Media Releases

VANCOUVER— Living Oceans Society and some 20 volunteers gathered up an estimated five metric tonnes of marine debris from the remotest shores of northern Vancouver Island over the past two weeks, bagging it all in helicopter lift bags for removal. Nearly all of the debris bore manufacturer’s marks or labels from Japan, meaning it was likely washed to sea by the 2011 Tohoku tsunami. Living Oceans put out an urgent call for funding today, saying that poor weather prevented them from bringing all of the debris in to the landfill over the September long weekend as planned.

VANCOUVER—Environmental organizations, fishermen and David Suzuki joined today in calling on the Province of British Columbia to impose an unequivocal moratorium on the granting of new licences to open netpen fish farms, in the wake of news that new tenures were just issued. On the eve of the B.C. Day long weekend, B.C. Minister of Agriculture Norm Letnick quietly granted the Norwegian salmon farming industry access to four more areas of the B.C. coast. News of the controversial move was posted on a government website, but no announcement was made.

VANCOUVER—The National Energy Board has denied a Living Oceans Society motion requesting the Province of British Columbia answer questions related to the five conditions it has imposed on Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline expansion application. “This is a clear signal that it is time for Premier Clark to withdraw from the agreement and strike a customized process under the B.C. Environmental Assessment Act,” said Karen Wristen, Executive Director of Living Oceans Society. “The current National Energy Board process cannot possibly satisfy Premier Clark’s five conditions.”

VANCOUVER—Ecojustice lawyers, on behalf of Living Oceans Society, have filed a motion with the National Energy Board requesting that the Province of British Columbia answer questions relating to the five conditions it has imposed on Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline expansion application.

VANCOUVER—A new study from Simon Fraser University concludes that the proposed Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion is not needed and far from being a benefit to Canada, would actually cost Canadians more than $6.4 billion. The study estimates that investment in the Kinder Morgan pipeline will create excess pipeline capacity that will cost $3 billion, including costs to the taxpayer in the form of reduced royalties and taxes.

VICTORIA—More than 100,000 people have signed a petition calling on the B.C. government to halt federal government and B.C. salmon farming industry plans to expand open-net salmon farming in B.C. waters. The petition has received the endorsement of more than one hundred conservation organizations, industry associations, independent business owners and the Tofino‐Long Beach Chamber of Commerce. MLA Andrew Weaver (Oak Bay-Gordon Head) will present the petition in the B.C. legislature today.

OTTAWA—A federal court lawsuit seeking to overturn the approval of the world’s first genetically modified (GM) food animal will finally proceed to hearing after enduring a year of delay at the hands of the government. Ecojustice lawyers representing Living Oceans Society and the Ecology Action Centre have now filed evidence in the case against the federal government’s approval of genetically modified salmon. This step means the case will finally move forward, after waiting nearly a year for the government to file the documents on which its decisions were based.

VANCOUVER—Living Oceans commends the British Columbia government and its 18 partner First Nations on the announcement of the Marine Planning Partnership (MaPP) plans in Victoria today. The unveiling of plans for the future of Canada's Pacific Ocean follows on fully a decade of work by Living Oceans to encourage governments to engage in marine planning. Living Oceans represented the conservation sector at three of the MaPP advisory tables in an inclusive planning process that depended upon input from environmental groups, ocean-based businesses and regional district governments.

VANCOUVER—Living Oceans reacted with shock today to learn that the federal government intends to cut the budget of the National Energy Board, the sole regulator charged with both enhanced pipeline safety and the environmental assessment of dozens of projects.