LAST DAY TO VOICE YOUR CONCERNS

[highlights]

While many of you were on vacation the federal government called for comments on their draft salmon feedlot regulations. They plan to allow salmon farm expansion without environmental assessments - they have not heard our concerns. This summer comment period made it difficult for many people to respond. Almost 7,000 of you have signed the letter I wrote and added many of your own comments. I will be pulling these together and send them to DFO tomorrow. If you would like to add your name/comments today please click or enter into your browser:

https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dElVTFY0d1JqMGRYR2F6Vnp3QjEzRnc6MQ#gid=0

Many people have written their own letters to Ed Porter (DFO) who is accepting public input PAR-RPA@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

If you want to read more about these proposed regs please go to "Critical Input Required" http://alexandramorton.typepad.com/

Some good news! Crown Lands cashed my checks to apply for three fish farm sites that are operating on expired leases in the Broughton. This means my applications are in their system and they recognize these tenures as expired and available.

It is going to be an intense two months. This Fraser sockeye run is a sign that we can still have these fish in our modern world.

Emails from me will be a little more frequent because your voice is essential. If you don't want to be part of this movement email and ask to be removed.

Sign the letter to DFO today if you want to be on the list tomorrow, but we don't have to accept the closure of the comment period. You should write your MP about this anytime that you can.

Alexandra Morton

 

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Our letter:



Good morning Mr Porter

I am writing this Tuesday morning to convey my dismay as to how our resource of wild salmon are being managed ( or lack there of ). With the research that has uncovered so many flaws with current fish farming practices, I am completely taken aback as to how supposed leaders of Canada can turn a blind eye to the inevitable demise of our wild stocks of fish. If Norweigan fish farms are allowed to continue as they have (for far too long now) our salmon will suffer the fate of the Atlantic cod fishery. What corruption is going on within our government? Sure there are many reasons that apply to the loss of our natural salmon , but to ignore something so obvious is absolutely rediculous. How can our elected officials really ignore warnings from the worlds' scientists in favour of an industry ensuring the wealth of Foreign Countries. We need to protect our assets. We need to allow our own BC residents to reinvent aquaculture and create jobs by implementing land based ( self contained ) fish farming operations.

In the begining we were pitched an idea of sustainable fish farming practices. An industry that would take the pressure off our wild stocks of fish. I admit I was taken with the idea. Eventually however we have seen how disaterous the effects of this industry has become to the wild fish. We can no longer allow this "filthy" operation to continue in BC waters.

Please heed the warnings of our scientists and allow our wild stocks of salmon regain the stregnth of glory years. We care and we hope you do too. My young family awaits in the car outside our home here in Victoria . You see , it is first day of school and my children are excited to get on with the day. My son Kodi asked if I would write this letter to you first though. Please pardon the spelling mistakes as the message is so much more important. We have a new generation of children that are looking to us to save what we have left. It's their turn to experince all this world has to provide. Please do not turn your back on us.

Sincerely,

****************

 

[Little Hawk]

Good on you HL for your continued perseverance on this matter.
It is a huge issue affecting all who care about the terrible impacts the species bears from this tragic industry.

Frankly, I can't fathom how DFO has gotten away this blatant CONFLICT OF INTEREST for so long.

"Some could care less if there's any fish left for our kids!"

 

[Mi Chica]

I have just signed the 'letter' and sent the following to Ed Porter (DFO) as well as my MP, and MLA...

Mr. Porter;

The proposal to allow the proliferation of fish farme in British Columbia is fudamentally flawed. To allow open net farms to proceed without an environmental assessment, and without stringent regulation which must include an open book policy so that potential impacts on wild stocks can be assessed is absolutely criminal. Mr. Porter, your job is to protect, enhance, and manage all aspects of our marine life. This does not include allowing (primarily) foreign operators to operate systems that routinely have containment failures allowing a predatory (Atlantic Salmon) to escape and threaten the health and existence of our wild stocks. Your mandate emphatically does not include allowing such operations to introduce toxins, chemicals, and year round populations of sea lice that have been measured as high as seventy thousand times normal concentrations. All of this straddling many of the primary salmon migration routes is a travesty. Given the record (Chile, North Sea, etc.) of similar operations by these same firms, we need to move these operations to proper closed containment systems now, and not be contemplating allowing further expansion.

James C. Mckinney
Unit E, 5107 Somerset Drive
Nanaimo, B.C.
V9T 2K5

copies: to MP, MLA, media

Too much water, too little time

 

[highlights]

Well done guys!

Every bit counts.

 

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Also , not to get caught up on the "last day" thing. No day is the last day to speak up!


Lets never give up.