Over the years, starting in earnest with the Kemano Completion Project fight in 1993, I’ve been highly critical of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and its politicization by the Mulroney government of that day. I was hit with a massive lawsuit by former Minister Tom Siddon which my insurers stupidly settled (I made that comment publicly immediately upon the news release). I had support from many former DFO scientists and I’m satisfied that my statements were accurate. When the KCP was approved in 1986 this was because the politicians told DFO to do as it was told.
Now we have proof of DFO working on behalf of salmon farmers via a document filed at the Cohen Commission. To be truthful, it makes me feel ill to read it and report on it. The only conclusion one can come to is that the DFO is a willing arm of the fish farm Industry.
It’s styled as a “BRIEFING NOTE FOR THE DIRECTOR GENERAL OF HABITAT MANAGEMENT”
MEETING WITH BC SALMON FARMERS ASSOCIATION REGARDING PUBLIC CONFIDENCE AND AQUACULTURE.
The meeting was for May 4, 2005 with Mary Ellen Walling of the BC Salmon Farmers’ Association, David Rideout of the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance, the Deputy Minister and other senior DFO staff and – get this – the primary purpose of the meeting was to discuss the challenges facing the BC salmon farming industry with respect to public confidence in aquaculture practices, as well as in the government regulation of the industry. (You will note that none of the independent scientists who had raised concerns about fish farming were to be present. No Alexandra Morton…no Martin Kroksek…no John Volpe…no Neil Frazer…no Daniel Pauly…and on the list of absentees goes).
It goes on to say, “As lead federal department for aquaculture, DFO has explicitly committed to improving public confidence in aquaculture. To deliver on this commitment, the department has undertaken several initiatives to raise public confidence in the context of aquaculture.” (my emphasis)
Can you believe this?
The document is a screed of helpful hints for the director as he marches hand in hand with the fish farmers to bury the truth, to be replaced with fish farmer propaganda including such gems as “developing a long term proactive strategy for raising pubic confidence in aquaculture…targeting information for the general public, rather than trying to directly challenge the media campaigns being carried out by well funded ENGOs.” It speaks of Regional Communications and Aquaculture Management Staff to “manage the file”.
Ponder that: a “Communications and Aquaculture Management staff”??? Would not “Fish Farmers’ Propaganda Department” be synonymous? This is our DFO taking care of the public interest?
The fish farmers have corrupted the DFO, which in turn was more than willing to be corrupted.
Here’s a little gem for you:
“Indications from pacific region are that the recent meeting with Mary Ellen Walling [flack for the fish farmers – eidtor’s note] was positive and industry seemed satisfied with the progress made at the meeting. The region committed to regular meetings with Mary Ellen Walling.” (emphasis mine)
Can you believe this! Industry seemed satisfied!
Thank God for that! One trembles to think of the consequences if good old Mary Ellen had been dissatisfied!
There is a link provided to this document and you can read it all for yourself.
I scarcely know where to start.
This is a huge vindication for people like Alexandra Morton who stood, unfunded, up to the bully. I can only imagine how she must feel seeing the despicable supposedly protector of our fish as corrupt as a Tammany Hall sort of City Hall. I don’t speak of monetary corruption. I’m reminded of the jingle:
“You cannot hope to bribe or twist,
(thank God!) the British journalist.
But, seeing what the man will do
Unbribed, there’s no occasion to.”
How the hell do these people sleep at night? What do they tell people what they do for a living? It surely would be easier in that regard to be the piano player in a house of ill repute.
Where have our politicians been? Where the hell has the mainstream media been? I’ve never been prouder of the fact that I was forced out because of my support for Alexandra Morton. To be in journalism and not report on this would be to accept dirty money.
Do not, for the love of God, let the provincial government off the hook. Until Ms. Morton’s lawsuit, the BC government was the leading shill.
The governments ought to be ashamed but so should backbenchers for not asking questions. There was no shortage of questions raised outside the house – they knew what I was saying all too well. Where the hell were they when to be a politician took a little guts?
The governmental process at both levels of senior government should hang their heads in shame and more fool us if we don’t throw them all out on their tender asses.
2005 DFO Briefing Note (PDF)
Damien Gillis’ Video From 2009 confronting DFO at Aquanor, the world’s largest fish farming trade show:
Excellent reporting Rafe. Here is my story.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia has been conspiring with a few Fishermen from Glace Bay over a long period of time. DFO is enabling and abetting this behaviour which forms a definite “conscious wrongdoing”. The end result is that senior management at DFO uploaded their responsibility, and convert…ed this “Joint Project Agreement” or contracts to fish Snow Crab off Louisbourg into a political ideology. The decision to issue Snow Crab Licenses to these Fishermen was clearly based on politics. This constitutes a breach of duty by DFO thus making it a clear and concise case for me based on political discimination.
This type of illegal political maneuvering by the bureaucrats at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia is counterproductive to all groups of Fishermen across Canada. Senior policy advisors at DFO collude with Fishermen and fishing groups who agree with their policies and reward them accordingly with lucrative fishing licenses.
Comments can also be posted on my blog http://www.pgfraser.blogspot.com/
A few more for you to consider sir;
Douglas, you kindly state we need fish farms because there is not enough wild stocks to go around. Let’s go with this argument then. If indeed we do need farmed fish, why not farm a variety of fish that is indigenous to these waters, but instead the foreign species Atlantic salmon is brought here? Moreover, why not have these pens on land so as not to interfere with wild stocks?
Yes salmon farming is a legal business; why then do ordinary Canadians have to attend Supreme Court to force DFO to obey Canadian laws surrounding DFO’s mandate which is to protect our environment and manage our wild fish?
How can the DFO minister be managing both the preservation of wild stocks, and allow the decimation of the same by experimentation with fish farming in local waters? She freely admits in the video supplied that the science is not fully clear on the problems associated with ocean pen fish farming.
Should not the precautionary principle apply here? That we do not have fish farming until such time as we can verify that fish farms are not interfering with our natural wild stocks.
Hey Douglas,
Don’t forget to breathe ok 😉
Let me help you with a few thoughts on some of your statements;
The smoking gun has been created by the fish farming industry by simply looking at the results. For example, wild fish stocks are in decline all over the world where fish farming is present in local waters. Wild stocks are thriving where there are no fish farms in the ocean. Can you explain this for us?
Something else for you to consider; why are fish farmers applying for a licence/permit to apply Slice™ to control sea lice while at the same time claiming to the general public there is no lice problem?
DFO will not meet with the BCSFA simply because the BCSFA does not support DFO mandate to restore confidence in a program that threatens the BCFSA very existence, jobs, and the ability to feed their families.
Very good Rafe! When you see so much scientific evidence, one cannot but clearly see a “smoking gun.” Of course, the Aquaculture industry would want to play victim and pretend to take the high road to prevent eating into their profits in the short term and move open net fish farm feedlots into containment, preferably on land. This would allow the Aquaculture industry to expand and thrive, and give a fighting chance to the wild salmon industry that serves benefits the human and the rest of the food chain in supports. DFO should bring on a meeting with John Volpe, Alexandra Morton, David Suzuki, Martin Krosek, Neil Fraser, Daniel Pauly and other highly credible scientists.
Rafe’s an editorialist, not a journalist, Douglas. Never in 30 years in the media has he pretended to be otherwise.
The problem isn’t their meeting. It’s their colluding to deceive citizens about an issue of significant public interest and environmental concern. It’s part of the picture emerging from Cohen – a concerted effort to conceal evidence and mislead the public about the impacts of salmon farms on wild fish and the marine environment. Of late it’s viruses emerging as another major issue from salmon farms, one that has been deliberately kept from the public.
You too, fish farmer, have your biases. We are all biased. We are not all RIGHT.
Oh please.
You’ll make anything a smoking gun won’t you?
Why wouldn’t DFO meet with the BCSFA?
Why wouldn’t they want to restore confidence?
We needed farmed fish. There isn’t enough wild fish to go around.
I would be shocked if the DFO did not meet with the BCSFA as well as the Salmon fisheries. They should meet wtih all stakeholders.
May I remind you salmon farming is a legal activity?
You are so biased it’s a joke. Journalism? I think not.
Oh please.
You’ll make anything a smoking gun won’t you?
Why wouldn’t DFO meet with the BCSFA?
Why wouldn’t they want to restore confidence?
We needed farmed fish. There isn’t enough wild fish to go around.
I would be shocked if the DFO did not meet with the BCSFA as well as the Salmon fisheries. They should meet wtih all stakeholders.
May I remind you salmon farming is a legal activity?
You are so biased it’s a joke. Journalism? I think not.
keep up the good work, rafe.
I could not agree more.
Having known a fisheries ‘inspector” for some years & heard his stories I have never had a doubt that DFO is nothing but a voice of the fishing industry & not a voice for the fish!
Here in Nanaimo we had a fish kill of thousands of herring a month before the fishery.
The official word is that DFO have no idea why these thousands of fish were found dead!
I even know fishermen who think the resouce is being depleted with no regard to the future.
I became a fan of you (Rafe) during the Kemano days but don’t let it go to your head !!
Keep up the good work; few others do!
Hello Rafe: Nice reporting. Ya I guess socialist Corky Evan was minister of fisheries for a bit there and helped destroy wild salmon populations quit an “environmentalist”. Hope we don’t have to hear what a great enviro Corky is from the “Common Sense Canadian” any more. Anyway thanks to you and Damien for some hard hitting journalism. There sure is a paucity out here in the Koots. And next time time you see Alexandra Morton, tell her “tommy tree-hugger” think she is a saint. later