Independent biologist Alexandra Morton has been busy during the BC election, traveling the province to raise the issue of protecting wild salmon from fish farms and viruses. Through dozens of community screenings of a new film profiling her work, Salmon Confidential, and amassing over to 70,000 signatures on a petition to remove open net pen farms from the migratory pathways of wild fish, Morton has effectively planted this issue on the election radar. She’s been tough at times on the BCNDP, pushing them to take a stronger stand on the salmon farming industry – with some notable success. Here, as voters prepare to go to the polls, she offers her frank assessment of what is in the best political interests of her beloved wild salmon.
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For what it is worth here is my take on this election.
Regarding the Liberals, I don’t think they know that our survival depends on a living planet. I have no idea how they have missed the connection, but they have.
Regarding the Greens, look at where they have put their energy, which ridings do they think they can win. Faithfully voting Green, where the Greens did not put effort, is a wasted vote.
Regarding the Independents, if you are lucky enough to be in a riding with a strong independent candidate/MLA, please go with your instincts. No one can “whip” these vital independent voices and in my experience they have been strong, smart supporters of wild salmon.
Regarding the NDP, clearly they felt threatened by supporting wild salmon. This is our fault. We, as British Columbians did not make it clear that wild salmon are critical. We allowed the Norwegians to shout us down. We were so quiet, the NDP did not take us seriously.
Individually, most NDP I spoke to know salmon feedlots have to be removed from wild salmon migration routes. As environment critic Rob Fleming stated this on CBC on March 23, he knows this. Therefore, I think wild salmon have the greatest chance for survival with an NDP government, with Greens in seats. And wild salmon need you, the public, to contact your MLA every single month, year in and year out, to tell them every salmon feedlot needs INDEPENDENT screening for the piscine reovirus and any that test positive have their provincial Licence of Occupation terminated, fish removed, site closed in the public interest.
If the salmon feedlot industry wants to prove the virus only kills salmon in the Atlantic – they are welcome to do that – but they need to get out while they do their experiments.
Good luck British Columbia.
Alex
Monday, 13 May 2013 22:53 posted by Kevin Logan
Alexandra Morton is one Class Act!
She never ceases to amaze me. Her graceful yet tenacious drive to shed light on what is indisputably one of the highest priorities for the incoming government is both admirable and inspirational.
She is a leading example of what we here in BC need if we are to restore our sovereignty and respect for the fundamental issues that sustain us.
In Norway salmon feedlots do not exist on migratory routes. The broadly accepted public face of Norwegian people is rooted in environmentalism and concern for issues like the well being of ecosystems that sustain, despite the fact they are a Petro State.
As a budding petro state ourselves we need to reach out to Norwegians, learn from them and embrace their respect for issues such as those Alex is forwarding.
I would like to see our Environmental Icon, David Suzuki reach out to the Norwegians and have them pressure the owners of these fish farms to do the right thing.
I would like to see Adrian Dix and the NDP embrace a positive, proactive plan that works to end this threat and restore safe passage to our iconic salmon.
Striking the right balance between a sustaining economy and environment is crucial
Monday, 13 May 2013 15:43 posted by Damien Gillis
How can you say there would be no appreciable difference between the Libs and NDP? The facts are clear: Over a similar period of time in power (the NDP in the 90s, the Libs since), the NDP raised our total taxpayer obligations by $17 Billion and the Libs by $130 Billion. No difference?!
PS you must have missed the memo that austerity has been debunked as a credible economic theory: http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/04/24/debunked-the-harvard-study-that-republicans-used-to-push-austerity/
Monday, 13 May 2013 15:33 posted by Kreditanstalt
I am not about to defend this government. The NDP will provide no significant difference – just different clients to be paid off.
We DO need some real governmental austerity. Someone prepared to shrink government, cut taxes, lay off extraneous public sector employees, privatise the monopolies, abrogate collective agreements, and cut social spending.
The Liberals certainly haven’t done any of that.
I would agree that some regulation of fish farming, along the lines the writer suggests, would be a reasonable and modest expenditure of taxpayer funds, if necessary…and it might only take the WILL to enforce some regulations.
Monday, 13 May 2013 15:17 posted by Damien Gillis
Sure we could, Kreditanstalt. No provincial government in Canadian history has cost its people so much as the be Liberals have cost British Columbians. The NDP, trying their very hardest, could not come close to this level of fiscal incompetence…But I’m with you on the stiff drink.
http://thecanadian.org/item/2085-rafe-mair-video-liberals-bankrupting-bc-$171-billion-debt-christy-clark-bc-election
http://thecanadian.org/item/2045-bc-liberal-legacy-a-huge-debt-burden
Monday, 13 May 2013 15:05 posted by Kreditanstalt
Vote NDP?? Me??
Well, I SUPPOSE I could have a stiff drink, go down there and do the deed and then spend the next two hours washing my hands…
Never mind fish…I don’t think I could AFFORD an NDP government any more than the present one…