no where on the planet has net cage atlantic salmon and wild salmon mutually coexisted. no where.
JR Lewis ·
10h ·
as a fishery officer in charge of alert bay subdistrict for dfo from 1984-1987 when the first atlantic salmon farm was put in at mound island i have worked this file through 33 years as a dfo fishery officer and retiring in 2011 as area chief, conservation and protection for the b.c. south coast, i remain troubled with the truth surrounding "minimal risk" to our wild salmon. i have subsequently worked for dfo under term with aquaculture management and as well, for a few years with marine harvest. i have worked and have experience on all sides of this equation.
for years i have asked the question...and the answer has always been....no where on the planet has net cage atlantic salmon and wild salmon mutually coexisted. no where. foremost Canadian science researcher, dr. kristi miller, confirmed this in a conference call a couple of months ago. our wild salmon resources remain at risk, and there is a growing abundance of science that says it is more than a "minimal risk" that dfo says. as we know, anything more than a "minimal risk" would do two things that would unravel norway's wealth from our coast. the first is, if the risk of aquaculture is more than "minimal" it automatically triggers SARA, which requires a recovery plan as you know. one would imagine that removal of farms that present greater than minimal risk would have to come out of the ocean. the second, is the fiduciary obligation (and the spirit of reconcilliation) of the federal government with respect to food, social, and ceremonial fisheries that they have enjoyed long before the colonist technology and ultimately drum seining. in other words, we, the people, the taxpayers are likely on the hook for purchasing alaska wild sockeye salmon to provide food for BC FNs.
for what it is worth. sure hope the minister makes the precautionary principle decision in the best interest of Canadians. one would think, it is time to fish or cut bait. otherwise, politically...
if i am off base. please correct me.
