Fisheries Minister asked to resign, Govt states seedlots should be on land (2 of 2)

[Whole in the Water]

Norgesmester, Erland Vivelid Nilsen told the media:
"The situation has been dangerous for a long time. We have very few wild fish stocks due to aquaculture and all sea-lice they inflict other fish. The aquaculture industry is the lusefabrikker, lice maker, in the fjords"
Fisherwoman Regine Emilie Mathisen calls the escaped farmed fish an environmental catastrophe for her town of Askøy.


And then, an incredible thing happened, Norwegian politicians, who appear to care about the people of Norway and her wild heritage, came forward and stated the obvious. It was time to do something different.

Deputy Ola Borten Moe, leader of the Center Party, suggested it is time move the salmon farming industry on to land. Furthermore he is asking Norway to to waive the high cost of a salmon farm licence ($11.5 million) for any salmon farm establishedon land. He points out that this is the only way that Norway will remain competitive and furthermore that this would protect Norway's environment, stimulate innovation and finally solve the industry's escalating disease, sea lice and drug dependency, while increasing jobs.
Norwegian Green Party,Kristin Mørch, made a strong statement aimed directly at the industry "Aquaculture is causing massive destruction and operates large-scale animal cruelty. Change can no longer be refused, restructure is going to push forward whether you want to or not... yes, to farming, but not at the expense of the environment and animal welfare."

Meanwhile the fishermen remain on scene, first responders, slaughtering farmed steelhead, reportedly infected with disease threatening wild Atlantic salmon.


The controversy wages on. At first people were told they could eat the escaped salmon Then the Norwegian Seafood Federation said the gruesome-looking fish were not intended for human consumption. Still others suggested the rainbows had been medicated in December for delousing, which suggests they were not scheduled to be destroyed and the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries finally said they should not be eaten because they could still contain the drug.

I don't think there is much chance of a Norwegian eating these fish, which raises the question, who were these fish destined for?
This event and the reaction in Norway is very significant to us in British Columbia. Norway is the mother of the salmon farming industry and if she is telling the industry it is time to clean up, get out of the ocean and show some respect for wild salmon and all the people who want them, then maybe Canada should consider doing the same. I was shocked to learn the enormous cost of a salmon farming licence in Norway, $11.5 million! While here is Canada it would appear the licences are being handed out for free!!! If anyone can correct me on this please comment below, this can't be true, really is Canada giving out free licences to companies that cost $11.5 million back home?


2011 "Policy and Practice Report: Aquaculture Regulation in British Columbia" Cohen Commission Exhibit PPR20 Cohen Commission Exhibits
In an open letter on January 29th the Norwegian Hunting and Fishing Society demanded that the Fisheries Minister be removed. (Please note this is an online translation of a Norwegian document)



If you want to follow this breaking story, you can find me on Facebook, or check back here. I am posting the stories as they come in and some of the Norwegians out there fishing up these abominations are posting there too.
Please share this story with your federal candidates so that they can see what their peers in Norway are saying about this Norwegian industry. If you have even just $10 to spare please donate on the upper right of this blog so that I can reach out to the public who are putting farmed fish in their mouths. They are the powerhouse behind this industry, when they say no more farmed salmon dinners until the industry gets away from the wild salmon of the world, the industry will pick up and do exactly that so fast it will amaze us all. And then finally we can get back to work bringing BC's and Norway's wild salmon back to us. I leave you with a quote from one of the fishermen out there today trying to get our fish out of her waters.
“This is an environmental catastrophe that only escalates; I feel that those who govern this country are stealing nature from the youth. We can not keep on like this anymore!” Regine Emilie Mathisen.
I agree.
In case we are forgetting what steelhead actually look like:

not this:

- See more at: http://alexandramorton.typepad.com/...rwegian-wild-salmon.html#sthash.N8zyqOcj.dpuf

 

[bigdogeh]

wow, a government actually admitting they have made a mistake and actually making changes to the betterment of the environment... someone pinch me... I must be dreaming....

 

[Sangstercraft]

Norwegian Hunting and Fishing Society - I bet they're a well organized group. It'd be interesting to learn what their tactics are. There's a lot of us who care about this problem but it doesn't seem like we're making any progress.

 

[rockdog]

This is huge. They are finally admitting that there is a problem.

 

[KV1]

I always laugh when I see people buying farmed fish thinking its "good" for them. Should be a skull and crossbones label.