Turn the Tide

The Wild Salmon Circle is pleased to announce our first-ever contest: We are challenging our members to come up with original, creative and meaningful ways to support B.C.’s wild salmon. Entries can be submitted in any form including pictures, videos, songs, sculptures, etc. Prizes will be awarded to those entries which, first and foremost, meaningfully impact the fight to protect wild salmon and, secondly, do so creatively. The contest closes September 7, 2010. Entries can be submitted either by email to: wildsalmoncircle@gmail.com or by mail to: Wild Salmon Circle, 101-1184 Denman St., Box 604, Vancouver, BC. V6G 2M9

Winners will be announced at the Wild Salmon Circle barbeque on September 11th at Ceperley Park in Stanley Park.

Great prizes will be awarded, so get your creative juices flowing!

“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!

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 Square (1 Centennial Square)

SPEAKERS – starting 2:00pm

Main Stage MC’d by Tamara Hermann, VIPRG and Rick Glumac, Wild Salmon Circle

1. Musical Welcome: August Thomas, Esquimalt First Nation. Song(s) in honour of event. {located near Spirit Poles}
2. Speaker: Cheryl Bryce,Lekwungen/Songhees First Nation.
3. Speaker: Rafe Mair, former MLA and radio host
4. Musical Entertainment: Bopoma Marimba {Main Stage}
5. Speaker: Chief Ed John
6. Speaker: Tria Donaldson,Wilderness Committee Victoria
7. Speaker: Tom Sampson, Tsartlip First Nation
8. Musical Entertainment: War Party & B3 (Hip Hop). {Main Stage}
9. Speaker: Chief Frank Nelson
10. Speaker: Billy Proctor
11. Speaker: Caitlyn Vernon, Sierra Club
12. Speakers: Tyee Bridge from WSC and Lauren Hornor from Fraser Riverkeeper announce the launch of the Pacific coast SUPS (Stand Up for Pacific Salmon) consumer campaign
13. Musical Entertainment: Salmon Singers {Main Stage}
14. Speaker: Darren Blaney, Homolka First Nation
15. Alexandra Morton kicks off the march to the Legislature

ACTIVITIES – starting at 2:00pm

2-3:00pm ~ Salmon BBQ
2-3:15pm ~ Fish on Sticks. Make your own fish-theme artsy regalia in preparation to welcome walkers and take part in procession to Legislature.

MARCH TO LEGISLATURE – 3:45pm

3:00pm ~ Walkers Arrive {Augie Thomas sings in welcome: Northern Nations welcomed with Alexendra Morton}
3:45pm ~ March along Government Street to Legislature {Masala Percussion group provides music as MIA salmon puppet + the public join Alex and Migration walkers to final rally destination 4pm.

4:00pm ~ Final Rally at Legislature

SPEAKERS

MC’d by Arthur Black, from CBC

1. Music: Getting Higher Choir
2. Speaker: Grand Chief Stewart Philip
3. Speaker: John Volpe, Scientist, Seafood Ecology Research Group (SERG)
4. Speaker: Chief Bob Chamberlin
5. Speakers: Fin Donnelly (MP), Denise Savoie (MP) & Thea Block (grade 10 student)
6. Speaker: Alexandra Morton

To find out more about farmed salmon please watch “Farmed Salmon Exposed”:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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: open-net salmon farms must be removed from B.C. waters now. According to speaker Otto Langer, formerly fisheries scientist and manager at the DFO, salmon farms are placed on young salmon smolt migration routes when the smolts are so small the lice they pick up from fish farms kills them. “It’s like you and I carrying a 40 pound animal stuck to our body, draining us of life.”

The message was clear that Canadians are in solidarity with the Norwegians that salmon farms must clean up their act. Shannon Ellis, a Grizzly Wilderness Tour operator, was outspoken in her talk about the ecological damage that will occur if wild salmon are allowed to die off. “There will be no more salmon swimming upstream to spawn and die, ensuring healthy growth of both our big trees and predators such as grizzlies, otters and eagles.”

“It’s symbolic to me that there were families with young children at the rally, because the next generation is going to inherit whatever we leave them,” says Rick Glumac of the Wild Salmon Circle and emcee at the Rally. “It breaks my heart that their generation may not see BC’s incredible wild salmon runs. We must be more willing to commit to the precautionary principle to protect these fish.”

Former Department of Fisheries and Oceans Biologist Calls for Action

First Nations Chief Bob Chamberlain spoke of the blight of salmon farms in his Broughton Archipelago territory. “We have a long tradition of salmon in our culture, and to be unable to pass this tradition to our children is unthinkable.”

Global Salmon Campaigner Don Staniford Delivers a Heartfelt Plee to the People of Norway

“The rally was a big success. It was wonderful and heartwarming to see so many people out to lend their support,” said Maria Morlin, biology professor and emcee at the rally. “Considering the Olympics were on – a big distraction and the reason we held the rally now – there was a great turnout. I hope our message gets through to the Norwegian government loud and clear – don’t mess up our waters, you have enough problems with your own atlantic salmon escapees and wild salmon collapses.”

“Let’s unite our combined citizenry – the Canadians, Norwegians, British, and all other nations who want healthy wild salmon,” exclaimed Derek Spragg of the Wild Salmon Circle. “Together we can convince the regulatory bodies to regulate farms to – at the very least – closed containment and off migration routes.”

Speaker Don Staniford of the Pure Salmon Campaign agreed. “We can change the state of salmon farms as they now exist – with our united stand and combined effort.”

The rally ended with a letter writing to King Harald the fifth of Norway. Forty-one letters were sent to the King from attendees at the rally. As Graham Girard of the WSC said, “People just need a nudge to do the right thing.” Forty one nudges will get the message heard.

Protesters Bring a Message for Norwegian Salmon Farming Companies

The rally was filmed by Damien Gillis, documentary film maker, and should be out shortly to add to a growing number of excellent films he has produced. Check out www.puresalmon.org or www.wildsalmoncircle.com for links to his latest films.

The Decline of Our Wild Salmon Touches Young and Old Alike

Photos courtesy of John Prentice.

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 this into an Olympic sized rally.

Featuring the following speakers:

• Otto Langer - Former DFO Senior Biologist and Manager
• Shannon Ellis - Grizzly Viewing Guide & Wilderness Tourism Association
• Don Staniford - Global Coordinator, The Pure Salmon Campaign
• Chief Bob Chamberlain - Chair of First Nations Leadership Council Aquaculture Working Group

And as always with any Wild Salmon Circle event, there will be a direct action that you can participate in. Join us for the fun and festivities on Saturday February 20th!

Volunteers Needed!

Please spread the word to your email networks.  You can also download the following pdf to print out and distribute to your friends and work mates: Feb20 Salmon Rally Promo

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.

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 that a restriction should apply during the period that I will extend the suspension of my declaration of invalidity. During the period between February 9, 2010 and December 18, 2010, I order that the respondents, the Minister of Agriculture and Lands and the Attorney General of British Columbia on behalf of the Province of British Columbia, issue no licences for new fish farms in British Columbia, and that they not extend the areas within which presently licensed fish farms or fish farms whose licenses are renewed between February 9, 2010 and December 18, 2010, are permitted to operate as of February 9, 2010.

You can also read a press release from Jan. 29 by the BC government indicating that they will follow the court decision and not accept new applications.

Press Release from BC Government

– Judah and Jill

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 volunteers, pictured below, is in his 70s.  You may have seen him at a farmers market near you.

Retired and Volunteering to Save the Wild Salmon

If you are concerned about the future of our wild salmon please join the Wild Salmon Circle and be part of the growing movement to save our wild salmon from going extinct.

Click here to view the embedded video.

An attendee expresses one portion of the evening as follows:

“As the middle-aged First Nation woman stood up from her wheelchair to speak, the hundred or so people in the room went mute. The tension was palpable. Somehow we knew that we were about to catch hell.

My name is Telquaa, she started with a broken voice. I don’t look very strong but I like to think of myself as a woman warrior. When I was a kid I fished salmon with my mother. There were salmon everywhere. My mother would carry two huge salmon at a time on her shoulders. I never thought we would see the end of the salmon. I am happy to see so many people gathered tonight for the salmon. But you are waking up too late. Well, wake up more! Don’t let that fish farm thing scare you. Your people brought this upon our people. Now you need to work very hard to bring the salmon back. You have ways, money, knowledge, legs, brains, but what you need is a heart. You have to do it for us. Our people need this bad. Help us!

After that, the only person brave enough to pick up the mike was a humbled Rafe Mair who said that this was the most important speech he had heard in years. The rest of us could only respond with thunderous applause.” – Ivan

As more questions followed, members of the Wild Salmon Circle walked through the crowd and handed out paper, pens, and envelopes as riding maps and names of MPs were projected at the front of the room.  In all about 90 letters were collected and sent to MPs.

Another attendee wrote this letter to us after the meeting:

“The film and the discussion which followed was very informative. I was particularly touched by the emotional appeal of the first nations lady and gentleman in the audience regarding the huge impact on their community and the wildlife. I have just finished watching the DVD with all 3 documentaries produced by Damien Gillis and this weekend I will be writing a letter to our MP. I am also thinking of writing a letter to our MLA even though I realize that the coastal fishery is within Federal Govt. jurisdiction (DFO). The problem as I see it is that the social and environmental impact of the fish farms directly affects the people and wildlife of British Columbia so the BC government has a responsibility to stop this madness. A few dollars of tax revenue (which is only temporary until the fish farm industry self-destructs) does not justify the continuing damage caused to our beautiful Province.

You and your group (Wild Salmon Circle) are to be commended for the excellent presentation last night and for continuing your crusade to protect our environment from this real threat. Thanks for inviting me – it was a real eyee opener. I will be telling my friends about it and asking them to write letters to their MP’s.” – Glen