Moratorium on New Fish Farms Announced

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. [...]