Fish Farm trouble in BC.
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fogged in
Well-Known Member
Hey Ziggy, I assume you have read articles from Fletcher before.
He has clearly shown himself to be a Fish Farm Supporter and ignores all the evidence.
Now he calls that evidence fake news.
Hard not to put him in the same camp as Donald Trump when he starts his column by saying
"The fake-news tactics of hired protesters have become so obvious that even some news media aren’t biting any more.
more examples of why they should go through an environmental assessment. No fake news there. Boggles the mind how corrupt it is behind the scenes supporting the avoiding of this simple and responsible procedure...
The Feds are applying the I See Nothing Principle of sound science.
littlechucky
Crew Member
New land based fish farm in the US just started up.
Makes too much sense.
https://seagrant.noaa.gov/News/Arti...aponics-Operation-Opens-in-American-Heartland
Makes too much sense.
https://seagrant.noaa.gov/News/Arti...aponics-Operation-Opens-in-American-Heartland
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Whole in the Water
Well-Known Member
Surprised that no fish farm supporters have replied to this post to stand up for the industry they defend. I thought that doing so would be relatively straightforward exercise since the fish farm industry and their supporters continually state that net pen farms pose no significant negative environmental impacts. Can they not be bothered or is it too hard to defend with data? What is it?
EMBARRASED? Unfortunately - I would doubt it, Rockdog. People tend to ignore and dismiss info/data that is either inconvenient and/or runs contrary to their beliefs - then they will argue that their position is not one of belief - but the opposition's view are. Been there lots wrt those arguments - got the T-shirt...
That's why we need a real environmental assessment procedure for these operations.
fogged in
Well-Known Member
Why is BC Agriculture Minister Lana Popham being grilled by the Liberals due to her review of Dr. Gary Marty.
Gary Mary runs a VERY CONTROVERSIAL lab and it's time he be scrutinized.
He has been very outspoken and single minded in his support of Fish Farms!
Should we not have a neutral party in such a position?
" Popham said it’s not an investigation, but the lab is advising on how to proceed on an independent review.
Marty has not been shy in the past about wading into arguments with high-profile campaigners against fish farms. He disputed advocates’ warnings about a fish virus several years ago and wrote a public letter challenging Alexandra Morton’s assertions. Two years ago, a group of scientists went public with concerns about a report by Marty that downplayed aquaculture’s risks to wild salmon."
http://www.timescolonist.com/opinio...m-being-grilled-in-question-period-1.23072446
Gary Mary runs a VERY CONTROVERSIAL lab and it's time he be scrutinized.
He has been very outspoken and single minded in his support of Fish Farms!
Should we not have a neutral party in such a position?
" Popham said it’s not an investigation, but the lab is advising on how to proceed on an independent review.
Marty has not been shy in the past about wading into arguments with high-profile campaigners against fish farms. He disputed advocates’ warnings about a fish virus several years ago and wrote a public letter challenging Alexandra Morton’s assertions. Two years ago, a group of scientists went public with concerns about a report by Marty that downplayed aquaculture’s risks to wild salmon."
http://www.timescolonist.com/opinio...m-being-grilled-in-question-period-1.23072446
OldBlackDog
Well-Known Member
VICTORIA – B.C. Agriculture Minister Lana Popham’s claim that a complaint by the federal government prompted her to launch an investigation of provincial scientists is not accurate, according to information from Ottawa.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada issued a denial Tuesday that it was the source of concerns raised about the quality of provincial fish farm research and scientists, as Popham has told the legislature repeatedly.
“Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has not made any official complaints to the Province of B.C. regarding the diagnostic work undertaken by the Province’s Animal Health Centre,” the department said in statement.
The statement contradicts Popham, who several times Monday and Tuesday told the legislature that she launched a review of the quality of scientific research inside her ministry because DFO had complained.
“I want to emphasize that it was the Department of Fisheries and Oceans who called some of our data into question,” Popham told the house in response to questions. “We would take that very seriously because these are the partners that we work with as we look at fish pathology.”
The DFO denial also undermines days of defence Popham has attempt to craft surrounding her own conduct as minister, which has been the subject of intense criticism after she wrote a threatening letter to a coastal fish farm operator and then publicly stated she’d place a government scientist under investigation because he was the subject of complaints by First Nations who wanted him fired.
Popham’s problems started last week after she told The Vancouver Sun her ministry was investigating provincial fish pathologist Gary Marty’s research, following complaints from First Nations who wanted him fired. Marty wrote a 2015 report that refuted claims fish farms pose a significant risk to wild salmon.
On Monday, Popham backtracked from her claimsof an investigation into Marty, after the Opposition Liberals asked her to provide details on why the civil servant was under investigation, who was conducting the review, what terms of reference governed the probe and whether he could be fired. The Liberals accused Popham of political interference for targeting a government scientist.
Instead, Popham shifted to claim Marty was part of a larger review of research at the provincial lab, spurred by a complaint about data quality by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
“I’d like to reiterate there is no individual in the lab at the Ministry of Agriculture that is under investigation,” told the legislature Oct. 23. “But when DFO raises concerns about our research, we take it seriously, as any lab who believes in integrity would.”
“The information that we provide to DFO fish health audit program — it needs to be based on science,” she also said during Oct. 23 question period. “And when DFO raises concerns, we take them seriously. We are verifying research produced by our Animal Health Centre to ensure that we’re making decisions based on science.”
Popham reiterated those claims Tuesday, when the Liberals pressed her to explain the rationale for the investigation.
Liberal critic Michelle Stilwell challenged the minister to make DFO’s complaints public. Popham ignored that request, and her ministry later admitted in a statement that it had received nothing in writing from the federal agency.
“The complaints from the agency have been verbal,” Agriculture Ministry spokesperson Meghan McRae said in an email, adding that these conversations have been ongoing.
McRae pointed to an Oct. 14 CTV W5 story in which DFO scientist Kristi Miller was quoted saying she believed Marty was either in a real or perceived conflict of interest because he has conducted research with coastal fish farm company Marine Harvest.
DFO has a memorandum of understanding with B.C.’s animal health centre to test farmed salmon samples as part of DFO’s fish health auditing program. That deal is in place until March 31, 2020.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada issued a denial Tuesday that it was the source of concerns raised about the quality of provincial fish farm research and scientists, as Popham has told the legislature repeatedly.
“Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has not made any official complaints to the Province of B.C. regarding the diagnostic work undertaken by the Province’s Animal Health Centre,” the department said in statement.
The statement contradicts Popham, who several times Monday and Tuesday told the legislature that she launched a review of the quality of scientific research inside her ministry because DFO had complained.
“I want to emphasize that it was the Department of Fisheries and Oceans who called some of our data into question,” Popham told the house in response to questions. “We would take that very seriously because these are the partners that we work with as we look at fish pathology.”
The DFO denial also undermines days of defence Popham has attempt to craft surrounding her own conduct as minister, which has been the subject of intense criticism after she wrote a threatening letter to a coastal fish farm operator and then publicly stated she’d place a government scientist under investigation because he was the subject of complaints by First Nations who wanted him fired.
Popham’s problems started last week after she told The Vancouver Sun her ministry was investigating provincial fish pathologist Gary Marty’s research, following complaints from First Nations who wanted him fired. Marty wrote a 2015 report that refuted claims fish farms pose a significant risk to wild salmon.
On Monday, Popham backtracked from her claimsof an investigation into Marty, after the Opposition Liberals asked her to provide details on why the civil servant was under investigation, who was conducting the review, what terms of reference governed the probe and whether he could be fired. The Liberals accused Popham of political interference for targeting a government scientist.
Instead, Popham shifted to claim Marty was part of a larger review of research at the provincial lab, spurred by a complaint about data quality by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
“I’d like to reiterate there is no individual in the lab at the Ministry of Agriculture that is under investigation,” told the legislature Oct. 23. “But when DFO raises concerns about our research, we take it seriously, as any lab who believes in integrity would.”
“The information that we provide to DFO fish health audit program — it needs to be based on science,” she also said during Oct. 23 question period. “And when DFO raises concerns, we take them seriously. We are verifying research produced by our Animal Health Centre to ensure that we’re making decisions based on science.”
Popham reiterated those claims Tuesday, when the Liberals pressed her to explain the rationale for the investigation.
Liberal critic Michelle Stilwell challenged the minister to make DFO’s complaints public. Popham ignored that request, and her ministry later admitted in a statement that it had received nothing in writing from the federal agency.
“The complaints from the agency have been verbal,” Agriculture Ministry spokesperson Meghan McRae said in an email, adding that these conversations have been ongoing.
McRae pointed to an Oct. 14 CTV W5 story in which DFO scientist Kristi Miller was quoted saying she believed Marty was either in a real or perceived conflict of interest because he has conducted research with coastal fish farm company Marine Harvest.
DFO has a memorandum of understanding with B.C.’s animal health centre to test farmed salmon samples as part of DFO’s fish health auditing program. That deal is in place until March 31, 2020.
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fogged in
Well-Known Member
The BC Liberals are more interested in continuing their support for Fish Farm and playing politics then having an independent review of Marty and his lab.
figures eh
Fish Farm guys can't be happy with this front page story and we can only hope it leads to some positive action.
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/l...mes-under-fire-over-fish-lab-probe-1.23073941
what you say Fish Farm guys????
figures eh
Fish Farm guys can't be happy with this front page story and we can only hope it leads to some positive action.
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/l...mes-under-fire-over-fish-lab-probe-1.23073941
what you say Fish Farm guys????
ziggy
Well-Known Member
Doesn't matter what the BC Liberals want, they are the opposition party. What matters now is what the NDP or even more importantly the three Green Members want, until the next election anyway. For now the opposition is simply attacking a Minister they see as a weak link in the ruling government. Sad perhaps, but it's how adversarial politics work. For what it's worth they are also beating her up about an ALR issue.
At least she is looking in the right direction and starting to look deeper. She must be aplauded for at least doing that. Now is the time for Dr. Weaver to show the Greens support and get the Disease laden, Virus infecting and Sea Lice laden Fish Farm Feed Lots out of the Ocean. Time to Stop the killing of our Wild Salmon, protect the endangered South resident Killer Whales and the use of the Ocean as their sewer system.
I think it takes a lot of guts to tackle these Big Foriegn Conglomerates using our Coastline to rape and pillage right under our noses with Government subsidies and support. I wish her well as i'm sure they are Lawyering up to try and once again squash any discontent from the public. Come on Dr. Weaver now is the time to step up.
Yummy on your Grocery shelf right now.
ISA labels not needed
The minister called it a marketing and precautionary move by the company. He explained that the fish can still be sold to consumers because there are no health risks to humans, and added the fish will not need to be labelled as coming from a site infected with ISA.
"There's no labelling required," said Byrne, who noted the affected fish were of marketable size.
An ISA-infected Atlantic salmon displaying hemorrhaging on its skin and fin. (Univeristy of Maine)
ISA labels not needed
The minister called it a marketing and precautionary move by the company. He explained that the fish can still be sold to consumers because there are no health risks to humans, and added the fish will not need to be labelled as coming from a site infected with ISA.
"There's no labelling required," said Byrne, who noted the affected fish were of marketable size.
An ISA-infected Atlantic salmon displaying hemorrhaging on its skin and fin. (Univeristy of Maine)
ziggy
Well-Known Member
Well they certainly have the power. Can't see anything political that can stop them! They have a majority government as a Green/NDP alliance, so politically they can call the shots. If they want to move ahead on this issue, IMO, it would give the opposition less ammo,if they would take ownership of their policy. To try and stick handle and claim she is simply reacting to phantom DFO concerns rather than say she has legitimate concerns is a major mistake. Their would be little for the opposition to attack if she came clean. Still with a majority in place, she can call the shots so at the end of the day she gets to make the policy.
This is not a phantom DFO concern ----Oct. 14 CTV W5 story in which DFO scientist Kristi Miller was quoted saying she believed Marty was either in a real or perceived conflict of interest because he has conducted research with coastal fish farm company Marine Harvest.
Relocating fish farms a possible fix for standoff, B.C. minister says
Aquaculture company open to discussing 'if there’s a better way of doing business'
CBC News Posted: Oct 25, 2017 7:00 AM PT
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...roughton-archipelago-protest-salmon-1.4367460
Aquaculture company open to discussing 'if there’s a better way of doing business'
CBC News Posted: Oct 25, 2017 7:00 AM PT
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...roughton-archipelago-protest-salmon-1.4367460
I think everyone can see now how this industry has been supported for so long by government (up until the last election, provincially) - and the ever-present PR firms. This is what happens when you pull the tail of that tiger. Shoot the messenger is always the response. Popham is right, though - the status quo cannot continue...
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