British Columbia Fisheries critic, NDP MLA Robin Austin tables Letter addressed to Federal Minister of Fisheries and Premier Campbell demanding Fisheries Act be applied to salmon "farms"
The letter, written by biologist Alexandra Morton, was signed by 9,758 citizens in less than one month. The letter states:
"Wild salmon are the backbone of the BC Coast. On February 9, 2009 BC Supreme Court ruled that salmon farms are a fishery and a federal responsibility. The science is in. The feedlot fishery is damaging wild salmon stocks worldwide (Ford and Myers 2008). Fraser sockeye and all southcoast BC salmon and steelhead are now at risk as a result of the Provincial policy of allowing the feedlot fishery to use Canada's most valuable wild salmon habitat.
"We the undersigned demand that Fisheries and Oceans Canada apply the Fisheries Act to this industry and immediately.
- Place observers during feedlot salmon harvest to assess unlawful by-catch;
- Examine feedlot salmon as they are cleaned for presence of wild fish in their digestive tract;
- Licence vessels transporting aquaculture salmon like all other commercial fishing vessels;
- As per Pacific Fishery Regulation "Prohibited Fishing Methods" ban grow lights on fish feedlots to end wild prey species attraction into the pens;
- Remove the marine feedlot industry from wild salmon migration routes.
- The landmark BC Supreme Court decision states, "The inclusion of fisheries in s. 91(12) of the Constitution Act, 1867 was a recognition that fisheries, as a national resource, require uniformity of the legislation".
We insist that the Fisheries Act be applied to the salmon feedlot fishery immediately.
