I think you guys may be reading to much into this.
As much i am against the farms i doubt they had much to do with this whale dying. The currents probably pushed the carcass into the farm, IMO.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...n-fish-farm-raises-questions/article10503195/
You may be correct, however, have you read the preliminary comments from Larry Paike, DFO’s Director of Conservation and Protection. It is not surprising to me at all that one has to go to the back east newspapers such as the Globe and Mail to get a little more balance to the story. On this issue BC Media are more dependent on industry and government advertising dollars and more subject to local political and corporate pressure than the back east media. For that reason it is not surprising to me that BC Media often regurgitate Industry spin provided to them. Hopefully Judith Lavoie will continue to follow this story with a little more industry critical eye and that her Times Colonist editors will let her.
So here is some of the comments of Mr. Paike from the Globe and Mail story.
[“…So there are a number of possible scenarios. One it dies of natural causes, drifts into a hole in the predator net and once it bloats comes up underneath. That is kind of like trying to shoot a hockey puck from centre ice into a golf cup holder.
“A more likely scenario is it was feeding, became disoriented, confused…and somehow became encumbered with the ropes from the predator net, or the predator net itself, and then subsequently drowned”.
Mr. Paike said a necropsy would be done Friday to determine cause of death.
“Certainty water in the lungs would indicate to me it drowned,” he said.].
What is astounding here is that this is a senior DFO Official saying this. I was surprised and amazed at his forthright candor. One wonders if he is full pension eligible and close to retirement as this is pretty much unprecedented.
When the industry has been in serious trouble it is not uncommon for government to pull a senior DFO official or scientist out for a sound bite or two in defense of the industry.
Seems to me there are only two possibilities: One is that the Harper government has decided to back away from the gagging and intimidation of scientists and senior officials in its blind obsession to promote industry at all costs (unlikely) or Mr. Paike simply forgot himself and what was expected of him by his employer. One wonders if he has already got ‘the call’ or been asked to come in for ‘a little chat’. I would say Mr. Paike is a brave man and it should be reassuring to all of us that there is at least one remaining in the senior levels of DFO.
Causing the death of a Humpback whale would be very damaging for the industry. It is an iconic symbol of environmental concern worldwide and the potential to undue untold millions in pro fish farm PR efforts by both our governments and the industry is significant.
They should know by the end of the day if there is water in the lungs which would be a strong indicator of drowning. There is no reason this could not be announced by this evening. The question is will we ever be given the truth and has Mr Paike been intimidated into silence or the kinds of pro industry messaging the government has historically permitted?
Would anyone else be surprised if we end up with the governments and industry new favorite word when it comes to the fish farm industry (inconclusive) playing a large role in the announcement on the cause of the whales death. I am sure the industry is hoping for a validation of the ‘hockey puck in the golf cup' theory apparently promoted by the industry and publicized in the BC Media.
