Media Releases

VANCOUVER/UNCEDED xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (MUSQUEAM), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (SQUAMISH) AND səlilwətaɬ (TSLEIL-WAUTUTH) TERRITORIES – Ecojustice will be in court today to argue that aquaculture companies should not be allowed to transfer farmed fish into Discovery Islands fish farms, all of which are set to shutter by June 2022.

VANCOUVER: Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan issued a decision today that may reverse the rapdily declining trend of Fraser River salmon stocks, including the commercially important sockeye and the endangered Chinook salmon relied on by Southern Resident Killer Whales. Wild salmon advocates at Living Oceans Society say the decision to keep salmon farms in the Wild Salmon Narrows (Discovery Islands) near Campbell River fallow means more wild salmon may avoid death from lice and disease pathogens proliferating around open net-pen salmon farms.

Vancouver:  In an unprecedented statement released today, Living Oceans joins the American Fisheries Society (AFS) and 110 aquatic scientific societies representing more than 80,000 scientists across the world to sound a climate change alarm.  The societies call for drastically curtailed global greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the worst impacts of man-made climate change to fish and aquatic ecosystems.

The effort to rid this coast of salmon farms is mounting as wild salmon runs collapse. An open letter to Prime Minister Trudeau and Premier Horgan, released today, is signed by 37 commercial and sport fishing organizations, religious and environmental organizations, marine tourism operators and unions. They demand that both leaders deliver their on promises to remove salmon farms from B.C.

VANCOUVER: Expensive new vessels are failing to control the parasites that are decimating wild salmon stocks, according to a report released today by Living Oceans Society. The report analyses the treatments given on the farms over the past two years and assigns a failing grade to the Hydrolicers and wellboats purchased by salmon farming companies at reported costs of $12 to $30 million.

Vancouver:  Living Oceans Society supports the call by First Nations to remove Shaw Point salmon farm immediately, for failure to control sea lice during the wild salmon outmigration. The We Wai Kum and We Wai Kai Nations near Campbell River demanded closure of the farm this week, citing an escape of about 1000 Atlantic salmon into their territory.

The Glendale River in Knight Inlet used to have a massive run of pink salmon. It supported gillnet and seine fisheries and still returned a million fish to the spawning grounds. Today, no-one can find fish in the river. The grizzlies are starving and the eagles are absent. Read our latest blog here.

VANCOUVER:Living Oceans has stated in a submission to the National Energy Board (NEB) that Trans Mountain cannot commence construction until it fulfills a condition set by the NEB to show commercial support. “The NEB’s conditions require Trans Mountain to prove commercial support exists for the project,” said Karen Wristen, Executive Director for Living Oceans. “But that was done under the old certificate that was set aside by the Courts and is no longer valid.  This condition must be met again under the new certificate issued by NEB.”

The groups submitted a motion to the Federal Court of Appeal this morning, asking for leave to launch a judicial review of Cabinet’s decision. They argue that Cabinet failed to comply with its responsibility to protect critically endangered Southern Resident killer whales when it re-approved the project on June 18, 2019. Spokespeople from the organizations issued the following statements: Margot Venton, nature program director, Ecojustice: