All posts by Common Sense Canadian

BREAKING: Alex Morton Claims to Have Found ISAv in Farmed Salmon Sold in BC Supermarkets

March 13, 2012Oceans, Salmon Farming and AquacultureAquaculture, ISA virus, SalmonCommon Sense Canadian

Read this blog post from Alexandra Morton, claiming that she and her research team have found ISA virus in farmed Atlantic salmon sold at three T&T Supermarket stores in Vancouver. (March 13, 2012)

Today I received ISA virus positive test results from the international ISA virus OIE Reference lab in eastern Canada.

The ISA virus positive fish were 5 Atlantic salmon I purchased from three different T & T supermarkets around the lower mainland and one chum salmon from the Vedder River. There is no evidence ISA virus harms humans.

These samples were in much better condition than the Rivers Inlet sockeye smolts that tested positive last year, and so further testing is underway to sequence the virus. Once completed this will better inform us of where this virus is coming from.

When my colleagues and I got ISA virus positive test results last December, the BC Minister of Agriculture and Lands, Don McRae said: “Reckless allegations based on incomplete science can be devastating to these communities and unfair to the families that make a living from the sea. Since Premier Clark is currently on a trade mission to China, I have personally asked her to reassure our valued trading partners that now as always BC can be relied upon as a supplier of safe, sustainable seafood..” Now we have ISA virus positive results from a Chinese supermarket chain in BC. The gills were intact in these fish and from speaking with the people behind the seafood counter we believe these fish were reared in BC marine feedlots. The CFIA will be able to tell us where they came from, or perhaps the market will let us know. If these fish were shipped in from outside BC they should not have had the gills left in them.

Read full post: http://alexandramorton.typepad.com/alexandra_morton/2012/03/isa-virus-in-bc-supermarkets-and-vedder-river.html

Newly Obtained Documents Reveal Private River Power Projects Killing Fish

March 10, 2012Fisheries, WATERipp, private river power, Salmon, Water and EnergyCommon Sense Canadian

Read this exclusive story from the Vancouver Sun on documents obtained by the Wilderness Committee that demonstrate private river power projects are killing fish. (Match 10, 2012)

The Mamquam River pours cold and fresh off the Coast Mountains, forming pools and canyons and chutes of white water on its way to the Squamish River and Howe Sound.

It was a natural place for federal fisheries biologists to assemble on an August 2010 weekend for swift-water safety training. Like the river itself, however, their exercise took an expected turn.

Rather than watch the Mamquam flow predictably to the sea, the biologists were dismayed to witness the water levels fluctuate wildly — and with dire consequences.

Young steelhead were dying, stranded without water.

The culprit? The Capital Power run-of-river hydro plant, located just upstream.

The independent power industry bills itself as green, sustainable and environmentally responsible.

But more than 3,000 pages of documents obtained separately by The Vancouver Sun and the Wilderness Committee through freedom of information requests show water-flow fluctuations caused by run-of-river hydro projects are killing fish — and the problem is not isolated.

While independent power producers insist their sector remains the cleanest energy option, the documents bolster environmentalists’ long-standing concerns about the industry.

“I’m seeing significant environmental problems,” said Gwen Barlee, policy director for the Wilderness Committee. “And that runs completely counter to what the companies are saying, which is essentially, ‘Trust us with your wild rivers and there won’t be any problems.’ ”

The documents detail repeated short-term fluctuations in water flows, resulting in the stranding and killing of juvenile fish downstream of two plants, Capital Power on the lower Mamquam and Innergex on Ashlu Creek, another tributary of the Squamish.

Gateway Tankers Would Threaten Humpback Whales

March 10, 2012Energy and Resources, Pipelines and SupertankersBC Oil Pipelines and SupertankersCommon Sense Canadian

Read this story from the Victoria Times Colonist on the impacts of supertankers related to the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipelines on threatened humpback whales. (March 9, 2012)

The proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline threatens critical habitat of humpback whales off the coast of British Columbia, say newly released internal federal documents from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

The warning was included in a summary of a draft recovery strategy for the species that was to be introduced in 2010.

Humpback whales were listed in 2005 as “threatened” under the federal Species At Risk Act, requiring the government to produce the recovery plan, but the species has been increasing in numbers and presence off the B.C. coast.

If built, the Northern Gateway pipeline would link the oilsands region of Alberta to a shipping terminal in Kitimat, on the northwest coast, opening the door for more Canadian oil exports across the Pacific Ocean to Asia.

The federal Fisheries Department said it did not have any research scientists available to answer questions on Thursday about the recovery plan for humpback whales, but its internal records, released through access to information legislation, highlighted potential threats from the pipeline proposed by Alberta-based Enbridge Inc.

“The draft recovery strategy recommends determining appropriate management measures for shipping corridors within humpback whale critical habitat to mitigate underwater noise impacts to foraging and vessel strikes,” said a list of “media lines” prepared in April 2010 by a department communications officer, Kirsten Ruecker.

“One of the areas identified as critical habitat is located within the routine vessel route for tankers and other marine traffic associated with the Enbridge Northern Gateway Project’s proposed marine terminal in Kitimat.”

Audio: Damien Gillis Talks Tar Sands PR, Muzzling of Science on CFUV

March 10, 2012Canada, Climate Change, Energy and Resources, Oil&Gas, Pipelines and Supertankers, Politics, Tar SandsAlberta Tar Sands, Audio, BC Oil Pipelines and Supertankers, climate change, Enbridge, Oil and gas, Politics, Stephen HarperCommon Sense Canadian

Get MP3 (22 MB)

Listen to this interview of Damien Gillis on Victoria’s CFUV 101.9 FM by the Hidden News’ host Mehdi Najari. The pair discuss a range of topics, including the Harper Government’s taxpayer-funded Tar Sands PR campaign and the characterization of environmentalists and citizens opposed to the proposed Enbridge pipelines as radicals and threats to the national interest. What is the world’s scientific community saying about Canada’s muzzling of scientists and cutting off funding to key research projects and regulatory bodies – and how is that damaging Canada’s global reputation? (19 min – from March 7, 2012)

Veteran North Coast Fisherman Warns of Serious Navigational Risks to Supertankers

March 8, 2012Energy and Resources, Fisheries, Oil&Gas, Pipelines and SupertankersBC Oil Pipelines and Supertankers, Enbridge, Oil and gasCommon Sense Canadian

As a fisherman who has worked his whole life on the coast of BC, I have many concerns about oil tankers leaving Kitamaat (proper spelling double “a” and it means ‘people of the snow’).

All of the discussions, I have heard, have been about concerns regarding pipeline ruptures and what can happen on the land route. My concern is what will happen if there is a loaded oil tanker heading to sea and it hits a reef or shore or breaks up causing another Exxon Valdez.

Our family has a long history in the area. My father started fishing there in the 30’s and in 1949, at the age of 13, I went out on his seine boat. In 1957 I became a Captain of a seiner and I fished the area for over 50 years, usually from 5 -20 weeks per year. At present my son operates our family’s seiner and continues to fish this area. Our combined family’s presence in this area is over 80 years.

I have been hired by Fisheries and Oceans Canada to participate in stock assessments for salmon and herring. In 1968 we were hired by Shell Oil Company to assist in the positioning of Sedco’s drill rig in Hecate Straits.

We have spent so much time in Fisheries and Oceans Canada designated area 6 that lifelong friends – the late Alan Hall of Kitamaat and Johnny Clifton of Hartley Bay – were made. I have seen the waterfall at Butedale frozen solid, bone dry and running so hard you could not tie up your boat.

With our family’s 80 plus years of fishing in the Whale Channel area we have firsthand knowledge of tides, weather, types of fish and bird life. The area from Kitamaat to Hecate Straits is designated Area 6, by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and is the most consistent salmon producing region in British Columbia with runs in the odd and even years.

In Area 6 there is:

Within the Central coast area 128 salmon bearing streams
Kitasu Bay to McInnes Island is a major herring spawning ground
All 5 species of salmon, herring, crab, mussels, clams, abalone, prawns, eulachons, pilchards, hake, geoduck, mackerel, halibut cod, pollock, otters, eagles and many birds, plus whales and porpoises
Tides that fluctuate over 20 feet causing currents of up to 5 knots
Being a region of heavy snow and glaciers there are very strong freshets from May to the end of July
The outflow winds from Douglas Channel can be extreme during summer and winter
Weather in Hecate Straits – because of strong complex currents, waves have been recorded up to 30 metres. The highest wind gusts recorded for November, December, January, February and March is 180 -190-plus km per hour.

If a ship enters Laredo Channel from Hecate Straits at McInnes Island the tanker would have Lenard Shoal and Moody Bank at the bottom of Aristazabl Island. On the east side of Aristazabl Island there are 2 very dangerous rocks known as Wilson and Moorhouse. Campania Sound is also a very treacherous body of water from Dupont Island to Hecate Straits.

There are many rocks and to name a few, Bortwick, Cort, Ness, Evans, Cliff and Janion also Yares Shoal. This area is a minefield of reefs. These rocks are spread out between Rennison Island, Banks Island and Campania Island. This route would be extremely dangerous to tanker traffic. Using the Otter Pass route, Nepean rock becomes a very prominent problem for ships’ travel.

Should a major oil spill occur I feel an oil boom would not be able to contain it because of the velocity of the current in this area and the oil could travel 20-50 miles in one 6 hour tide. This area is not the Mediterranean or a lagoon.

If a spill occurred in Laredo Channel the herring spawning area at Kitasu Bay to Price Island could be totally destroyed, possibly forever. The eel grass which the herring need to spawn on could be wiped out. Some years over 10,000 tons of herring spawn in this area.

A spill at freshet time would be the most devastating. Due to the differences of its viscosity, salt water is heavier and would be lower and the fresh water being lighter, becomes a shallow layer at the surface. The juvenile salmon live in this fresh water layer as they migrate to sea. The juvenile salmon jump like raindrops and if they were migrating in a spill area the oil could wipe out an entire run. Some streams could become barren of salmon.

I have tried to point out, so people know, the dangers of the entire marine area and what could happen if there is ever a spill. I have spent my entire life around Princess Royal Island and the vicinity. I personally am totally opposed to the Kitamaat terminal for oil tankers.

John Brajcich and his family have been commercial fishermen on BC’s north and central coast – where oil supertankers would pass – for some eighty years.

Taseko Mines Suing Wilderness Committee for Defamation Over Fish Lake

March 6, 2012MiningChilcotin, Fish Lake/Teztan Biny, Mining, TasekoCommon Sense Canadian

Read this story from the Canadian Press on Taseko Mines’ decision to sue the Wilderness Committee and one of its campaigners for defamation regarding the environmental organization’s criticisms of the company’s proposed mine west of Williams Lake. (March 1, 2012)

VANCOUVER – The company behind a controversial mining proposal in British Columbia has filed a lawsuit against one of its critics, alleging an environmental group has made inaccurate and defamatory comments that threaten to mislead the public.

Taseko Mines Ltd. (TSX:TKO.TO – News) filed a notice of claim in B.C. Supreme Court on Thursday targeting the Western Canada Wilderness Committee and one of its employees over statements the environmental group has made about the company’s New Prosperity gold and copper project.

The project has faced fierce opposition from environmentalists and local First Nations communities and was rejected by a federal government environmental review in 2010…

…”Taseko welcomes a full, thorough and open process to evaluate the merits of the New Prosperity project,” Russell Hallbauer, CEO of Taseko, said in a news release issued Thursday.

“We cannot, however, stand idly by when certain parties such as the Western Canada Wilderness Committee mislead the public.”

Joe Foy, national campaign director for the Western Canada Wilderness Committee, dismissed the legal action as a “slap lawsuit” designed to silence criticism.

Foy said his group plans to defend itself against the lawsuit, and he suggested the company’s notice of claim doesn’t accurately reflect what’s currently on the Wilderness Committee’s website.

Foy noted the Wilderness Committee made changes in recent weeks after complaints from the company. For example, the web page quoted in the notice of claim no longer refers to Fish Lake as a “tailings pond.”

“We called Taseko mines and told them we did not think anything we said was actionable, that we were willing to look at the thing that we had up on our website and make some changes, which we did,” Foy said in an interview.

“We feel we behaved reasonable in this, but we do not agree that we’re guilty of libel so we’ll defend ourselves in court.”

Read full article: http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/b-c-mining-company-sues-024146812.html

Salmon Activist Don Staniford Has Left the Country…Continues Battle in Norway

March 6, 2012Oceans, Salmon Farming and AquacultureAquaculture, SalmonCommon Sense Canadian

Read this story from the Winnipeg Free Press on salmon activist Don Staniford’s deportation from Canada and new job taking on the aquaculture industry in its global headquarters nation of Norway. (March 5, 2012)

VANCOUVER – Only days after he was removed from Canada for overstaying a visitor’s permit, a controversial salmon-farming critic says he has settled in Norway to “slay the dragon in its own lair.”

Since 2005, British-born activist Don Staniford has been a divisive force in British Columbia’s ongoing salmon-farming debate. He has been accused by the industry of going beyond rational dialogue and distorting facts and has twice been sued by B.C. companies for defamation.

But supporters see him as a tireless critic and Staniford is promising to take his battle against the industry to Europe, where he’ll serve as the global campaign co-ordinator for another environmental group.

“I’ve gone straight to work for the Green Warriors of Norway and straight to the belly of the beast here in Norway,” said Staniford, in a phone interview.

“Norway controls much of the global industry and I’m going to slay the dragon in its own lair.”

The new job is significant because Kurt Oddekalv, leader of the Green Warriors of Norway, has described himself as the most “hard hitting environmental warrior” in his country.

Also significant is Staniford’s legal history.

Staniford’s most-recent defamation case was launched by Mainstream Canada, a subsidiary of the Norwegian company Cermaq.

The case has wrapped up in the Supreme Court of B.C., but a judgment has yet to be made.

Leading Journal Nature Calls on Harper Government to Quit Muzzling Scientists

March 6, 2012Canada, Climate Change, Politicsclimate change, PoliticsCommon Sense Canadian

Read this story from the Globe and Mail on a recent editorial by prestigious scientific journal Nature’s open criticism of the Harper Government’s muzzling of science. (March 1, 2012)

One of the world’s leading scientific journals has criticized the federal government for policies that limit its scientists from speaking publicly about their research.

The journal, Nature, says in an editorial in this week’s issue that it is time for the Canadian government to set its scientists free.

It notes that Canada and the United States have undergone role reversals in the past six years, with the U.S. adopting more open practices since the end of George W. Bush’s presidency while Canada has been going in the opposite direction.

The editorial says that since taking power in 2006, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government has tightened the media protocols applied to federal government scientists and employees.

Nature says policy directives on government communications that have been released through access to information requests have revealed the Harper government has little understanding of the importance of the free flow of scientific knowledge.

The journal says its own news reporters have experienced firsthand the obstacles the Canadian government puts in the way of people trying to gain access to science generated by government scientists on the public payroll.

“The Harper government’s poor record on openness has been raised by this publication before … and Nature’s news reporters, who have an obvious interest in access to scientific information and expert opinion, have experienced directly the cumbersome approval process that stalls or prevents meaningful contact with Canada’s publicly funded scientists,” the editorial says.

Alberta Activist Wiebo Ludwig Dying of Cancer

March 6, 2012Energy and Resources, Oil&GasOil and gasCommon Sense Canadian

Read this story from the Toronto Star on oil and gas industry foe Wiebo Ludwig’s declining health. (March 3, 2012)

HYTHE, ALTA.—Eco-warrior Wiebo Ludwig is fighting his final battle.

It’s a question of when, not if. Diagnosed last year with cancer of the esophagus, Ludwig, 70, is in palliative care and preparing for death.

Ludwig was rushed to hospital in nearby Grande Prairie last Monday after food became lodged in his throat. Doctors enlarged the stent they first inserted in his esophagus in late January.

The patriarch of a Christian clan returned to the compound of his roughly 60 followers and family near here at Trickle Creek Farm, the 324-hectare parcel of nearly self-sufficient land in northwest Alberta’s Peace River country. The Dutch-born enemy of the oil industry — eco-terrorist, his many foes would label him — has lost 30 pounds in the past month alone.

“It doesn’t bother me,” Ludwig said of his impending death, during a Trickle Creek interview last week. “I’m quite grateful about my life, in many ways a concentrated series of battles. I enjoyed the battles. They were difficult times, but meaningful. I was seldom bored, put it that way.”

Boring is definitely not a word to associate with Wiebo Ludwig.

Ever since he moved here in the mid-1980s, his name has been a lightning rod for deep, bitter controversy over the good and bad things about life in the oilpatch.

Taseko Mines Ready to Begin Work on Prosperity Mine

March 6, 2012MiningChilcotin, Fish Lake/Teztan Biny, Mining, TasekoCommon Sense Canadian

Read this story from the Winnipeg Free Press on Taseko Mines’ plans to begin work on its proposed Prosperity Mine in Tsilhqot’in First Nations territory west of Williams Lake, as an injunction prohibiting work has been lifted. (March 6, 2012)

VANCOUVER – Taseko Mines Ltd. (TSX:TKO) says it will begin exploration work at the New Prosperity site in B.C.’s central interior after a court overturned an injunction brought by the Tsilhqot’in First Nation.

Taseko said Tuesday that the injunction, granted in December, was vacated by court order.

The mining company said it plans to begin preliminary work on Tuesday to obtain information it needs in advance of a federal environmental assessment.

The company has 12 months to complete the necessary work at the site needed for a second federal government environmental process, but has said the band refused to allow workers on the land.

The First Nation wanted the court to keep the mining firm out of its territory, preventing it from doing any work until the B.C. Appeal Court rules on the band’s case involving aboriginal title in certain claim areas.

Tsilhqot’in Chief Marilyn Baptiste has said the B.C. government simply rubber stamped Taseko’s permits and licences for the mine, without consulting with them as required.

The mine has a controversial history. The proposal for the $1.1-billion mine was approved by the B.C. government, but was rejected in a federal government environmental review in 2010.

The Common Sense Canadian

Critical discussion of key issues shaping our economy and environment.