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Problems with Inquiry
By Phil Eidsvik, Courier-Islander July 7, 2010 12:00 AM
With great respect to Jeremy Maynard for all his years of service to salmon, the editor of the Courier-Islander is right about the problems in the Fraser River inquiry.
Maynard contends that Brian Riddell's role as an insider on the Inquiry is just fine because Riddell is a respected salmon scientist, yet Riddell received a paycheck from DFO for 30 years and was directly involved in the management of the now-decimated salmon fishery. His new employer, the Pacific Salmon Foundation, received $5 million from DFO in the past five years and stands to receive millions more in the next five. To a significant degree, both Riddell and his organization are dependent on DFO funding.
In 2007, the Pacific Salmon Foundation strongly opposed a judicial inquiry into DFO's management of the Fraser fishery and then stood by quietly while it collected millions from DFO as the fishery collapsed. Riddell even argued publicly just last month that no inquiry is needed and the decline is a just a science issue. These statements alone should be enough to disqualify Riddell from being an Inquiry insider.
Scientists who worked for our commercial fishing industry do not belong inside the Inquiry because it would rightly raise questions about the independence of the Cohen Commission. For the same reason, Maynard and I are both disqualified from being Commission insiders because of our work on behalf of commercial and sports fishing interests.
Same goes for Riddell, his extensive DFO connections means that he is an unsuitable candidate to help direct the investigation of DFO. He can make a valuable contribution to the Inquiry, but only as a witness testifying in public under oath.
To put it in perspective, Terry Robertson, the special prosecutor assigned to look into election campaign of BC Liberal MLA Kash Heed resigned because his legal firm gave $1,000 to Heed's campaign. DFO's $5 million gift to Riddell's organization, with millions more to come, raises serious questions about Riddell's independence from DFO.
If the final report of the Cohen Commission is to have any credibility, Riddell and the other science advisors with conflicts of interest or bias should protect the integrity of the Inquiry by resigning.
Phil Eidsvik,
BC Fisheries Survival Coalition
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250
Problems with Inquiry
By Phil Eidsvik, Courier-Islander July 7, 2010 12:00 AM
With great respect to Jeremy Maynard for all his years of service to salmon, the editor of the Courier-Islander is right about the problems in the Fraser River inquiry.
Maynard contends that Brian Riddell's role as an insider on the Inquiry is just fine because Riddell is a respected salmon scientist, yet Riddell received a paycheck from DFO for 30 years and was directly involved in the management of the now-decimated salmon fishery. His new employer, the Pacific Salmon Foundation, received $5 million from DFO in the past five years and stands to receive millions more in the next five. To a significant degree, both Riddell and his organization are dependent on DFO funding.
In 2007, the Pacific Salmon Foundation strongly opposed a judicial inquiry into DFO's management of the Fraser fishery and then stood by quietly while it collected millions from DFO as the fishery collapsed. Riddell even argued publicly just last month that no inquiry is needed and the decline is a just a science issue. These statements alone should be enough to disqualify Riddell from being an Inquiry insider.
Scientists who worked for our commercial fishing industry do not belong inside the Inquiry because it would rightly raise questions about the independence of the Cohen Commission. For the same reason, Maynard and I are both disqualified from being Commission insiders because of our work on behalf of commercial and sports fishing interests.
Same goes for Riddell, his extensive DFO connections means that he is an unsuitable candidate to help direct the investigation of DFO. He can make a valuable contribution to the Inquiry, but only as a witness testifying in public under oath.
To put it in perspective, Terry Robertson, the special prosecutor assigned to look into election campaign of BC Liberal MLA Kash Heed resigned because his legal firm gave $1,000 to Heed's campaign. DFO's $5 million gift to Riddell's organization, with millions more to come, raises serious questions about Riddell's independence from DFO.
If the final report of the Cohen Commission is to have any credibility, Riddell and the other science advisors with conflicts of interest or bias should protect the integrity of the Inquiry by resigning.
Phil Eidsvik,
BC Fisheries Survival Coalition
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250
