Océans en santé. Communautés en santé
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Marine Tourism Operators for Wild Salmon

Jun 18 2018  

To:    Honourable Doug Donaldson
Minister of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development
FLNR.Minister [at] gov.bc.ca

Honourable Lana Popham
Minister of Agriculture
AGR.Minister [at] gov.bc.ca

Honourable George Heyman
Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy
ENV.Minister [at] gov.bc.ca

Member of Parliament Terry Beech
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans
Terry.Beech [at] parl.gc.ca

cc.     Honourable Premier John Horgan (premier [at] gov.bc.ca)
         Honourable Green Party Leader and MLA Andrew Weaver (andrew.weaver.mla [at] leg.bc.ca)

 

Dear Ministers Donaldson, Popham and Heyman and Parliamentary Secretary Terry Beech:  

We are tourism business owners and organizations in BC whose companies provide services such as whale-watching, fishing, kayaking, and bear-watching to hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Our businesses and livelihoods depend on the continued existence of healthy wild salmon in the rivers, inlets, and channels of the British Columbia coast. The wilderness tourism sector generates $1.5 billion in annual expenditures and supports 26,000 full-time jobs. We are uniting to express our grave concern about the negative effects of open-net fish farming on wild stocks.  

New science indicates a dangerous virus known as Piscine Orthoreovirus (PRV) is spread from open-net salmon farms to wild salmon, impeding their ability to migrate and spawn. Open-net salmon farming is also ruining B.C.’s international reputation as a wilderness tourism destination. Last fall underwater footage flashed around the world showing plumes of bloody effluent from farmed fish processing plants being released into our pristine waters near Campbell River and Tofino. Samples taken from the bloody effluent tested positive for PRV. The Broughton Archipelago, a critical migration route for wild salmon, has the highest concentration of open-net fish farms in the province. Clayoquot Sound is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve that's home to all five species of Pacific salmon and has another 20 open-net fish farms. 

We urge the Province of British Columbia and Government of Canada to take immediate precautionary action to protect wild salmon from open-net pen fish farming.  

Specifically, we are calling on government to swiftly implement the following measures:  

  1. To enact a coast-wide moratorium on new fish farms, to not renew expiring permits, and to freeze production levels at existing fish farms.  
  1. To support the creation of an independent scientific advisory panel with full and unrestricted access to government and industry fish health data and science. 
  1. To assess the status of all BC wild salmon populations and their habitats and implement rebuilding plans without delay. 
  1. To use a mix of federal and provincial government funding and incentives to promote investment and innovation towards facilitating an immediate transition to a land-based closed containment fish farming in B.C.  

It's time for the B.C. and federal government to put wild salmon first. We are the stewards of a globally recognized wild salmon resource. It is our duty to protect that resource. Together and united, we can ensure that open-net salmon farming will no longer threaten the future of wild salmon, the Indigenous Peoples way of life, and the coastal communities and businesses that depend on a healthy and robust ecosystem.  

Signed,

 

Aboriginal Journey Wildlife Viewing

Campbell River

Adventure Tofino

Tofino

Adventuress Sea Kayaking

Parksville

Archepalago Wildlife Cruises

Ucluelet

Bluewater Adventures

North Vancouver

Broughton Archipelago Paddler's Inn

Gilford Island, Broughton Archipelago

Campbell River Whale Watching

Campbell River

Cariboo Rivers Fishing and Wilderness Adventures

Quesnel

Cliffs Chinook Charters

Comox

Coast Mountains Expeditions

Read Island

Coastal Wilderness Adventures
Adventures

Campbell River

Discovery Marine Safaris

Campbell river

Eagle Wing Whale Watching

Victoria

Ecosummer Expeditions

Clearwater

Farewell Harbour Lodge

Berry Island, Broughton Archipelago

Five Star Whale Watching

Victoria

Good Hope Cannery

Richmond

Great Pacific Ocean Charters Ltd.

Ucluelet

Haida Gwaii Discovery Tours

Haida Gwaii

Hello Nature Adventure Tours

Ucluelet

Indian Arm And Vancouver Harbour Boat and EcoTours

Port Moody

Kingfisher Wilderness Adventures

Port McNeill

Kiwi Cove Lodge

Ladysmith

Mackay Whale Watching

Port McNeill

Maple Leaf Adventures

Victoria

Morseby Explorers

Sandspit

Nimmo Bay Resort

Nimmo Bay, Port McNeill

Norm Hann Expeditions

Garibaldi Highlands, Squamish

North Island Kayak

Telegraph Cove

North Island Marine Mammal Stewardship Association

Alert Bay

Ocean Front Hotel

Port Hardy

Ocean Light II Adventures

Vancouver

Ocean Outfitters

Tofino

Ocean Village Resort

Tofino

Oceans EcoVentures

Cowichan Bay

Orca Dreams

Quadra Island

Orca Spirit Adventures

Victoria

Outer Shores Expeditions

Victoria

Pacific Coastal Cruises

Vancouver

Pacific Whale Watch Association

Ganges, Salt Spring Island

Pacific Yellowfin Charters

Vancouver

Powell River Sport Fishing

Powell River

Prime Time Adventures

Tofino

Prince of Whales

Vancouver and Victoria

Radar's Pro Fishing

Comox

Rivers Inlet Resort

Rivers Inlet

Salmon Eye Fishing Charters

Victoria and Ucluelet

Salt Spring Adventures

Salt Spring Island

Sea Kayak Adventures

Coeur d'Alene

Sea Kayak Guides Alliance

Nanaimo

Seasmoke Whale Watching

Alert Bay

Sea Wolf Adventures

Port McNeill

Seine Boat Inn

Alert Bay

Spirit of the West Adventures

Heriot Bay

SpringTide Whale Watching & Eco Tours

Victoria

Stubbs Island Whale Watching

Telegraph Cove

Subtidal Adventures

Ucluelet

Tallheo Cannery & Inner Coastal Inlet Tours

Tallheo, Bella Coola

The Artists Point B&B

Port McNeill

The Beach Club Resort

Parksville

Tofino Hostel

Tofino

Tofino Resort & Marina

Tofino

Tsylos Park Lodge and Adventure Tours

Chilko Lake

Tweedsmuir Park Lodge & Bella Coola Heli Sports

Stuie, Bella Coola

Valley Fishing Guides

Garibaldi Highlands, Squamish

Vancouver Island Expeditions

Nanaimo

Vancouver Island Photo Tours

Port McNeill

Vancouver Island Whale Watch

Nanaimo

Victoria Kayak Tours & Rentals

Victoria

Wadhams Outpost

Rivers Inlet

West Coast Expeditions

Kyoquot

West Coast Fishing Club

Richmond

Wild Whales Vancouver

Vancouver

Wildcoast Adventures

Quadra Island

Wilderness Tourism Association

North Saanich