Down at the Dock: Derelict Vessels and Green Boating Solutions

Photo by Alan Wilson

Recreational boating is an incredibly attractive pastime - who wouldn’t be attracted to time spent out on the water with family and friends?  Unfortunately, those who have never experienced the reality of owning a boat are more susceptible to being lured into taking a boat that’s offered for free or buying one on the cheap, and the results aren’t always good. Boaters know what I mean when I say that owning a boat is never cheap – in time or money – and the one in my yard in need of some serious TLC is a testament to that!

Unfortunately, if boat upkeep and the associated costs are not borne by the boat owner, the burden is frequently passed along to the community and the environment when that vessel reaches a problem state. It is only a matter of time before trouble comes along, as untended vessels will certainly end up adrift, washed ashore, or possibly even sunk. Unmaintained boats release fuel and other toxins into the marine environment, putting marine life and habitat at risk, not to mention the danger they pose to mariners and beachgoers and the damage they can cause to shoreline facilities.

The biggest challenge we have in mitigating the impacts of problem vessels is the jurisdictional quagmire that surrounds them. You’ll know what I mean should you ever want to contact the proper authorities to notify them of an incident - there’s a good chance you will be bounced around to various agencies such as the Coast Guard, Transport Canada, the Provincial Emergency Program, the Receiver of Wrecks, the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations, the local government, or perhaps even the police. In fact there is such confusion surrounding the issue that BC’s Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations has recently published a very useful 12-page guide, Dealing with Problem Vessels and Structures in BC Waters.

Ryan handing out our Guide to Green Boating
Photo by Michelle Young

The good news is that there are solutions:

• Clean Marine BC is Georgia Strait Alliance’s green boating and marina eco-certification program, and has distributed tens of thousands of our Guide to Green Boating. A clean, well maintained boat is a greener and safer boat, thereby reducing our environmental impacts, as well as helping to ensure that our experience is more enjoyable.
• MP for Nanaimo-Cowichan, Jean Crowder, is proposing legislation designating the Coast Guard as a receiver of wreck and requiring them to take reasonable steps to contact the owner and also to provide for government to make regulations on the removal, disposition or destruction of derelict vessels. The intention is to give the Coast Guard the regulatory power it needs to take action before a derelict vessel becomes a problem.

Bill C-638 is a step in the right direction in dealing with the jurisdictional quagmire surrounding derelict vessels. Please support this bill by writing the Minister of Transportation, Lisa Raitt (lisa.raitt@parl.gc.ca), and by contacting your MP. For more information on Bill C-638, visit http://openparliament.ca/bills/41-2/C-638/ and http://jeancrowder.ndp.ca/derelict-vessels.

It is up to boaters like us to prevent our pastime from becoming someone else’s headache. Let’s keep our boats afloat…Down at the Dock!

Clean Marine BC at the Vancouver International Boat Show

The Vancouver International Boat Show is underway! GSA staff, volunteers, and our mermaid Georgia are at BC Place handing out our popular Guide to Green Boating.

Boaters are also keen to learn about our Clean Marine BC eco-certified marinas, yacht clubs and boat yards. Our booth includes a gorgeous map of the 25 member facilities - 9 that are certified with another 16 enrolled and working towards their certification.

Boating BC Association, owners of the Vancouver International Boat Show, have put together a great video called Spotlight on the Environment: Clean Marine BC Program. If you are unable to come by our booth for a glimpse of this great video, you can watch it here:

We will be here for the whole show which runs 10 am to 8 pm, and until 5 pm on the last day on Sunday. If you are going to be here, please pop by our booth (#255) and say hello.

Helping the Kelp

Michael Mehta with the tools of the trade...
a GPS and rubber ducky thermometer

I'm very fortunate to have had some amazing experiences in my life, and last week while on vacation was no exception. I've recently moved to Gabriola Island, and was looking for ways to contribute to my new community...and Help the Kelp caught my eye. When I saw they were looking for volunteers to go out and map the bull kelp beds, I jumped at the chance, and am I ever glad I did.

Our crew consisting of Michael, Nancy, and I, mapped a chunk of the north end of Gabriola. My job was to take GPS waypoints and temperature readings, as Nancy took detailed notes. She noted everything from the temperature of the water, whether we were mapping single kelp, lines of kelp, or full beds, the density of the kelp beds, health of the kelp, and more. Not only that, but she swam out to get our 'sweet ride' and towed it back into shore...Michael figures she's about a half horsepower!


Me driving the boat!

Help the Kelp
volunteer Nancy Laird

Michael was our able Captain as we navigated shallow waters amongst kelp...of course...avoiding rocks and other hazards on a bit of a rough day. Rough enough to be fun, but rough weather also makes it more difficult to spot the kelp, and more dangerous as we had to get close to shore and over reefs where the kelp beds are found.

Not only did I have a fantastic time, as pretty much any day on the water is a good day for me, but I learned a ton about kelp, and got to meet some really great people too. As if that wasn't enough, I got to drive the boat...and so did Nancy!

But most importantly, this is citizen science at its best. There was no baseline data on kelp beds around Gabriola Island before this mighty and determined little group of folks came along. And baseline data is critical since Help the Kelp not only monitors the kelp around Gabriola, but advocates for its protection from threats (such as climate change, reckless boaters, and log booms), and plants kelp too.

So this is it...what we know about bull kelp around here, and a chance for its recovery, is thanks to a group started by Ken Capon, who sadly passed away in 2012. What an amazing legacy he leaves behind...I only wish I got to meet him.






SunCruiser supports Clean Marine BC

A huge thank you to SunCruiser Magazine for their ongoing support of Georgia Strait Alliance and our Clean Marine BC green boating and marina eco-certification program!

Watch for us in this year's SunCruiser, which will be out very soon. We have been given two full pages to update you on the goings-on of Clean Marine BC, plus our full page ad!

Our small but mighty organization runs a tight ship, and without their generous support we would not be able to reach so many boaters with our green boating message. Thank you SunCruiser!

Down at the Dock: starting the new year off right

Clean Marine BC started off the new year spectacularly. I just knew it was going to be a great trip to the Lower Mainland when we were blessed by a huge pod of Pacific White-sided Dolphins on the ferry ride from Nanaimo...and things only got better from there. Not only did we have a wonderful time connecting with boating enthusiasts at the Vancouver International Boat Show, but we also achieved a huge milestone for our Clean Marine BC marina eco-rating program.

Michelle Young, CMBC Program Coordinator, with
Mike Turkington and Mike Loy (centre) of FCHA
Photo by Joel Baziuk

False Creek Harbour Authority was Clean Marine BC eco-rated at four out of five anchors when they first achieved their certification. The voluntary program for marinas, yacht clubs, and boat yards is all about continual improvement in environmental best practices, and we are happy to say that False Creek has taken that to heart. Upon re-certification, their Fisherman's Wharf became the first facility in BC to achieve the coveted top 5-anchor rating! We were so happy to honour their achievement at the recent Harbour Authority Association of BC Conference.

The Vancouver International Boat Show was another huge success this year, with so many boaters happy to take home their own copy of our Guide to Green Boating. Lots of folks stopped by to talk about the lack of vessel sewage pumpout facilities along our coast, alternatives to toxic bottom paints, and other green boating issues and tips.

Our mermaid Georgia and Michelle meeting Dawn Wells
Photo by Vivian Sorensen 

It was also nice to connect with our Clean Marine BC marinas in attendance at the boat show; certified marinas Shelter Island and the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club - Jericho, as well as a few of our enrolled marinas and some new ones interested in hopping on board.

Not only that, but Dawn Wells (Mary Ann of Gilligan's Island fame) was a sweetheart to meet, and she now knows a little bit about the great marine conservation work that we do here at Georgia Strait Alliance. Touring the restored SS Minnow was quite a treat, and it is a relief to know that the iconic vessel of my childhood did not suffer the fate of becoming a derelict vessel.

Needless to say, the new year has started with a splash. We've been having a great time "down at the dock" - we hope you and your marina will hop on board.

Join us at the Vancouver International Boat Show

Once again we will be reaching out to boaters at the upcoming Vancouver International Boat Show, spreading the word about green boating and our Clean Marine BC eco-certified marinas. The Vancouver International Boat Show and Boating B.C. (formerly the B.C. Marine Trades Association) have long been supporters of Clean Marine BC and we would like to thank them for their generous contributions over the years.

We hope to see you at BC Place January 22nd to 26th - stop by and visit us at booth #255!

If you have a keen interest in Georgia Strait Alliance and green boating, we would love to have you volunteer with us at our booth. Just send Michelle a quick email, and she will get you signed up!

Meet our Morale Officer, Miss Beazley!

Beazley's first time in a boat

I'm a very fortunate person, for many reasons. Not only do I find my job incredibly rewarding, but I also get to bring my dog to work. I mean, how awesome is that!

Miss Beazley is an Australian Shepherd crossed with I-don't-know-what. She is one of 18 pups born in a barn in Cedar on Vancouver Island, and her new home with me was at the north end of Georgia Strait on Sonora Island.

Beazley Passage between Hoskyn and Okisollo Channels (an ocean rapid pass near our former Discovery Islands home) is the origin of her name. It is a bit of a misnomer as my dog is not only gentle and sweet, but afraid of rough water, while Beazley Pass can be quite a wild ride at full flood.

Beazley is so loveable that our ED Christianne gave her the title of Morale Officer. Having her in the office lifts everyone's spirits, and she's my personal morale officer too. She has been with me through some pretty rough waters, both literally and figuratively.

This line of work can be very challenging, and social and legislative change is often a very time consuming and arduous process, to say the least. So simple little things like bringing Beazley to the office mean the world to me.

Thank you Georgia Strait Alliance! And Beazley says 'woof'!

Down at the Dock: Vancouver International Boat Show a success

(L to R) Ruby Berry, Christianne Wilhelmson, Robert Dick,
David Macdonald and Mike Richards at our booth.
Photo by Michelle Young

What a fantastic time we had at the Vancouver International Boat Show, put on by our supporters at the BC Marine Trades Association! Attendance was strong with thousands of people enjoying the event every day, and many boaters, from rookies to sea dogs, came by our booth to chat.

Not only did we talk to recreational boaters, but we also got to meet lots of wonderful people in the boating industry too, as we continue to spread the word about Clean Marine BC, our growing marina eco-rating program.

Many people left our booth with a greater knowledge of green boating practices:  from where pumpout stations are located, to alternatives to toxic bottom paints, as well as cleaning products more friendly to our marine environment, fuel efficiency tips and how to prevent small spills.

Lots of people also went away happy with a new key chain float in hand, kindly donated by Sean at Dolphin Insurance.

Also available at the boat show were our two newly designed GSA burgees. Check them out and find out how you can proudly fly yours and support our marine conservation work too!

All in all it was a very successful time ‘Down at the Dock’.

Down at the Dock: from boat shows to cruising magazines

2013 is upon us, and you know what that means! Soon we will be mingling with boating enthusiasts at the Vancouver International Boat Show. We hope you will stop by our booth February 7^th to 11^th where we will be featuring our award winning Clean Marine BC green boating and marina eco-certification program.

You can even pick up one of our brand new burgees – I ♥GeorgiaStrait.org

If you have the time, we would sure appreciate your help. We are looking for volunteers to staff our booth during the five day boat show, and all the better if you are familiar with green boating and GSA programs ~ if not, it is a great opportunity to learn! If you are interested, please email Michelle Young, or call our office at (250) 753-3459.

We are also very excited to let you know that GSA is in the Suncruiser Westcoast 2013 cruising guide. You will need to get your copy to check out our full page spread, Down at the Dock: Hop on Board!, chock full of Clean Marine BC news and information.

Suncruiser also has our wonderful full page ad:

See you down at the dock…or at the Vancouver International Boat Show, as the case may be!

Down at the Dock: Clean Marine BC sees real, positive results!

Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking to the Duncan-Cowichan Chamber of Commerce on Perspectives on the Marine Economy. My talk focused on our Clean Marine BC green boating and marina eco-certification program, and how a clean marine environment is critical to a healthy coastal economy here in BC. Alongside teachers and politicians, the room was full of marine industry representatives, so I was expecting a tough crowd.

Photos taken at Maple Bay Marina by David Messier

The common misconception is that jobs and protecting the environment do not go hand in hand. The reality is that it costs too much not to protect our environment, but that kind of message can fall upon deaf ears. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how receptive the folks were to the idea that marine conservation is good business.  I was also lucky. Lucky that speaking right after me was a real life example of how this is true. Carol Messier of Maple Bay Marina spoke from the marine industry perspective. Maple Bay Marina is one of GSA’s eight eco-certified marinas, and among the highest ranking marinas within the program with 4 anchors (no marina has yet achieved the highest 5 anchor rating).

Carol spoke of many wonderful things going on at Maple Bay, but I was most excited to hear about how their hard work and commitment to marina environmental best practices is paying of for the marine environment, and for their business!

"We believe our participation in the Clean Marine BC program has been good for our business. The practical information presented by GSA and the collaborative nature of it, has helped us to improve the natural environment in and around the marina. This has translated into better boating experiences and in turn helps us to earn and retain high quality customers. It is also very satisfying to see the eel grass beds returning naturally along with the salmon fry and other wildlife." - Maple BayMarina

There you have it…Clean Marine BC is good for salmon, eelgrass, and business. We couldn’t ask for anything better, down at the dock!

Down at the Dock: summer excitement!

What a busy boating season we had with our green boating and marina eco-certification program. This was my first summer as our Clean Marine BC program coordinator, and what a summer it was! We made it to boat shows on both sides of Georgia Strait - twice -  to spread the word about green boating. And we also made great strides with our Clean Marine BC marinas.

Georgia and a band of pirates
Vancouver Wooden Boat Festival

Our first two boat shows were on Vancouver Island, starting at Maple Bay Marina. Maple Bay is one of our eco-rated marinas, not to mention wonderful hosts and great ambassadors of green boating. The Maple Bay Wooden Boat Festival was fun and colourful, showcasing some incredible, lovingly cared for wooden boats. Add to that some live music, and it was a lovely weekend down at the dock. Also on the Island side of the Strait, the Nanaimo Floating Boat and Marine Trade Show is just down the street from our head office, so it was nice to participate in this event and talk to folks about our marine conservation work.

On the other side of the Strait we enjoyed the Vancouver Wooden Boat Festival at Granville Island. Once again the wooden boats were gorgeous, and the owners were proud to welcome everyone aboard for a tour. There was even a replica viking ship down at the dock, some lively sea shanties, and pirates plundering the Festival. Once again the Vancouver Wooden Boat Society put on an exciting event.

Photo courtesy Royal Vancouver Yacht Club 

The final show for us this season was the Boat Show at the Creek at North Vancouver's Mosquito Creek Marina. This show is very well managed and worth attending for anyone looking to purchase a boat, or just to daydream of the possibility.

But the most exciting part of the summer for me was visiting the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club Jericho Marina to present them with their Clean Marine BC eco-certification. They received a 4 anchor rating, which they should be very proud of, as no marina in BC has yet to achieve the highest ranking of 5 anchors. However, that may soon change as we have a dozen marinas getting ready for their site verification audit, as well as a few others to be re-certified as they are reaching the end of their 3 year certification term. Check out if your marina is one of our Clean Marine BC marinas, and if not, invite them to join ~ they could have the honour of being the first 5 anchor marina!

See you down at the dock!

Down at the Dock: Maple Bay Marina Wooden Boat Festival

Clean Marine BC eco-certification flag

flying at Maple Bay Marina

Photo: Michelle Young

Maple Bay Marina’s Wooden Boat Festival took place last weekend at one of GSA’s seven Clean Marine BC eco-rated marinas. The first thing I saw as I arrived was thousands of juvenile salmon in the bay; what a fitting way to start the festival. It seemed a testament to the fact that we can coexist in harmony with nature if we respect the marine environment and allow ecosystems to thrive as we strive to minimize our impact. That is exactly what Clean Marine BC is all about!

I arrived early so I had a wander around the docks. Few things make me happier than the ocean and boats, so it was a great pleasure to see the many well cared for wooden boats entered into the festival. Meeting Carol and Dave Messier of Maple Bay Marina was also special, as they are fantastic hosts and make every effort to employ environmental best practices at their marina, and to share green boating information with their guests.

Wooden Boats at Maple Bay Marina
Photo: Michelle Young

Many people who stopped by our booth were interested in learning about the sewage vessel regulations that came into effect earlier in May. Some expressed frustration that the government is targeting recreational boaters while the capital of our province, Victoria, continues to pump raw sewage into the ocean. We couldn’t agree more about Victoria, which will have treatment within about six years, however each individual can make a difference and it is critical as we utilize our waters that we take the greatest care to minimize any harm we might cause. Others were concerned that they would like to comply with the regulations, however there are not enough pump out facilities available, making it an extreme inconvenience, or even worse, requiring them to burn extra fuel to make it to one of the few pump outs.

The loophole of being allowed to pump within 3 miles of shore, or within 1 mile in certain circumstances, is a necessary step towards full protection of our waters, as it will help protect near-shore habitat and the coves and bays that boaters love to anchor in. However it is critical that the necessary infrastructure be put in place to allow boaters to pump out without having to go too far out of our way while doing our part for the environment we love so much.

Visit our website to learn more about the new sewage vessel regulations. You can also find out more about our Clean Marine BC marina eco-rating and green boating program. Happy and green boating!

Reflections on the Cohen Inquiry into Decline of Fraser River Sockeye

Fraser River Sockeye - photo by Michelle Young

Hearings for the Cohen Inquiry into the Decline of Sockeye Salmon in the Fraser River have come to an end after a year – and what a year it was.  This Inquiry was struck by the federal government following the 2009 collapse of Fraser River Sockeye. The Inquiry’s Terms of Reference are broad, with Justice Cohen being asked to investigate a host of possible threats which may have contributed to the collapse, including but not limited to “environmental changes along the Fraser River, marine environmental conditions, aquaculture, predators, diseases, water temperature and other factors that may have affected the ability of sockeye salmon to reach traditional spawning grounds or reach the ocean”.

For more than 20 years, Georgia Strait Alliance has tackled a wide range of issues affecting wild salmon and their habitat, but I must admit that I was both relieved and surprised to see aquaculture listed by the federal government in the Inquiry’s terms of reference. I was surprised given the frequent denial by industry and government of any possible impacts of sea lice from net-cage salmon farming on Fraser River sockeye. This denial seems to be based solely on the fact that Fraser River sockeye are much larger than juvenile pink and chum salmon (the weight of scientific evidence clearly demonstrates negative impact of sea lice from salmon farms on juvenile pink and chum) by the time they reach the Wild Salmon Narrows. This argument ignores that sea lice can weaken the immune system, leave juvenile salmon more susceptible to predation, and act as a vector for disease.

We are going to have to wait until mid 2012 for Justice Cohen’s recommendations. Whether his recommendations will be strong enough to protect wild salmon, or if they will be implemented is yet to be seen. However, the real value of the Cohen Inquiry is the information that has come to light during the hearings, including the lack of research being done on the impacts of fish farms on wild salmon as well as the very cozy relationship between the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the BC aquaculture industry.  Here are some interesting pieces of information I’ve taken away from the Inquiry:

• Dr. Josh Korman revealed that salmon farms suffer, on average, 30 high-risk fish heath incidences per year among the approximately 60 to 80 farms active at any given time. That is an alarmingly high incidence of diseases diagnosed on salmon farms every year, despite assurances by the industry that their farming practices are sound.
• Marine anemia was found on salmon farms in BC as early as 1988 (referenced in a DFO document from Dr. Michael Kent who was researching Plasmecytoid Leukemia or marine anemia), just before Fraser River sockeye went into sharp decline.
• The Conville Bay site located along the Wild Salmon Narrows migration route had an outbreak of marine anemia in 2006 and those farmed fish were left in their net-cages until after the 2007 sockeye migration reached the farm; these are the same juvenile sockeye that failed to return to the Fraser River to spawn in 2009.
• The “Discovery Island Modeling Progress Report” prepared for Justice Cohen shows that a disease outbreak at the Brent Island salmon farm at the west end of Okisollo Channel in the Wild Salmon Narrows would disperse throughout the channel within a week, potentially spreading the disease to several other farms and to wild salmon.
• The province only audited 5 dead fish per farm, a sample size ridiculously low enough that even if a disease was present on a farm, it could easily go undetected. A scientifically defensible sample size would be 60 or more fish.
• Sixty percent of diagnosis made on dead farmed fish audited by the provincial government (which they were responsible for prior to December 2010) were not definitively diagnosed but rather classified as “open”. As such, they were not included in the provincial fish health audit reports, so the average of 30 high-risk fish health incidences per year could be much, much higher if we actually knew what these fish were dying of. 

Discovery Island Virus Modeling

So many questions!  What are these mysterious diseases on salmon farms that were not being diagnosed? Symptoms in the disease databases include those of Infectious Salmon Anemia virus and marine anemia. Are these undiagnosed disease symptoms on farmed salmon related to the research Dr. Kristi Miller is doing into pre-spawn mortality of Fraser River sockeye? Dr. Miller has until recently been denied access to test farmed salmon for her as yet unidentified pre-spawn mortality virus which has similar symptoms to marine anemia. Interestingly enough, just one week before Dr. Miller took the stand, the BC Salmon Farmers’ Association offered to provide samples of their fish. If the sample fish are eventually provided, will these tests come soon enough to inform the Inquiry? Or will they happen at all as funding to Dr. Miller’s lab has been cut by DFO?

It is clear that there is significant risk to wild salmon from diseases and sea lice from salmon farms. We must find the answers to these many outstanding questions, however the risk to wild salmon is too great to just keep waiting. Under the precautionary principle, net-cage salmon farms should be removed.  We can’t allow the denial tactic of continually planting seeds of doubt to be a reason to do nothing when so much is at stake.

GSA has had standing in the Cohen Inquiry as part of the Conservation Coalition examining the impacts on wild salmon from a number of threats. Right now we are in the process of drafting recommendations to Justice Cohen with our coalition partners, and these recommendations will be available on our website soon (learn how to make your submission here). You can bet they will include that DFO no longer be responsible for both the promotion of salmon aquaculture and the protection of wild salmon, a conflicting mandate. We will also ask that Justice Cohen recommend to Prime Minister Harper that net-cage salmon farms be removed from our oceans. If this industry wants to continue to operate in BC, their only option is closed containment.

Salmon farming industry puts wild salmon at increased risk by reactivating farm along Wild Salmon Narrows migration route

Fifty-five organizations and thousands of concerned citizens have been calling for the removal of five salmon farms along Okisollo and Hoskyn Channels on the north and east side of Quadra Island, a critical Fraser River sockeye migration route. This call was supported by the conclusions of a think tank of scientists who convened at Simon Fraser University in 2009 to discuss the potential causes of the Fraser River sockeye collapse. Included in their recommendations was the experimental removal of salmon farms along Fraser River sockeye migration corridors.

Despite these calls, and the many still unanswered questions concerning the role that fish farms may have played in the 2009 collapse, Marine Harvest has chosen to sublet an inactive site along this very route to Grieg Seafood. Expansion of net-cage salmon farming along a critical Fraser River sockeye migration route during an inquiry into the reason for the sockeye collapse is reckless, given that salmon aquaculture is included in the scope of potential impacts that may have led to the drastic decline. Adding a sixth farm and half a million more farmed salmon to the Wild Salmon Narrows migration route is an irresponsible move that elevates the threat to Fraser River sockeye and many other wild salmon that migrate through this region.

On top of this, last week a new scientific paper was published in PLoS ONE journal. Sea Louse Infection of Juvenile Sockeye Salmon in Relation to Marine Salmon Farms on Canada’s West Coast provides a tangible link between salmon farms and elevated levels of sea lice on juvenile Fraser River sockeye salmon. This study further highlights the need to observe the precautionary principle and remove farmed salmon from the path of migrating wild salmon.

Grieg Seafood stocked the previously inactive Conville Bay site with Atlantic salmon being relocated from another fish farm site, a move that can sometimes indicate problems at a farming location. Grieg Seafood and the BC Salmon Farmers Association have ignored our request to explain where these farmed Atlantics were moved from and why, despite their constant reassurances that their industry operates in an open and transparent manner.

Watch the video below and join us in the Wild Salmon Narrows at the reactivated Conville Bay net-cage salmon farm. Also, take action by joining our Spring Cleaning Crew and help us clear this critical migration route before the offspring of the 2009 collapsed Fraser River sockeye arrive at this very location in a few short months.

Join the Wild Salmon Narrows Spring Cleaning Crew.

For the love of sockeye

Spectators gathering at the Adams River,
October 2010

Last month I had the privilege of witnessing the miraculous abundance of Fraser River sockeye returning this year. The Adams River was a whir of activity as people jostled for the best position to see as the salmon fought the currents and each other for the best mate and place for a spawning redd. Tears welled up frequently as I marveled at the beauty and the miracle of their unlikely return.

I say unlikely return, as these fish came back in greater abundance than has been seen in a whole century, despite all mankind’s greed and ignorance has thrown at them. But the tears also came in frustration, and still do, as I hear the fish farm spin doctors churn out the denial and deflect attention from their impacts on wild salmon. “The sockeye have returned and we haven’t changed a thing, so we couldn’t have caused the collapse of Fraser River sockeye last year,” claims the fish farm industry. “The conservationists are wrong.”

Well, why don’t we start by taking a look at what we do know…

Based on peer reviewed published science, we know that sea lice harm wild pink and chum salmon…in fact we know that a heavy sea lice infection can even kill an adult salmon either directly, or by weakening them to be preyed upon or more susceptible to disease. (For instance, the vice president of Cooke Aquaculture in New Brunswick recently told La Presse they “lost 500,000 fish this year” to sea lice infestation.) The body of scientific evidence also continues to grow; just last month two studies were released on the impacts of sea lice from salmon farms in BC on coho salmon. So how many sea lice does it take to kill a juvenile sockeye? We don’t know, but we do know through genetic analyses that Fraser stocks have been reported to have sea lice in the vicinity of salmon farms in the Wild Salmon Narrows farming region. We also know that fish farms are prone to disease outbreaks as seen in BC, Europe and Chile, despite vaccinations and antibiotic use, with devastating effects.

Fraser sockeye returning to their spawing
grounds

What we don’t know is what the salmon farming industry is hiding when it comes to sea lice and disease on their farms. The salmon farming industry has vehemently resisted the release of these data while claiming that their operations do not have a negative impact on wild fish populations. The Cohen Inquiry into the decline of Fraser River sockeye recently obtained some information from a few farms going back five years (which is yet to be analyzed and also not available to the public), but without access to complete data, no one can adequately assess the impacts and if salmon farms have harmed Fraser sockeye.

It is from this platform of denial and obstruction that the fish farm industry makes baseless and simplistic claims like the one above, attempting to exonerate themselves from any role in the decline of wild salmon while their farms continue to spread sea lice, waste and potentially even disease into our waters.

That’s why we are asking for an emergency migration route for juvenile salmon, a route on the east and north side of Quadra Island in the Wild Salmon Narrows which needs to be cleared by March to increase the chances of survival for next year’s miraculous juvenile salmon. Immediate measures to remove salmon farms from sockeye migration routes was also recommended by a think tank of scientists that gathered at Simon Fraser University in December 2009 to discuss possible causes of the Fraser River sockeye collapse. I’m not holding my breath, since both the provincial and federal governments have done little to protect wild salmon from fish farms so far, and in fact are supporting the industry’s expansion. However, this year’s miracle which is the Fraser River sockeye gives me hope that wild salmon can hold on while we continue gaining ground and working hard to get this industry into closed containment.

Credit: this post was originally published by Michelle at http://blog.farmedanddangerous.org 

Government Not Making it Easy for Concerned Citizens to Weigh in on Wild Salmon Issues

When it rains it pours! This summer has seen a deluge of public comment periods concerning wild salmon in BC. (See the list below.) While this suggests that government wants to hear from us on these issues – many of the people who are most affected by the impacts of fish farms are extremely busy this time of year and unavailable to participate in public consultation processes.

It’s also interesting that the Cohen Commission chose to hold public hearings just as fishermen are able for the first time in years to go out and harvest Fraser River Sockeye and ecotourism season is in full swing. And the rest of us? Well, many of us are out enjoying the summer weather, perhaps on vacation…who wants to be indoors writing submissions and attending meetings?

Forgive me for being a wee bit cynical, but maybe the federal government doesn’t actually want to hear what we have to say on these issues so critical to wild salmon. That’s why it is so urgent for each and every one of us to take part in at least one if not all of these public consultations.

We’ve already heard fish farmers claiming that this year’s anticipated large sockeye runs mean fish farms aren’t a problem, which is of course ridiculous. These Sockeye runs should be even bigger than expected as several dominant runs are returning this year, and while some Fraser River Sockeye runs are doing okay, specific stocks are in dire straits.

So don’t let the summer slide by without weighing in – wild salmon need your voice! Here are the opportunities for participation:

Tell the National Organics Standards Board (CGSB) NO! No organic certification of net-cage farmed salmon.

Get more information on the Farmed and Dangerous website.

Go to the CGSB website to view the standards and submit a comment.

Sign a petition to stop the "organic" labeling of net pen farmed salmon.
Deadline: August 30, 2010.

Tell Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to fulfill their constitutional mandate and implement regulations that will protect wild salmon!

Get more information on the Farmed and Dangerous website.

Go to DFO’s website to view the proposed regulations and submit a comment.
Deadline: September 8, 2010.

Tell Judge Cohen to recommend the permanent removal of all fish farms on Fraser salmon migratory routes to protect wild salmon!

Go to the Cohen Commission website to submit a comment.

Find out when Judge Cohen will be holding public forums in your community, and apply to make a presentation.
Deadline: TBA

Also, make sure to comment on the draft global salmon farming standards recently released by the Salmon Aquaculture Dialogue:

Tell the Salmon Aquaculture Dialogue (SAD) Not good enough! We need tougher standards to reduce or eliminate the ecological and social impacts of salmon farming.

Get more information on the Farmed and Dangerous website.

Go to the World Wildlife Fund’s website to view the draft standards and submit a comment.

Deadline: October 3, 2010.

For You I Am a Better Person

Working in the environmental sector can be both rewarding and incredibly trying and stressful. It can take years, even decades, to see any sort of positive change around a particular issue, and it’s not surprising that people in this line of work often burn out. Recently I was finding myself uninspired, frustrated and, needless to say, unproductive. So I took an unplanned two week vacation to hang out at my new home on remote Sonora Island, to reconnect with nature, and to relax and recharge.

On my very first morning off, I walked out in front of my cabin to a tiny little beach, and to my dismay found it was covered in little pieces of Styrofoam – it was in the vegetation at the high tide mark, all along the water’s edge, and floating in the water too. Just what I needed on my day off, I grumbled to myself as I angrily began picking up the garbage…a beach cleanup! Where did it come from I wondered? Don’t people know that this stuff soaks up toxins and becomes little poison pills to any creatures that might eat it? Don’t they know that mama birds feed this to their chicks and they starve to death with it choking their stomachs? Don’t they know about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a huge gyre full of plastic garbage covering an area the size of Texas?

I couldn’t possibly pick it all up. I wasn’t even going to try, but I couldn’t just walk away. So I filled up my garbage can in short order, knowing I would have to pack it out with me the next time I left Sonora. This vacation was not allowing me to forget my work, and I kept thinking about it as the days went by; especially when I went to the same beach a few days later and found more Styrofoam had washed up onto the beach…and I picked up some more garbage.

But as my vacation passed by, I began to see things in a whole new light. Who was I to be angry about picking up a little garbage on my day off, when thousands of people volunteer to do that sort of thing every day? Who was I to complain about stress and burnout when it is an honour and privilege to do this work? Who was I to resent the grief and anguish I feel about the state of the world, right down to the tiny bits of Styrofoam on “my” beach, when others fight injustices solely on their convictions while I collect a pay cheque for my efforts? 

So I returned to work two weeks after my impromptu little beach cleanup very humbled and grateful to have such a job. But even more so, I am honoured to know so many of you who do amazing things every day just because it is the right thing to do. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, for it is each and every one of you that prevents me from sinking into despair, and keeps me hopeful for our future. Thank you! For you I am a better person. 

The Dying Clam Gardens of Waiatt Bay

For thousands of years, First Nations have relied upon the traditional clam gardens of Waiatt Bay, which contains 40 culturally modified clam beds. In the last few years we've been hearing reports that the clam gardens are dying, so we decided to go see for ourselves. Waiatt Bay is of particular interest as it is in the middle of the Wild Salmon Narrows.  

As we entered Waiatt Bay on the east side of Quadra Island, clam gardens were evident  in every nook and cranny possible, where for thousands of years First Nations worked these sea gardens by rolling the large rocks down to the low tide line in order to improve the habitat for the clams and cockles they harvest. Immediately upon setting foot on shore, the elders went to work digging clams, as their ancestors before them…and hopefully their children after them!  

We took a look at several of the clam gardens, and at first glance the clams seemed healthy. However the beaches were full of whole empty shells, which suggests many had died fairly recently. Butter clams seemed to be most affected, while the deeper little necks appeared fine. 

The elders slowly filled a few buckets until it was time to head back. The clams collected appeared to be healthy and although the abundance of clams at all the sites we visited was greatly reduced from historical levels, they were able to collect enough to look forward to a good clam dinner. As former Homalco Chief Darren Blaney began opening the butter clams harvested on the apparently healthy beaches, he found them all inedible. The clams were not good at all; rather than a nice healthy pink, they were blackened and sickly looking inside.

It’s not clear why these clam gardens are dying, but the Cyrus Rocks open net-cage fish farm only 1.5 km from the mouth of the bay is a prime suspect. This is the same type of impact being witnessed on beaches near fish farms in the Broughton Archipelago. While we await the results of a study being conducted there, perhaps we should be looking more closely at the beaches near the farms in this area as well. 

Learn more about Waiatt Bay, the Wild Salmon Narrows, and the Cyrus Rocks fish farm.

The Get Out Migration Takes to the Wild Salmon Narrows

Much of my time working as a salmon aquaculture campaigner is spent in an office, on the computer or the phone, interspersed with large indoor meetings and presentations. Yesterday was different. Yesterday I had the pleasure of joining the Get Out Migration, an incredible grassroots initiative spawned by scientist Alexandra Morton.

I couldn’t contain my excitement as we left the dock in Campbell River. We were about to join up with the Migration in the Wild Salmon Narrows, a migratory corridor Georgia Strait Alliance has been working to clear of open net-cage salmon farms. Our little crew of three people met up with another half dozen boats as we reached the first three farms packed together at the west end of Okisollo Channel.

A helicopter buzzed overhead as Michelle Nickerson plunged into the freezing water and twice swam the length of Mainstream’s Venture Pt. salmon farm. This was a symbolic gesture for juvenile salmon that are migrating past the lice infested farms at this very moment. People are embracing this journey by land and sea from Sointula to Victoria and celebrating wild salmon in any way they know how; through art, song, community gatherings, filmmaking, blogging, photography, taking to the water and streets, and even swimming past a salmon farm.

But our day wasn’t over, it had only just begun. As we came to the Oksillo rapids, it was clear that this was a day of celebration, as several boats played around in the area’s upwelling nutrient rich water so vital to wild salmon. We then followed Okisollo Channel as it turns south, where we saw the devastation under the Cyrus Rocks farm with an underwater video camera, and the mood became more solemn.

As we moved south through Surge Narrows, spirits once again soared as we joined up with another flotilla, swelling our number of boats to a couple dozen, salmon flags flapping in the wind, horns honking, people cheering for wild salmon, and the helicopter once again recording the excitement from above.

The Get Out Migration has captured the imagination and hearts of communities across Vancouver Island and throughout BC. Yesterday it was evident that the Migration’s tag line, wild salmon are sacred, is at the heart of our west coast culture. Whatever people have in them to give, we are giving it all for wild salmon. We have to, or they will disappear. So stand up and be counted, because if we don’t stand up for wild salmon, no one will.

Filmmaker Twyla Roscovich has produced a video of our day on the water in the Wild Salmon Narrows. Enjoy…



Take urgent action to clear the Wild Salmon Narrows of open net-cage salmon farms!

Everyone Loves Wild Salmon Don't They?

Watch this video on the impacts that open net-cage salmon farming has on wild salmon, the marine environment, and your health.


Learn more about salmon farming impacts and what you can do.