the natural world, it is just a good practice and should be an accepted cost. If a farmer cannot function in a sustainable way, then he/she probably shouldn't be a farmer. If all farmers are held to the same standard, the cost will cover itself.

Corinna Alfred: I think it is very wrong that they keep concentrating on the farmed fish...which is & never will taste as good as wild salmon. The slamon which has helped our people survive for many generations...for centuries before contact was made. We need this fish to survive as a people & it is healthy for us also. Our health seems to go down every year that we get less & less salmon for our yearly dietary needs.

Anissa Reed: My daughter is a 5th generation resident of the BC Coast. Her great great grandfather came from Newfoundland to work on the water here and was captain on numerous boats that made a living from the richness this coast offers up. I know there have been many impacts to wild salmon but after reading the science of Alex Morton and others and reading and seeing video about what is happening in other countries like Chile and Norway I believe salmon farming practices are extremely detrimental to wild salmon populations specifically due to measurable sea lice infestations and possibly disease spreading. [...]

» SUBMIT YOUR COMMENT