SOINTULA, B.C. — Two speakers from Australia are coming to the North Island and Central Coast to share their experiences drawn from one of the world’s best examples of community engagement in action – the re-zoning of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Living Oceans Society is hosting the tour from March 25 to April 4 [see tour schedule on next page] that will feature presentations by Russell Butler and Graham Scott who will share the successes and challenges that they faced as community residents, First Nations and fishermen working to rezone the Great Barrier Reef.

Vancouver, Prince Rupert ─The Coastal Alliance for Aquaculture Reform welcomes today’s decision by the B.C. government to institute an indefinite moratorium on open net-cage salmon farming in northern B.C. waters but voiced deep concern over more salmon farm approvals on the South Coast. It is a huge turning point that the provincial government is recognizing the need to protect marine ecosystems and wild salmon stocks from the impacts of current salmon farming practices, however the disregard shown for the health of B.C.’s South and Central coast is troubling.



Vancouver, Canada ─ Following Safeway’s decision yesterday to suspend purchasing of Chilean farmed salmon, the Coastal Alliance for Aquaculture Reform (CAAR) is calling on Safeway to phase out sales of farmed salmon from all sources until the industry shifts to more sustainable practices.

VANCOUVER, B.C. ─ Living Oceans Society, Greenpeace Canada and concerned whale organizations are congratulating the governments of Canada and British Columbia for showing the leadership to mount an operation to recover logging equipment that sunk in Robson Bight last August. Today, B.C. Minister of the Environment Barry Penner and Fisheries and Oceans Canada Minister Loyala Hearn announced that the two governments had entered into a cost sharing agreement to raise the equipment. 



VANCOUVER, B.C. ─ Living Oceans Society today commended the Government of Canada for establishing the Bowie Seamount Marine Protected Area (MPA) and expressed hope that this is the first of many more MPAs to come in the near future. The Haida Nation and the federal government have worked together to establish the Bowie Seamount or "SgaanKinghlas" in the Haida tongue.



VANCOUVER,HALIFAX -- The SeaChoice program announced today its release of an exciting new program and a document titled “Canada’s Business Guide to Sustainable Seafood.” The business guide highlights the opportunities for businesses to developtheir own sustainable seafood procurement strategies.

HALIFAX, VANCOUVER -- SeaChoice, Canada’s sustainable seafood program, and its five member organizations, joined nine U.S. environmental groups today in releasing the “Common Vision for Environmentally Sustainable Seafood”. These organizations- which all have a strong history of working with the seafood industry and policymakers- have partnered to form the Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions.



The Common Vision outlines realistic steps companies can take to develop and implement a comprehensive, corporate policy on sustainable, wild-caught and farmed seafood.

Vancouver, B.C. – Canada has the legislation and policy in place, but its dismal record on implementing a comprehensive network of marine protected areas (MPAs) earns it a failing grade compared to other countries in its class. This from a progress report card released today by the Living Oceans Society, the David Suzuki Foundation and Sierra Club BC illustrating Canada’s poor performance on protecting ocean environments.

Vancouver, B.C. – The Federal Government has failed to meet the June 8th World Oceans Day deadline to initiate a planning process for BC’s threatened North Coast waters, leading environmental groups said today.

VANCOUVER – British Columbia environmentalists are applauding legislation recently introduced in Parliament that will protect the province’s North Central Coast from the threats associated with crude oil tanker traffic.



The private member’s bill – Bill C-571 - was introduced by Catherine Bell, NDP Member of Parliament (Vancouver Island North), on June 18, 2008 and it prohibits oil tankers in the Dixon Entrance, Hecate Strait and the Queen Charlotte Sound. This coastal area is some of the most pristine in B.C., and includes the waters of the Great Bear Rainforest.