In 2009, when millions of sockeye salmon "went missing," the government spent 37 million of your tax dollars on the Cohen Inquiry, to find out what happened to them. In 2012, Justice Cohen finished his investigation and recommended open-net fish farms be removed by Sept 30th, 2020, in a wild salmon migratory bottleneck known as the Discovery Islands, near Campbell River, B.C.
Prime Minister Trudeau promised to act on the Cohen Inquiry recommendations. The September 30th deadline is fast approaching.
Wild salmon cannot wait any longer because:
Factory fish farms are failing to control parasite levels on their farms (report by Living Oceans Society);
These parasites are infecting juvenile wild salmon as they migrate by the farms as (report by biologist Alexandra Morton);
This year, Fraser River sockeye salmon are forecast to return at their lowest levels ever, at 283,000.
The First Nations Leadership Council recently called for the removal of the Discovery Islands salmon farms. Thirty-seven commercial and recreational fishing organizations, religious organizations, marine tourism operators and environmental groups signed on to a letter in support of removing these fish farms.
More groups continue to sign onto the letter. Please consider having your organization sign on here. The full list of signers is:
Mike Griswold, Vice-President, Gulf Trollers Association
Daniel Billy, Elder, We Wai Kai First Nation
The Most Reverend Melissa Skelton, Archbishop; Bishop of the Diocese of New Westminster, Anglican Church of Canada
Tony Allard, Chair, Wild Salmon Forever
Willie Mitchell, President/Partner, Tofino Resort + Marina
Rev. S. Blair Odney, President, Pacific Mountain Regional Council, United Church of Canada
Dane Chauvel, Founder & CEO, Organic Ocean
Ed Bianchi, Program Manager, Kairos Canada
Kathy Scarfo, West Coast Trollers Association
Greg Gower, Commercial Fishing Area G Advisors
Hayley Shephard, Owner/Operator, Seasmoke Whale Watching
Richard Hagensen, Chair, Council of Canadians, Campbell River Chapter
The Right Reverend David TJ Lehmann, Bishop of the Diocese of Caledonia, Anglican Church of Canada
Joy Thorkelson, President United Fishermen and Allied Workers' Union, Unifor
Garry Henckel, Captain, Aboriginal Journeys Whale Watching & Grizzly Bear Tours
Dave Mackay, President, BC Northern Trollers Association, Area F
Sarah King, Head of Oceans & Plastics Campaign, Greenpeace Canada
Darrel McEachern, President, Area E Gillnetters Association
Carol Brown, President, Prince Rupert Environmental Society
Chris Ashton, President, Area B Seine Association
Hannah Askew, Executive Director, Sierra Club BC
Darrel McEachern, President, Area D Gillnetters Association
Stan Proboszcz, Science and Campaign Advisor, Watershed Watch Salmon Society
Sonia Strobel, Co-founder & CEO, Skipper Otto Community Supported Fishery
Alexandra Morton, Pacific Coast Wild Salmon Society
Sid Keay, Duncanby Lodge
Christianne Wilhelmson, Executive Director, Georgia Strait Alliance
Chris Genovali, Executive Director, Raincoast Conservation Foundation
Bonny Glambeck and Dan Lewis, Clayoquot Action
Tim & Kelli McGrady, Co-owners, Farewell Harbour Lodge
Karen Wristen, Executive Director, Living Oceans Society
Jenn Broom, Ocean Light II Adventures
Jeh Custerra, Friends of Clayoquot Sound
Tony Allard, CEO, Good Hope Cannery
Greg Knox, SkeenaWild Conservation Trust
Randy Burke, Captain/Director, Bluewater Adventures
Kurt Beardslee, Executive Director, Wild Fish Conservancy
Pat Moss, Chair, Friends of Wild Salmon
Jay Ritchlin, Director-General, Western Canada, David Suzuki Foundation
Stephanie Smith, President, B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union
Elizabeth Dunn, Vancouver Unitarians Environment Committee
Jeremy Williams, Director, River Voices Productions
Irwin Oostindie, Wild Bird Trust, President
Celia Brauer, Co-founder, False Creek Watershed Society