February 18, 2010

Dear friends of wild salmon,

Here’s your February newsletter! There’s a lot going on in the coming weeks, starting off with the rally this Saturday! It’s a busy time, but with an extra push here we can make a big difference for wild salmon! Hope to see you at the Rally!

Graham

Rally on Saturday for Wild Salmon!

Just a reminder of the rally this Saturday, Feb 20th! Come out to Vanier Park – behind the planetarium in Vancouver – at 1 PM to send a strong message to the Norwegian companies that own 92% of the fish farms in BC!

The issue has been front and centre in the Norwegian media following an explosion of sea lice and emerging resistance to the SLICE pesticide in farms there, and the Norwegian government is facing increasing pressure to reform the industry. With international media in town and the world watching, let’s show them that British Columbians demand an immediate move to closed containment.

Traffic has been great even with the Olympics, and there is parking at the Planetarium, but you can also easily take the 22 or 02 bus from Burrard Skytrain station among other options. Check translink.ca for all routes and schedules, and remember to give yourself some extra time for travel.

Details and Poster are available here.

Also we will be in need of some volunteers on Saturday, so please let us know if you can help out in any way!

Want to make a sign for the rally? Here are some slogan ideas:

• "Norwegian Salmon Farms Kill Canada's Wild Salmon" => "Norsk lakseoppdrett dreper Canadas villaks"
• "Norway Out of Canadian Waters" => "Norge ut av Canadiske farvann"
• "Norwegians: Help us get rid of unwanted Atlantic Salmon Farms" => "Nordmenn: Hjelp oss å bli kvitt uønskede lakseoppdrett"
• "Norway: Open-Net Salmon Farms out of Canada!" => "Norge: Åpne oppdrettsanlegg ut av Canada nå!"
• "Disqualify Norwegian Salmon Farms"
• "Norway’s Farmed Salmon Fail Drug Testing"
• "Wild Salmon Deserve a Gold!"

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Two Actions to Make a big Difference

Input for Aquaculture Regulatory Framework: Deadline February 26!

Fisheries and Oceans is seeking input as they start developing a regulatory framework for aquaculture in BC under the National Aquaculture Strategic Action Planning Initiative (NASAPI).

We posted this along with what we think should go into the regulations in our December Newsletter. With the deadline for submissions next week though, we wanted to throw a reminder out for anyone who hasn’t had a chance to send in their suggestions.

More info can be found here as well. Send your comments to Trevor Swerdfager, Director General, Aquaculture Management at DFO, at trevor.swerdfager@dfo-mpo.gc.ca. CC your MP as well as the general submissions email: aquacultureconsultations@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.
The deadline for submissions is February 26, 2010.

Please Sign the Letter to Canada Fisheries Minister Gail Shea

Alexandra Morton’s letter to Gail Shea has stalled at just over 20,000 signatories. Even with this many people asking for the laws of Canada to be applied to the aquaculture industry, the minister won’t listen! Please sign the letter if you haven’t already, and get your friends and family to sign on as well!

You can find it at http://www.adopt-a-fry.org/.

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Upcoming Events

Tuesday, February 23

Join Alexandra Morton, Biologist and Wild Salmon Advocate; John Cummins, MP; Chief Bob Chamberlin, Kwicksutaineuk/Ah-Kwa-Mish First Nations; and local salmon advocates in our fight to save British Columbia’s coastal lifeline: our Wild Salmon!

Ladner Community Centre
4734 - 51st Street, Ladner
February 23, 7:00 PM
Free Admission – Everyone is welcome!
Contact:
dstaniford (at) puresalmon.org
shannon_b_ellis (at) hotmail.com

Check out the event poster here.

Sunday, March 14

Alexandra Morton – Fish Farming: The Science and the Politics. If you missed the last event in January, where renowned biologist Alexandra Morton drew a crowd that packed the Qualicum Beach Civic Centre, here’s a second chance.

411 Anderton Road, Courtenay
March 14, 2:00 PM
Contact Info: (250) 890 0499
consulco (at) telus.net

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Recent News

29 Hour Fast for Wild Salmon

Members of the Wild Salmon Circle joined Chief Bob Chamberlin in a 29 Hour fast this past Monday and Tuesday, along with Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, Chehalis Chief Willie Charlie, Gwawaenuk Tribe hereditary Chief Charlie Williams, and dozens more First Nations, British Columbians, and even some Norwegians. That's 1 hour of fasting for each fish farm tenure in the Musgamagw Tsawataineuk territory in the Broughton Archipelago. There is great concern among the First Nations people in this territory that these Norwegian-owned fish farms are causing the collapse of wild salmon runs and their own sustainable shellfish fisheries.

A meeting has been requested with the King of Norway, who is visiting during the Olympics, although he has rejected the invitation so far.

"The Chiefs want to discuss with King Harald the conduct of certain Norwegian Fish Farm Companies and how their business operations are not in accordance with the United Nations' Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples which the Norwegian Government voted Yes to at the UN General Assembly," said Chief Bob Chamberlain.

Letter from Former Attorney General of Norway

The former Attorney General of Norway Georg Fredrik Rieber-Mohn wrote a letter of concern regarding salmon farms this week. He was part of a 'wild salmon plan' back in 1999 that faltered due to salmon farm industry lobbying pressures. In his letter he states: "Atlantic salmon in the wild in Norway are now threatened with extinction in many rivers." He continues, "The lessons to be learned from Norway are painfully clear but the solution is an easy one. If you want to protect wild salmon then you have to move salmon farms away from migration routes."

This is the message we will be promoting during our upcoming rally. We will also be coordinating a letter writing action to the King of Norway to request that he persuade Norwegian companies to move fish farms out of wild salmon migration routes and to introduce closed containment systems to protect wild fish from sea lice. If you are unable to make it to the rally but would like to write to the King, who has great influence and respect in his home country, his address is:

King Harald V
The Royal Palace
Drammensveien 1
N-0010
Oslo, Norway

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