Fish farms cause for concern

Be warned Canadians, we are on the cusp of losing our coastal values and coastal ecosystems to open net fish feedlots.

Ask the Norwegians battling to save their coast from a drug resistant sea lice epidemic. Here in B.C., open net fish feedlots continue to operate on our coasts in unabashed collusion with our government.  The largely, unreported destruction of sea lions, seals and seabirds by fish feedlot employees has gone on for decades.

As a former fisheries guardian and now wild salmon advocate, I have witnessed too much to be complacent about the impacts of a self regulated industry.  Every infraction I enforced was ignored.

Our fisheries department is mandated to protect wild salmon and marine mammals.  Now our salmon fed ecosystems crumble under a dysfunctional agency ready to promote fish farm shareholders instead of managing a naturally occurring, mega source of pure protein and omegas 3's connected to a world class ecotourism industry.

Please remember the publicly funded judicial inquiry seeking answers to the collapse of the Fraser River Sockeye too.   $25 million of our money spent so far. 

See www.cohencommission.ca to read some of the transcripts and add your voice to public submissions.  More action is needed or we lose our salmon like the east coast lost it's cod.

Leanne Hodges