Vancouver Island Closed Containment Facility Open for Business!

I had the remarkable experience a couple of weeks ago of witnessing the last stages of construction of a home-grown, land-based, recirculating closed containment salmon farm. The facility is being built to prove the economic good sense of growing salmon in a way that doesn’t threaten the survival of wild salmon.

Namgis Nation is now growing Atlantic salmon in their state of the art facility just outside Port McNeill on Vancouver Island.

On March 18, 2013, 23,000 smolts were delivered to the facility, and will now be in quarantine for 4 months. They are doing well and growing, and are on their own “biofilter” which houses bacteria to clean the water.  Since this is a land-based, closed containment “recirculating aquaculture system”, all environmental conditions can be controlled and more than 98% of the water is recycled.  The small amount of outflow that is produced is fastidiously treated so that there is no chance of transfer of disease or pathogens between the wild and farmed fish. See our Campaign News

It’s a deliciously ambitious project that promises to answer the remaining questions about economic and financial sustainability of current closed containment technology. I say current because this is an actively innovative industry.

It takes a long time to develop a new technology, especially when the industry and government fight so vehemently against it. It’s been a remarkable journey to get to this point in aquaculture history.  One of my pivotal memories is from 2006, at a meeting held by DFO to assess the potential of closed  containment technology for growing salmon. Industry and government representatives scoffed at the possibility, declaring it a doomed enterprise from the beginning. I watched as the entrepreneurs, engineers and inventors in the room became increasingly eager to take up the challenge.  There’s nothing quite so inspiring to an inventor as saying, ‘It can’t be done.’

We’re now seeing the results of that challenge being met in the number of closed containment salmon farms in operation or development around the world. The impetus to push for closed containment technology has always been to solve the problems of the dangers posed by the open net cage salmon farms to the wild marine environment. We’re not there yet. The open net farms are still in the ocean, but we’re getting a lot closer and the argument that there isn’t a viable economic alternative is just no longer credible. For more information about the problems with open net cage salmon farms, see Salmon Farming

Time to help protect the southern Georgia Strait

Have you written your letter to Parks Canada about moving the feasibility process along to create permanent protection for the incredible, amazing, unique and essential marine environment of the southern Strait of Georgia?  Here's some help in making it happen! (With thanks to Canadian Parks and Wilderness Committee!)

Feel free to copy and paste parts of this letter to make it easier to write your own. Yours can be as brief and to the point or as long and elaborate as you like.

You can compose and post your letter here.

The Georgia Strait will love you for it!

Subject: Southern Strait of Georgia Marine Conservation Area (NMCA)

To whom it may concern:

I am writing this letter to show my strong support for the establishment of the proposed National Marine Conservation Area in the southern Georgia Strait.  The body of water that lies within the current proposed NMCA boundary is very special to me because… (I live there, I visit there, I take the ferry across all the time, I have watched whales there, I take visitors there, I have a cabin ... (you get the point). I love the ocean, I value the ocean ecosystem, I care about the marine species... I want my children, grandchildren to be able to experience this amazing environment, etc..  For some reminders, see our website. www.georgiastrait.org)

I support the proposed NMCA because it will protect and maintain the integrity of the marine environment in the most threatened ecosystem in Canada. It will also ensure that the multitude of ongoing marine activities are managed in an ecologically sustainable manner.

I support the primary goals of the NMCA proposal stated by Parks Canada as 'conservation, public understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment" (Parks Canada, Project Update 2012).

See 10 benefits of an NMCA

In addition to my support for its establishment, I would like to add:

(Add as many as you would like)

• The NMCA should be as large as possible in order to facilitate the appropriate zoning for bothconservation and sustainable use. 
• I urge the inclusion of the large rectangular area just off Galiano and Valdes Islands that is 'cut out' of the current proposed boundary. 
• The NMCA should extend up to the high tide line and include important near-shore ocean habitats. 
• The NMCA should encompass areas adjacent to existing provincial parks (these areas are currently excluded) to ensure effective management of the entire marine area. 
• Parks Canada should assume management responsibility for the entire NMCA upon establishment, as opposed to the proposed “phased implementation” plan.  I am concerned that a phased implementation approach will leave important marine areas without protection and fragment the integrated management of the area.
• I support the need for a network of core 'no take' areas  to be included in the NMCA.  Prominent scientists and marine experts have recommended that at least 30% of  each Canadian marine bioregion should be zoned as 'reserves' or 'no take' areas in order to achieve conservation and fisheries benefits. (CPAWS,2011, Science Based Guidelines for Marine  Protected Area and MPA Networks in Canada). In the Southern Strait of Georgia NMCA, a network of 'no take' areas will act as nurseries to increase the number of fish, prevent habitat damage, allow depleted species to recover and allow for a diversity of life to flourish and serve as educational and recreational resources.

Thank you for taking the time to consider the above feedback and your continued efforts to protect the southern Strait of Georgia marine ecosystem.

Sincerely,

[your name]

• (Thanks from all of us who love the Georgia Strait too!)

Cohen said...

It seems everyone has found quotes in the final report from the Cohen commission to back up their established position on open net cage salmon farms. The industry claims that he found no problem with the farms and people who have been concerned about the farms for years are calling for their immediate removal.

Who’s right? What’s the real story? What does this report really say?

The report is quite daunting, 1100+ pages of testimony and documentation. Judge Cohen did a remarkable and thorough job of investigation and sifting of information to come up with 75 recommendations regarding a number of factors that seem to be impacting the health and well being of the Fraser River Sockeye.

From the very beginning of the Inquiry, salmon aquaculture has taken centre stage and continues to do so. British Columbians long for this issue to be resolved. We care deeply about this amazing fish and have little tolerance for threats to its well being.

Here’s my summary interpretation of Judge Cohen’s assessment of the part that salmon aquaculture has played in the decline of Fraser River Sockeye:
• Disease from the open net pen farms appears to be a major and potentially irreversible risk to Fraser River Sockeye.
• The data required to actually verify the degree of risk was not collected or interpreted adequately by DFO.
• This lack of transparent verifiable information is a result of DFO’s conflicting mandate to promote the industry.
• Siting criteria for open net farms should include proximity to migrating Fraser River Sockeye and farms not adhering to these criteria should be removed.
• The Discovery Island area open net pen farms are in the migration path of the Fraser River Sockeye.
• Production increases in the Discovery Island must not be permitted unless risk can be proven to be minimal.
• Fraser River salmon are important enough to British Columbians that we will not accept anything more than a minimal risk to them.
• DFO has to prove that there is no more than a minimal risk in order for the farms to continue after 2020 and they can only act on this once the conflicting mandate is removed.

This is what I understand, but I suggest you look for yourself. The whole report might be daunting, but the summary is manageable and a good read and Judge Cohen made some interesting comments and observations about our care and protection of this beloved BC fish. I highly recommend you read it and tell us what you think!
For more interpretation of the Cohen recommendations see our website:  http://www.georgiastrait.org/?q=node/1090 and http://www.georgiastrait.org/?q=node/56

How do you stop a pipeline or two?





Monday I joined thousands of people on the lawn of the Provincial Legislature as part of the Defend our Coast movement to ‘stop the pipelines’.

Coastal indigenous people arrived in an impressive procession with a clear message that any pipeline and any increase in tankers on the coast is unacceptable.

It was invigorating to see so many people willing to travel from around the province, give up their day, stand in the rain and the cold for hours in hopes of sending a message that the people do not want the land and water of BC exposed to the risk that increasing oil pipelines and tankers would present.



The messages were passionate articulate and variations on a theme. We heard a heartbreaking call to ‘stop it at the source’ because of the unrecoverable damage that the development of the tar sands have wreaked on the neighbouring villages and ecosystems; a plea to refuse to allow Enbridge to drive a stake into the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest, and steadfast refusal to allow increased tanker traffic in coastal waters. The crowd was diverse, determined and inventive. There were very few organizations in evidence. This was all about the people. Creativity, thoughtfulness and humour flourished in the variety of signs, puppets and costumes.



I watched for hours wondering what exactly it is that we need to do in order for our governments to hear and understand what we feel is essential for the future of our world and our children.

Hundreds of people sat with a banner of equivalent length to one supertanker proposed for the coast, which is by the way equal to the length of three quarters of the legislature lawn – sobering when you see how it essentially doesn’t look like it would fit anywhere easily. Some sat for hours, indicating willingness to put their bodies on the line – to engage in the time-honoured tradition of civil disobedience – when all other avenues of opposition to unacceptable political action have been exhausted and there is nothing else to be done.

Have we done all we can? Have we written all the letters, made all the calls we possibly could? Have we bombarded the media with our thoughts and concerns? Have we pushed for alternate energy sources? Do we use them whenever we can? Have we exhausted our fertile imaginations?


Two days later people gathered in the hundreds in over 60 communities around the province to send a message to the Provincial Government that pipelines through BC are not to be negotiated.
We sang along with the Raging Grannies and shouted our determination to protect our coast and call on our government to do the right thing and protect what we love and what will sustain us for generations. 

Ruby as salmon at Courtenay rally



There is a ground swell of passionate resistance to pipeline and tanker development. Growing numbers of people of all political persuasions  are finding ways to voice their concern. There is still time to convince our governments that enough of us feel strongly enough. Let your politicians know that stopping the pipelines and protecting our waters from increased tanker traffic would turn them into heroes. Let them know that we support the courage it takes to stand up for a healthy future for the planet, our economy, and our children.

To find your MLA (provincial) go to:

http://www.leg.bc.ca/mla/3-1.1.htm 

To find your MP(federal) go to: http://www.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament.                                                                                         To help protect the incredible Strait of Georgia check out: www.georgiastrait.org

Leadership where it matters most

I’m feeling pretty impressed with our local politicians these days. What an amazingly diverse array of dedicated caring people have been chosen by the people of British Columbia to represent them where it matters most – at the local level. I was fortunate to meet a number of them at The Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) convention, which happens every year.  This is when politicians and staff from the varied and scattered municipalities and regional governments around the province come together to consider issues which can and should be dealt with province-wide. They provide a very powerful message to the provincial government.

The UBCM is hosted by different communities around the province, and this year was Vancouver Island’s turn. On the shore of Georgia Strait, in the lovely city of Victoria, hundreds gathered with colleagues, representatives of the provincial government and other groups (like GSA!) to share stories and challenges and create plans for a better future.



GSA was there, connecting with old friends and making new, delighting in the interest and concern for the health of our beautiful marine environment, and building the relationships that help us be a voice for the Strait.  This year, we educated local leaders about the Southern Strait of Georgia National Marine Conservation Area (NMCA), among other issues, commiserated about the gutting of environmental protection at the federal level, and celebrated the passing of the resolution regarding oil tankers on our coast, which calls on the province to ‘use whatever legislative and administrative means that are available to stop the expansion of oil tanker traffic through BC coastal waters.’



Georgia Strait protected from tanker increase by local politicians

 It was a narrow victory, but as we’re learning from the press, the more people who understand the threats of increased tanker traffic, the more people who are opposed. It’s simply a matter of education and letting our friends and neighbours know that the risks are aren’t worth the rewards and more investment in fossil fuel infrastructure is simply the wrong way to go. (See our handy tanker info kit)

I was also excited to note that several resolutions regarding issues that have been of concern to GSA, were carried by large margins. These included recommendations to maintain staffing levels of the Coast Guard, holding shippers of dangerous cargo responsible before a spill takes place and a ‘call upon the Government of Canada to develop revised Fisheries Act policies and regulations in collaboration with all stakeholders, specifically including local governments through the UBCM and Federation of Canadian Municipalities, to ensure changes address municipal concerns while strengthening environmental protection for our watercourses.’ 

The full text of all resolutions presented at the UBCM annual convention can be seen at: UBCM. It was a pleasure to spend time in the company of so many people from around the province who care so deeply about a healthy, sustainable future.  

Collaboration, GSA Style

Last week I had the remarkable experience of watching a seal catch and eat a beautiful bright silver salmon. The sleek head surprised a few of us as it emerged suddenly, triumphantly, wielding a large fish in its mouth. Those of us who gathered to watch, wondered how it would manage to eat the catch which was clearly too big for its mouth. Almost instantly, two other seals appeared, and as they tore at the fish, revealing bright pink and white flesh, we assumed they were fighting over the fish. As we watched however, it gradually became clear that they were not fighting, but rather helping each other and sharing the catch. After a bit, one of the smaller seals (a juvenile, perhaps?) retreated to the shore with a good chunk and the other two continued to rip apart and feast on their catch, periodically making room for a seagull or two to take part as well. It was a great opportunity for the young family watching with me; “see they’re sharing their food with each other and the birds.”

We so often think the world is about competing and fighting over meager shares, and seem surprised to notice cooperation. I had occasion to reflect further on this while attending Good Jobs for a Green Future, a Green Jobs BC conference of primarily trade unions and environmental groups, with a scattering of business and academics for good measure. We have been steeped in the rhetoric that we can either have a healthy environment or good jobs, but one is fundamentally opposed to the other. Well this gathering is out to prove the opposite. The development of green jobs means that we are able to work in a world where the health of the environment is paramount and from that we create meaningful work that supports healthy vibrant communities that are fun and interesting.

It’s about working together, collaborating to create the world we want to live in, rejecting the old jobs vs environment dichotomy.

GSA has always strived to work collaboratively, recognizing that we humans are an integral part of the beautiful, abundant, diverse Georgia Strait ecosystem and must figure out how to live and work in healthy connection with each other and the land and ocean with which we live. Like the seals, we need to work together to provide the sustenance necessary to support our families and communities.  From our multi-sector work in the Clean Marine Program to our push for salmon aquaculture transition to closed containment technology, GSA has always understood the importance of collaboration and inclusive problem solving.

Government agencies failing to protect wild salmon

Recent reports of the presence of the deadly ISA virus in B.C. wild salmon seem to have alarmed everyone except those meant to be taking care of the wild salmon.

Rather than taking immediate measures to determine the extent of this threat, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency leaped to discredit the findings and assure international markets that all is well in Canadian waters. Unfortunately, their claim rests on inconclusive evidence and degraded samples.

Instead of launching an emergency investigation into this potential disaster, the federal government has announced a million dollar grant to the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance for international advertising. It appears that the health of B.C. waters, and the wild salmon is not the priority of the federal government after all.