Legacy - February 2015

Legacy

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eMagazine of Wild Game Fish Conservation International

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Squamish River sunrise

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Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

Contents Conservationist Extraordinaire – Walking the Talk ___________________________________________________ 5 Fishing photos and videos _________________________________________________________________________ 8  Kim Malcom with a dandy Cabo San Lucas dorado ______________________________________________________ 8

Seafood consumption: Public health risks and benefits ______________________________________________ 9  Ocean Wise Recommendation Policy __________________________________________________________________ 10  Enjoy seasonal wild salmon dinners at these fine restaurants:___________________________________________ 12  Are You Trading Your Omega-3s for PCBs with Your Choice of Salmon? _________________________________ 13

Recommended reading: __________________________________________________________________________ 20  “Gre e r W d” ____________________________________________________________________________________ 20  The Salmon __________________________________________________________________________________________ 21

Community Activism, Education, Litigation and Outreach ___________________________________________ 22         

Global movement to remove salmon feedlots from our oceans __________________________________________ European Union Enacts Strict Food Labelling Laws _____________________________________________________ Ecojustice goes to court to force veterinary college to investigate fish disease complaint _________________ Sacred Salmon Ceremony: Vedder River, British Columbia ______________________________________________ Protecting our Waterways ____________________________________________________________________________ Wild Salmon Day at Simon Fraser University ___________________________________________________________ Activists gather to protest Keystone pipeline, tar sands oil extraction ____________________________________ Wild Salmon Warrior Radio with Jay Peachy – Tuesday Mornings________________________________________ Wild Salmon Warrior Radio – Recent Archives _________________________________________________________

22 23 24 26 27 28 29 30 31

Salmon feedlots__________________________________________________________________________________ 32  Salmon Feedlots: 2014 in Review – Moving Forward in 2015 _____________________________________________ 33  British Columbia Pesticide Use Permit: Marine Harvest _________________________________________________ 34  Newfoundland aquaculture plan update a recipe for disaster ____________________________________________ 35  NS Coalition for Aquaculture Reform supports Implementation of Doelle-Lahey Aquaculture Report in Full _________________________________________________________________________________________________  Sea lice pesticides used in salmon industry may be hazardous __________________________________________  3 FACTS ABOUT FARMED SALMON THAT WILL SHOCK YOU ___________________________________________  Environmental Impacts of Open-Ocean Aquaculture ____________________________________________________  Fin fish on the run in Osterfjorden and Lindas __________________________________________________________  Grieg Seafoods Atlantic Salmon Farm Application: Broughton Archipelago (British Columbia)_____________  MARINE INSTITUTE CALL FOR STANDARDS AND INSPECTIONS ON FISH FARMS WELCOMED ___________  Editorial: Wild fish still best choice, but farming is getting better ________________________________________  It is Time to Advertise! ________________________________________________________________________________

38 40 42 45 46 48 49 51 53

Energy Generation: Oil, Coal, Geothermal, Hydropower, Natural Gas, Solar, Tidal, Wind _______________ 55 Petroleum – Drilled, Refined, Tar Sands, Fracked _________________________________________________________ 56  Petropolis - Rape and pillage of Canada and Canadians for toxic bitumen ________________________________ 56  Keystone means 'unlocking' Canadian oil sands________________________________________________________ 57  The oil boom in one slick infographic __________________________________________________________________ 57  As more oil trains roll through the Northwest, safety concerns increase __________________________________ 61  Ranker co-sponsors bill on oil train transportation _____________________________________________________ 66  Exxon Mobil TV Commercial __________________________________________________________________________ 68  Public safety at heart of need for oil pipelines, says Metro Vancouver Tory MP ___________________________ 69

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots  Guest: Protecting Bristol Bay is the right call for a fragile marine ecosystem _____________________________ 71  LARGEST TAR SANDS PIPELINE INTO US SHUT DOWN AFTER SPILLING NEARLY 60,000 GALLONS OF OIL ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 73 Coal ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ 75  Train derails near North Bend _________________________________________________________________________ 75  Ash spilled in train derailment could harm fish in Banff creek ___________________________________________ 76  Cherry Point coal terminal would harm salmon, Lummi way of life _______________________________________ 79 Hydropower ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 81  Chehalis River dam denounced on environmental, cultural and economic grounds _______________________ 81  Washington State Flood Plain Management ____________________________________________________________ 82  ‘C r ph c’ e r hqu ke d u m brew ff .C. c ___________________________________________ 83  Residents below aging B.C. dam warned: in case of major earthquake, get out in 10 minutes or die ________ 87  Watana dam would kill the Susitna as salmon river _____________________________________________________ 90  Major Flood Predicted for Newaukum River; Moderate Flooding Predicted on Others ______________________  Commissioners Tour Flood-Stricken Areas With Sheriff _________________________________________________  L d de H z rd C dered ‘Ex reme’ f r Lew C u _______________________________________________ Solar __________________________________________________________________________________________________

92 94 95 97

Wild Game Fish Management _____________________________________________________________________ 98      

Chinook salmon could be wiped out by 2100, new study claims _________________________________________ 98 Atlantic Salmon Trust warns wild stocks face extinction ________________________________________________ 99 J50: Another reason to conserve wild chinook salmon _________________________________________________ 100 Where have all the salmon gone? ____________________________________________________________________ 101 B.C. government reviews environmental oversight of resource development ____________________________ 103 Situation Assessment for Capitol Lake________________________________________________________________ 106

Wildlife Artists: _________________________________________________________________________________ 107    

Artist Response Team _______________________________________________________________________________ Leanne Hodges: West Coast Wild ____________________________________________________________________ Dan Wallace: Passion for Authenticity ________________________________________________________________ Derek DeYou Ar : “Dre m D ub e 2” (SOLD) ________________________________________________________

108 109 110 111

 Diane Michelin - Fly Fishing Fine Art: "Gentle Release" ________________________________________________ 112

Conservation-minded businesses – please support these fine businesses __________________________ 113  Riverman Guide Service – since 1969 _________________________________________________________________ 113  Learn to fish: experienced, conservation-minded professional instructors_______________________________ 114  XXL Chrome Chasing ________________________________________________________________________________ 115  Emerald Water Anglers ______________________________________________________________________________ 116        

Kingfish West Coast Adventure Tours ________________________________________________________________ Dave and Kim Egdorf's Western Alaska Sport Fishing _________________________________________________ Spirit Bear Coffee Company__________________________________________________________________________ Hidden Paths - Slovenia _____________________________________________________________________________ ProFishGuide: Coastal Fishing at its Best _____________________________________________________________ Silversides Fishing Adventures ______________________________________________________________________ UWET "STAY-DRY" UNDERWATER TOURS ___________________________________________________________ Rhe Weber’ Ch r erb “S mmer” ________________________________________________________________

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Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

Legacy

Wild Game Fish Conservation International Wild Game Fish Conservation International (WGFCI): Established to advocate for wild game fish, their fragile ecosystems and the cultures and economies that rely on their robust populations.

LEGACY – Journal of Wild Game Fish Conservation: Complimentary, nononsense, monthly publication by conservationists for conservationists LEGACY, the WGFCI Facebook page and the WGFCI website are utilized to better equip fellow conservationists, elected officials, business owners and others regarding wild game fish, their contributions to society and the varied and complex issues impacting them and those who rely on their sustainability.

LEGACY exposes impacts to wild game fish while featuring wild game fish conservation projects, fishing adventures, wildlife art, accommodations, equipment and more. Your photos and articles featuring wild game fish from around planet earth are welcome for possible inclusion in an upcoming issue of LEGACY. E-mail them with captions and credits to Jim (wilcoxj@katewwdb.com).

Successful wild game fish conservation efforts around planet earth will ensure existence of these precious natural resources and their ecosystems for future generations to enjoy and appreciate. This is our LEGACY. Forward The February 2015 issue of Legacy marks forty consecutive months of our complimentary eMagazine; the no-holds-barred, watchdog journal published by Wild Game Fish Conservation International.

As recreational fishermen, conservation of wild game fish is our passion. Publishing “Legacy” each month is our self imposed responsibility to help ensure the future of these precious gifts that have been entrusted for safekeeping to our generation We continue to urge our readers to speak out passionately and to demonstrate peacefully for wild game fish and their ecosystems; ecosystems that we are but one small component of.

Bruce Treichler James E. Wilcox Wild Game Fish Conservation International

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

Conservationist Extraordinaire – Walking the Talk Chris Gadsden

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

Fishing photos and videos

 Kim Malcom with a dandy Cabo San Lucas dorado

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

Seafood consumption: Public health risks and benefits

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Ocean Wise Recommendation Policy Ocean Wise’s classification system is based on two categories: sustainable (Ocean Wise) or unsustainable (not recommended). Species are regularly updated and/or reclassified based on the latest scientific information.

General Rule of Recommendations Ocean Wise recommendations are generated from assessments using the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program methodology: Wild Capture Criteria and Aquaculture Criteria. As of January 2012, the Monterey Bay Aquarium revised their criteria to reflect advances in our science and understanding related to the environmental sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture.

All new Ocean Wise recommendations are based on the following: 

Wild Capture Fisheries The wild capture methodology is based on 4 main criteria: 1. Impacts of the fishery on the stock in question 2. Impacts of the fishery on other species 3. Effectiveness of management 4. Impacts on habitat and ecosystem Overall Score must be ≥ to 2.8 (out of 5) And there cannot be any critical scores or criterion 3 cannot be < 2.2 or more than one of criteria 1, 2, and 4 be < 2.2



Aquaculture The aquaculture methodology is based on 8 main criteria: 1. Data 2. Effluent 3. Habitat effects 4. Chemical use 5. Feed 6. Escapes and introduced species 7. Disease, pathogens and parasite interaction 8. Source of stock Overall score ≥ 5.5 (out of 10) And no critical scores and not more than 1 criteria scoring < 3.33

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Enjoy seasonal wild salmon dinners at these fine restaurants:

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Are You Trading Your Omega-3s for PCBs with Your Choice of Salmon?

Watch video HERE January 3, 2015 The omega-3 levels in farmed salmon seem to have entered a free fall. Today's farmed fillet may contain as little as half of the omega-3s as it did less than a decade ago, according to the International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organization (IFFO).1 More than half of the fish Americans eat comes from fish farms, which has increased by more than 400 percent in the last 10 years.2

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots Not only are omega-3 levels dropping, but salmon farmers have recently been caught overstating the omega-3 fat levels of their products, as in the news report above. And not by an insignificant amount—threefold!

The report comes from New Zealand, but if it's happening there, it could easily be occurring in other places as the aquaculture industry begins to worry about losing health-minded consumers.3 Why Are Omega-3 Levels Dropping in Farmed Fish?

The drop in farmed salmon's omega-3 levels has resulted from changes in what the fish are fed. In order to keep their omega-3 levels up, farmed fish have traditionally been fed large quantities of small oily wild fish, such as anchovies, herring, and sardines.

These have now become so overfished that their numbers have dropped precipitously, forcing salmon farmers to resort to other sources of feed that are low in omega-3 fats and high in omega-6s.

Instead of small wild fish high in omega-3s, farmed salmon are now feasting on byproducts of hog and poultry processing, soybeans and soybean oil, canola oil, corn and other grains, most of which are genetically engineered for the animal feed industry.

All of these are loaded with cheap, low quality omega-6 fats and essentially devoid of beneficial omega-3 fats.

Farmed salmon's drop in omega-3 levels is a similar phenomenon to the poor omega fat profile of industrialized meats—grain-fed beef and poultry—compared to animals raised on pasture. Fish farms, even though they're ocean-based, are still confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs), replete with all of the problems associated with such.

Farmed Salmon Has Almost Five Times the Omega-6 Fat of Wild Salmon Fish in the wild, especially oily fish such as salmon, are a rich source of omega-3 fats. Those of particular dietary importance are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

Most of the health benefits of omega-3 fats (for your heart, brain, immune system, and other) are linked to the animal- and fish-based EPA and DHA, not the plant-based ALA (alpha-linoleic acid).

"Omega-3s are not labeled, so consumers can't possibly have any idea how much farmed fish contain," says Marion Nestle, author and New York University professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health. Levels can vary from farm to farm, depending on in-house feed recipes and the time of year salmon are harvested.4 Farmed salmon are much fattier than wild salmon. The economic incentive to speed the growth of farmed salmon has led to the use of increasingly high-energy diets, which is why farmed grow so big.

High fat itself is not a problem, but what comprises that fat IS the problem. Farmed salmon are much higher in omega-6 fat—almost five times higher—and the typical American already gets 10 to 20 times too much omega-6 as they need.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots Given the fact that farmed salmon's omega-3 levels are falling, its fat profile is likely to continue moving in the wrong direction. The following table, derived from Authority Nutrition,5 shows the omega-3 and omega-6 profiles of wild versus farmed salmon.

Nutrient

Half Fillet Wild Salmon

Half Fillet Farmed Salmon

Total Fat

13 g

27 g

Omega3 Fats

3.4 g

4.2 g

Omega6 Fats

341 mg

1944 mg

How Healthy Can Salmon Be When Raised on a Steady Diet of Chicken Feather Sandwiches?

Farmed and Dangerous 6 provides an example of a fish feed label, and the ingredients are very telling in terms of where these excess omega-6 fats are coming from. Skretting's "Winter Plus 3500″ salmon feed lists the first nine ingredients: "Poultry Meal, Fish Meal, Poultry Fat, Fish Oil, Whole Wheat, Soybean Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Feather Meal, Rapeseed Oil" To this you can add gelatin, swine byproducts and other unsavory protein and fat sources found in common commercial fish feed.7, 8 This is a far cry from a species-appropriate diet! However, fish farmers are left with few options.

According to Farmed and Dangerous, it takes 1.5 to eight kilograms of wild fish to produce just one kilogram of farmed salmon, which is why the aquaculture industry is contributing heavily to the depletion of wild fish stocks.9 About 85 percent of global fish stocks are severely overexploited, depleted or in various stages of recovery.10 We are losing species as well as entire ecosystems, and as a result, the overall ecological integrity of our oceans is at risk.

Fish Farms: CAFOs of the Sea

Environmental Risks of Fish Farms

Legacy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

. 1Transmission of disease

Just as with land-based CAFOs, high stocking densities can fuel a disease outbreak. Vaccines and antibiotics are used to control infections, through medicated baths and feed, but those methods of delivery also increase the chance that antibiotics will pass into the environment, affecting wildlife and other organisms. The use of antibiotics in aquaculture has resulted in a much larger problem: antibiotic resistance.

2. Sea lice

One of the most significant threats facing wild salmon populations, a parasite called sea lice, spread rampantly in fish farms.15 Farm infestations significantly increase the number of lice in surrounding waters, infecting wild fish populations. Sea lice can infect very young salmon so that fewer make it out to sea or back to spawn. Combating sea lice requires the use of toxic pesticides, including emamectin benzoate (SLICE),16 which persists in the salmon's tissues and the environment for weeks to months.

3. Escapes and interspecies impacts

The majority of salmon are raised in open pens and cages along the coast, where the fish are targeted by predators such as seals and sea birds, who attempt to get through the nets. As a result, many salmon flee from their enclosures. The escape of farmed salmon into the wild population poses a serious threat to indigenous wild salmon species, potentially outcompeting them for habitat and food, as well as spreading disease.17

4. Salmon manure

Densely confined salmon produce copious amounts of waste, laced with antibiotics and pesticides, and this excrement can build up under the pens, smothering portions of the ocean bottom, contaminating the marine ecosystem and depriving species of

Legacy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots oxygenâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;like a litter box that never gets changed. Or, the bulk of the waste may be carried away from the farm site by ocean currents, ending up collecting in another place and causing localized pollution.

5.

Endangerment of sea life

Seals, sea lions, and birds become trapped and drown in salmon farm nets.18

6. Algal blooms

Algal blooms are the uncontrolled growth of one or more species of algae. Hundreds of thousands of salmon excreting in the confined area of a farm can cause a localized level of nutrient loading that may not be completely absorbed by the surrounding environment; hence, nutrient loading from salmon farms may be linked to algal blooms.

Most fish farms are aquatic versions of CAFOs, and just like cattle and poultry farms, overcrowding makes them breeding grounds for disease. Fish kept in constrained environments become "sea slugs" with health problems similar to humans who don't get enough exercise. The health of farmed fish is further compromised by feeding them an unnatural diet. Farmed salmon suffer from parasites and diseases that can pass directly into wild fish populations, threatening their viability. In order to combat the disease problem, farmed fish are given antibiotics and pesticides (such as endosulfan), and in the case of salmon, synthetic astaxanthin made from petrochemicals not approved for human consumption. Fish farms pump uneaten food and massive amounts of excrement, often containing drugs and pesticides, directly into ocean waters.

Farmed Salmon Is MUCH More Contaminated Than Wild Salmon Over the course of the last century, thousands of dangerous chemical substances have been poured into the oceans. Fish bioaccumulate these pollutants, and farmed salmon are more susceptible to the accumulation of fat-soluble pollutants, such as PCBs. dioxins, and pesticides. Farmed salmon has much higher concentrations of persistent, bioaccumulative contaminants (polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, and several chlorinated pesticides) than wild salmon.11 Scientists have concluded that:12 "Consumption of farmed salmon at relatively low frequencies results in elevated exposure to dioxins and dioxin-like compounds with commensurate elevation in estimates of health risk."

In a global assessment of farmed salmon published in the January 2004 issue of Science,13 13 persistent organic pollutants were found. Some of the most dangerous are PCBs, strongly associated with cancer, reproductive and other health problems. PCB concentrations in farmed salmon were found to be eight times higher than in wild salmon.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots Those contamination levels are deemed safe by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) but not by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Researchers postulated that if EPA guidelines were applied to the farmed salmon they tested, recommendations would be to restrict salmon to no more than once per month.

Six More Reasons to NOT Eat Farmed Salmon Salmon raised on fish farms are also creating some serious environmental problems, six of which are summarized below.14 Genetically Engineered Pseudo-Salmon As if the problems associated with farmed salmon aren't enough, genetically engineered (GE) salmon may soon be heading to a supermarket near you, if approved by FDA. AquaBounty Technologies Inc. has genetically engineered Atlantic salmon (known as AquAdvantage® salmon) to over express a growth-hormone gene, resulting in a fish that grows up to five times faster than normal. The company has been seeking FDA approval for its pseudo-salmon since 1995, which is now opposed by two million Americans, including hundreds of organizations, businesses, fishermen and a large segment of Congress.19 In March 2014, the FDA reported they are still deciding whether or not to approve the GE fish. If they do, it will be the first GE animal product to reach America's dinner plate.

The environmental risks of such a biological nightmare are tremendous.

In a Purdue University computer model that tracked the effects of releasing just 60 "Frankenfish" into a population of 60,000, there was a complete extinction of the normal fish in just 40 fish generations.

In response to these concerns, several major groceries, including Kroger, Whole Foods, Safeway, Target and Trader Joe's, have committed to not selling GE seafood if it's allowed on the market. And Governor Jerry Brown just signed California law AB 504, which bans commercial production of any GE salmon in state waters.20 Clues for Spotting a Farm-Raised Salmon Unfortunately, salmon and other fish are often mislabeled—and if GE salmon is approved, it won't be labeled as such. Studies have shown that up to 80 percent of the fish marked as "wild" are actually farmed. This includes restaurants, where 90 to 95 percent of salmon is farmed, yet often listed on the menu as "wild."

Given these inaccuracies, how can you tell whether a salmon really is wild or farmed? The flesh of the salmon will give you a clue. Wild sockeye salmon is bright red, courtesy of its natural astaxanthin content. Sockeye salmon actually has one of the highest concentrations of natural astaxanthin of any food. Wild salmon is also very lean, so the fat marks—those white stripes you see in the meat—are quite thin. If a fish is pale pink with wide fat marks, the salmon is likely farmed.

Avoid Atlantic salmon, as salmon bearing this label are almost always farmed.

Legacy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots The two designations you want to look for are: "Alaskan salmon" (or wild Alaskan salmon) and "sockeye salmon." Alaskan sockeye are not allowed to be farmed. Canned salmon labeled "Alaskan salmon" is a good bet, and if you find sockeye, it too is assured to be wild. My favorite brand is Vital Choice Wild Seafood and Organics, which offers a nice variety of high-quality salmon products that test high for omega-3 fats and low for contaminants.

Krill Oil, Another Excellent Source of Omega-3 Fats Consuming wild Alaskan salmon is an excellent way to boost your omega-3 level, but there is another option if you're concerned you're not getting enough. You can add a krill oil supplement. Krill oil is extracted from tiny shrimp-like crustaceans called krill that live in the pristine waters of Antarctica. Krill feed on plankton floating near the ocean's surface. The special properties of the EPA and DHA in krill oil make it 48 times more potent than fish oil.

Krill is highly sustainable because of its enormous biomass, between 170 million to 740 million tons.

We are harvesting only about two percent of the precautionary catch limit of 6.6 million tons, set in 2008. We could increase this harvest 50-fold and still be within safe limits. Unlike fish, krill does not accumulate heavy metals, PCBs, dioxins and other contaminants because it's at the bottom of the food chain. Between wild Alaskan salmon, krill oil, and grass pastured meats and dairy, your omega3 to omega-6 fat ratio should be much more balanced and appropriate for optimal health.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

Recommended reading:  “Great Bear Wild” Watch introduction HERE For Book Tour schedule please visit: pacificwild.org/site/events/1409757487.html

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 The Salmon

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

Community Activism, Education, Litigation and Outreach

 Global movement to remove salmon feedlots from our oceans Watch Boycott Video HERE (January 10, 2015)

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 European Union Enacts Strict Food Labelling Laws Watch video 1 HERE Watch video 2 HERE Don Stanford: “Don’t eat cheap and nasty farmed salmon – if the label says farmed, don’t buy it!”

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

Alexandra Morton is a wild salmon advocate who launched a complaint with the College of Veterinarians of B.C. that the organization refused to hear.

 Ecojustice goes to court to force veterinary college to investigate fish disease complaint January 6, 2015 Ecojustice has filed a lawsuit in B.C. Supreme Court seeking a declaration that the College of Veterinarians of B.C. “erred in law and jurisdiction” by refusing to investigate a complaint by Alexandra Morton, an independent researcher who has long opposed salmon farming on the coast.

The suit says that Morton lodged a written complaint with the College on Sept 13, 2013, over “incorrect information” provided in a confidential memorandum dated Aug. 1, 2007, from Mark Sheppard to the provincial Minister of Agriculture and Lands.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots Ecojustice asserts that Sheppard, then an aquatic animal health vet for the province, “advised that live Atlantic salmon eggs are not imported to B.C. and are not allowed to be imported to B.C.; these facts are false.”

Sheppard left the province to work for the federal fisheries department and now operates his own fish-health vet service in Campbell River.

He said Tuesday he would not comment on the substance of the complaint. “I’ve not very interested in it,” he said. “It’s a nuisance as far as I’m concerned. She (Morton) is just dredging up things from the past.” The College also declined to comment.

The Sheppard memo, which became public on Aug. 31, 2011, during the Cohen commission into the decline of Fraser River sockeye, also states that the importation of live fish eggs to Chile is a “highrisk activity that contributes to development of ISA infection,” the suit says.

The memo also says the most likely source of ISA — infectious salmon anemia — in B.C. is from migrating wild fish.

Ecojustice states that “millions of live Atlantic salmon have been authorized for import into B.C. since at least 1985 and that Sheppard knew or should have know that his advice to the minister was incorrect. During the commission hearings, he “indicated that his advice about the import of live Atlantic salmon eggs was not accurate.”

ISA is a “serious and devastating fish disease” that has caused “significant mortalities” in Atlantic salmon in farm operations in Eastern Canada and elsewhere in the world, Ecojustice says.

On about Oct. 30, 2013, the college’s investigation committee dismissed Morton’s complaint that Sheppard had misled the ministry, saying it lacked jurisdiction to investigate, the suit states. Morton challenged that decision on Dec. 26, 2013, but the college said on April 29, 2014 that the Cohen commission had already dealt with the matter.

Ecojustice is seeking an order requiring the college to investigate Morton’s complaint or at least reconsider its decision.

Last November, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said a two-year investigation found no evidence of three diseases in wild salmonids on the B.C. coast.

A total of 8,006 samples of trout and salmon species collected in 2012 and 2013 showed no evidence of ISA. Of that number, 6,734 were also tested for infectious pancreatic necrosis and 1,272 for infectious hematopoietic necrosis. All tests were negative.

In 2011, Simon Fraser University fisheries statistician Rick Routledge had reported that of 48 underweight juvenile Pacific sockeye from Rivers Inlet sent for testing to Atlantic Veterinary College in Prince Edward Island, two tested positive for ISA, which can be fatal to Atlantic salmon. He had the fish tested at Morton’s request.

A review of the P.E.I. lab concluded the facility lacked proper quality standards and didn’t thoroughly investigate conflicting test results. The findings led to the lab being stripped of a prestigious reference status as a facility recognized internationally to test for ISA. Morton said she also sent samples to a lab in Norway, which confirmed the presence of ISA

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Sacred Salmon Ceremony: Vedder River, British Columbia Photos by Chris Gadsdsen

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Protecting our Waterways

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Wild Salmon Day at Simon Fraser University

Simon Fraser University 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Activists gather to protest Keystone pipeline, tar sands oil extraction Watch video report HERE January 13, 2015 FARGO, N.D. -- Fargo and Minneapolis protesters, in tandem with activists across the country, rallied Tuesday against the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

Eight of the roughly two dozen protesters standing on the steps of the U.S. Courthouse in Fargo held up a banner that read "No tar sands pipelines" as drivers passed by, offering their support.

"The whole thing is, this goes back to the issue of climate change," said Fargo resident Dean Hulse, 59, who helped organize the Fargo rally. "We have to draw the line somewhere."

The Keystone XL pipeline -- which would carry difficult-to-refine tar sands oil from northern Alberta to the Gulf Coast -- has been locked up in bureaucratic limbo for years.

Hulse said the purpose of the protest was to draw attention to the environmental risks posed by the pipeline -- like oil spills -- and urge President Barack Obama to veto the project if it passes Congress.

"It will not meet the climate test he laid out," Hulse said of the president.

The rally was one of many against the pipeline across the country, including Tuesday in downtown Minneapolis, where more than two dozen protesters gathered Tuesday in a chilly Government Plaza.

Protesters held signs, sang songs and passed out informational cards to pedestrians near a busy light rail platform to draw attention to their cause. Protests like this one were also held Monday in Mankato and Duluth, in addition to those in cities across the United States.

Chuck Prentice, a volunteer organizer with environmentalist group MN350, called for Obama to veto a bill being sponsored by Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., calling for the pipeline's approval.

"With a looming KXL vote in the U.S. Senate ... Obama must take urgent action and reject the pipeline now," Prentice said.

Already-existing pipelines that carry tar sands oil through North Dakota and Minnesota, Enbridge's Alberta Clipper and Line 3 pipeline, were also a target for protesters in Minneapolis. The Canadianbased Enbridge lines are in the process of applying for expansion.

"If Obama rejects KXL, he must also reject these KXL clone pipelines in Minnesota," said MN350 Mankato member Katy Wortel in a news release.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Wild Salmon Warrior Radio with Jay Peachy – Tuesday Mornings “S re m

ke w d Pacific salmon”

http://wildsalmonwarriorradio.org/

CJSF 90.1 FM is Simon Fraser University's arts, public affairs and indie music radio station!

CJSF strives to provide points of view that are rarely expressed in mainstream media.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Wild Salmon Warrior Radio – Recent Archives December 23: December 30: January 6: January 13:

“Merr F hm ”, Updates: Salmon feedlots, Burnaby Mountain, Ocean-based Farmed salmon boycotts, 2015 wild salmon caravan Burnaby Mountain Activism Update Burnaby Mountain lawsuit update, SFU Wild Salmon Advocacy Discussion with “D rec Affec ed“ f m producer, Sq'ewá:lxw First Nation salmon carving theft

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

Salmon feedlots

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Salmon Feedlots: 2014 in Review – Moving Forward in 2015 “There

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Watch video HERE

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Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 British Columbia Pesticide Use Permit: Marine Harvest

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

Cyr Couturier, president of the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association (left) and Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Vaughn Granter present the province's latest strategy for sustainable development of the aquaculture industry, at Confederation Building in St. John's.

 Newfoundland aquaculture plan update a recipe for disaster January 7, 2015

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots Government not listening to the people: Stable, environmentally friendly, sustainable, food production, jobs — that is what open net pen aquaculture was sold as to the trusting Newfoundland public by promoters and “educators” like Cyr Couturier.

There is only one problem with this story. None of it is true. That is why not a single NGO was sitting with the minister and Mr. Couturier when they tried to sell us their newly hatched PR campaign as a “plan.”

The jobs are not stable as we saw when more than 150 workers were unexpectedly laid off for nearly a year. They had mortgages, kids in school, and stable ongoing financial responsibilities. Meanwhile, their one-time job creator was busy spending the tens of millions (of dollars) we gave them for disease compensation in places such as Chile and the U.K., where they bought in excess of $500M in salmon farms while workers (here) had to beg for make-work program money.

Similarly, we see these companies were not paying required taxes on their/our money as is outlined in the auditor general’s report. If this is “stability” we don’t want it.

While workers faced a depressing Christmas and entire towns became unstable, the fish rotted in the pens for months on end. One massive group of fish was condemned and ordered removed by CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) for having a deadly contagious salmon virus, but companies left them for three months in our bays as they festered.

While 15 million salmonids attract a lot of predators, along with the tens of thousands of tonnes of oily fish pellets thrown into our bays annually, the more than three million salmon left to rot in the pens all winter served to destabilize the local lobster fishery and pollute the local bays with miles of floating rancid salmon fat.

The local lobster buyer stopped buying lobster due to their rancid “burnt diesel” smell. A fish processor quietly bought the lobsters and paid for new buoys and ropes to replace the hundreds of rancid ones.

Not surprisingly, there was a never-before-seen “bloom” of blue slimy tunicates, which typically occurs where nutrient explosions happen, near where the rotten salmon were left all winter.

Tunicates can be voracious wild fish larva consumers. I can go on and on about reports from workers of untold numbers of sharks killed, entire cages being lost and not reported, first-hand reports of massive and illegal pesticide abuses. But no sensible person thinks it’s “environmentally friendly” to dump pesticides in our ocean, cram millions of times higher-than-natural densities of salmon in a bay, etc. It’s like suggesting cigarettes are good for you and cool.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots Sustainable? Really? A free lunch does exist? When does taking wild fish from poor fishermen globally and paying them six to 15 cents a pound (or less) to then grind up these fish that were fit for human consumption into salmon feed to make fewer fish — when exactly was THAT ever sustainable?

Nobody believes the touted conversion ratios of wild fish to fake salmon any longer — ratios that only exist in a lab setting. A for-profit model that makes less food on the planet is sustainable? This method of fish REDUCTION is all about stealing cheap protein and fish oil from poor areas like Chile where it is badly needed and reducing it by making salmon for wealthy G8 consumers who are misled into THINKING (the product) is like wild salmon with a low overall fat content and a high Omega 3 vs “bad fat” ratio (when, in fact, it is neither). It is nothing like real farming. Maybe that is why it gobbled up over 95 per cent of all the national disease compensation money available to all Canadian farmers?

This government has a long history of not enforcing current regulations concerning open net pen salmonid farms (and of) failing to do basic management data collection, and failing to protect our environment. It’s time for a real new plan, not a new PR campaign.

If we want to make fake fish for profit we need to do it with local fish scraps and NOT wild healthy fish from our already devastated oceans. Moreover it needs to be done in a fake environment away from the real one governed by the laws of evolution and population ecology. The good news is, with good governance, it can be done. We may need new players and a new government to make it happen, but we can make a better fake fish model.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 NS

Coalition for Aquaculture Reform supports Implementation of DoelleLahey Aquaculture Report in Full January 8, 2015

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots HALIFAX – Dozens of community groups and organizations from around the province rallied at the Lord Nelson Hotel in Halifax today to show their support for the recently released final report of the Independent Aquaculture Regulatory Review for Nova Scotia, chaired by Dalhousie Law Professors Meinhard Doelle and Bill Lahey. But, say these groups, their support is conditional on government accepting and implementing the entire package as an integrated whole.

“We do not support open-pen salmon feedlots and continue to believe that it is a fundamentally flawed model” says Wendy Watson Smith from The Association for the Preservation of the Eastern Shore.

“Although we are disappointed that the Doelle-Lahey Report does not specifically call for a phase out of open net pen salmon feedlots, we do recognize that it is a thorough and well done review. The report attempts to balance environmental concerns with the need to have a strong economy and we support its immediate implementation.”

“The Doelle-Lahey report validates the legitimate concerns of affected coastal communities and it confirms the negative environmental impacts of the salmon feedlot industry” says Alex Patterson from St Mary’s Bay Coastal Alliance. “It prescribes sweeping regulatory reforms, greater transparency and a need for a much higher level of performance by industry, such as limiting all sites to staying within toxic levels.”

“We support the implementation of the Doelle-Lahey Report as a comprehensive whole, without cherry-picking or half-measures” says Gloria Gilbert of Coastal Community Advocates. “Nothing less than the “regulatory excellence” prescribed in the Ivany Report on Nova Scotia’s economic future will do this time. It’s government’s opportunity to demonstrate leadership in producing a world class regulatory system. Failure to do so will simply guarantee further conflict and deadlock”.

The Doelle-Lahey report recommends strong measures to ensure protection of wild fish and wild fisheries from the proven negative impacts of open net pen salmon farms as well as a meaningful role for communities in decision making.

“The Doelle-Lahey Report is not a green light to the salmon feedlot industry” says Lewis Hinks for the Atlantic Salmon Federation. “Their report makes it clear that they do not support open-net aquaculture; rather they are keeping the door open for that industry to rise to the new proposed standards, which will require a much higher level of environmental and social performance. If implemented, the report states that no new licenses are to be issued until the new system is in place and that all existing aquaculture operations must meet the new regulatory regime”------------The Nova Scotia Chapter of the Atlantic Coalition for Aquaculture Reform includes wild salmon conservationist groups, commercial fisheries groups, tourism operators, environmental organizations, members of coastal communities and proponents of sustainable aquaculture from across the province.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Sea lice pesticides used in salmon industry may be hazardous Chemicals can harm, or even kill, lobsters, federal scientists find January 8, 2015 Federal government scientists are raising concerns about the chemicals used to fight sea lice in the New Brunswick salmon farming industry.

Wayne Moore, director general of regulatory science for Fisheries and Oceans Canada, says two reports indicate "there are potential [lethal issues] associated with each product."

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots Salmosan®, a pesticide currently approved for use in the Bay of Fundy, can be hazardous to lobsters and other species hundreds of metres from a farm, the research conducted at the St. Andrews Biological Station showed.

Meanwhile, Alphamax®, which was temporarily used during a sea-lice infestation five years ago, could kill lobsters up to 10 km away, the studies found.

Sea lice are a parasitic crustacean that feed on the flesh of farmed salmon until the salmon die or the sea lice are removed. They have plagued the New Brunswick salmon farming industry for years.

Boris Worm, a Dalhousie University oceanographer, says the pesticide research is long overdue.

Editorial Comment: Sea lice occur naturally on wild salmon – these parasites die when salmon return to their natal streams. Their populations “explode” while their resistance to chemical treatments evolves in ocean-based salmon feedlots.

"It shows that sometimes things are approved without the proper investigation of what the effects are on the surrounding ecosystem," he said.

And while 2014 was a healthy Bay of Fundy lobster season, Worm contends the real consequences are still unknown.

“What we might want to be concerned about are the sub-lethal effects that accumulate over time," he said.

The federal government is no longer conducting research on the sea lice pesticides, but will fund short-term external research projects.

Some environmentalists worry regulators won't have enough information about which chemicals to approve in the future.

In 2013, Kelly Cove Salmon pleaded guilty to two charges in connection with the deaths of hundreds of lobsters in the Bay of Fundy from an illegal pesticide in 2010.

Cypermethrin is used in aquaculture in other areas, such as the United States, to fight sea lice, but is not authorized for use in Canadian waters.

The company, a division of Cooke Aquaculture, was ordered to pay $500,000 — the largest penalty ever imposed in New Brunswick for environmental violations under the federal Fisheries Act, an Environment Canada official had said.

For several years, the aquaculture industry in southwest New Brunswick used an in-feed additive commonly known as 'Slice' to control sea lice infestations in farmed fish, according to court documents related to the case.

However, sea lice appeared to develop a resistance to the product and its efficacy decreased over time.

By the fall of 2009, there were "severe" sea lice infestations in the southwest Bay of Fundy salmon farms, the documents stated.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 3 FACTS ABOUT FARMED SALMON THAT WILL SHOCK YOU December 23, 2014 When you shop for salmon, or any seafood for that matter, do you consider the environmental impact that purchase has? Certain wild commercial fisheries are sustainably managed to protect against overfishing, habitat damaging fishing methods, and pollution. Of course, alternatively, certain fisheries are not managed at all and contribute to population decline of many species.

You may assume that farmed fish would take pressure off of the wild fish. Unfortunately, the vast majority of farmed salmon are raised in at-sea pens. Something that might surprise you is that farming carnivorous fish (such as salmon and trout) at sea: 1. Creates an environment with unheard of levels of many diseases that put wild fish at risk.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots 2. Destroys the environment around the open-sea pens or where the highly concentrated feces ends up deposited.

3. Is the major cause of decline of some wild species that are used in the feed.

A little background: The distinctions between wild and farmed salmon start at the moment of conception. Wild salmon are conceived by nature’s method, in the pristine streams and rivers where salmon have always spawned throughout history. Farmed salmon are bred in a lab with a limited gene pool, which leads to disease and mutations. This is just the start of the dramatic differences between the life cycles of farm raised and wild salmon. Then, one to three years after they hatch, the wild salmon head out to the open ocean where they will feed on other natural wild fish while traveling vast distances as they develop into strong, adult, salmon. After one to four years in the ocean they will return to the exact same stream or river that they were born in to spawn. In comparison, once the farmed salmon hatch, they are placed in a pen and with 500,00 to a 1,000,000 or more other salmon fry.

They are fed cheap, mass-produced food containing high amounts of toxins, chemical pollutants, pesticides and antibiotics. The farmed salmon grow into adults while being fed that unappetizing diet while trapped in pens with an absurdly high concentration of diseases and feces surrounding them.

Being in a pen, they never get away from these toxic conditions at all. Not surprisingly, many salmon farms are also located in some of the most polluted areas in the world too… You’ll have to guess for yourself whether the chicken or egg came first in this scenario…

1. Farming salmon creates an environment with unheard of levels of many diseases that put wild fish at risk.

A big environmental threat that salmon farms create is diseases. The diseases salmon farms cause spread to a wide range of wild fish species. One of the worst threats that farmed fish pose for wild salmon is sea lice. Scientists for CARR, a highly respected science committee, did studies and research that showed that sea lice from salmon farms pose enormous risk to juvenile wild salmon.

Sea lice grow rapidly on salmon farms and manage to spread to waters surrounding the pens. The worst outcome that the sea lice disease poses for the environment is that the disease attacks baby wild salmon as they head out to sea.

2. Salmon farms destroys the environment around the open-sea pens or where the highly concentrated feces ends up deposited: Since salmon farms are jam-packed with 500,000 or more farmed salmon in such a small area, fish feces and waste feed causes diseases not only on the ocean bottom but also surrounding waters.

The high densities of the farmed salmon create an ideal breeding area for the sea lice.

The feces and waste compiling leads to non-native bacterial diseases starting to grow and spread also. These diseases contribute to destroying the natural ocean life under the pens and in the surrounding areas. The damage is especially evident in areas of shallow waters, or areas that do not flush well.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots There are more environmental negative impacts caused by fish farming than diseases and bacteria.

Oxygen needed by other species to survive is smothered away near salmon farms by the layer of feces, waste, and from the competition from the unnaturally high density of farmed salmon. Ocean currents sometimes help carry away part of the waste and feces from fish farms. This is not helpful from an environmental stand point either though, as farmedanddangerous.org, a website that provides facts from various sources about salmon farms, explains: “…The bulk of waste may be carried away from the farm site by ocean currents (the majority of salmon farms are not even near a strong current), but this too ends up collecting in another place and causing localized pollution.” It is estimated that the average salmon farm pollutes the water with waste and feces as much as the (unprocessed) sewage of a city of 10,000 people would (www.wildpacificsalmon.com).

Clams and rockfish are some of the other species threatened by salmon farms. “Clam beaches… in the Broughton Archipelago (the area with the highest concentration of salmon farms in British Columbia, Canada) have been destroyed by the accumulation of black muck and sludge that has been attributed to salmon farm waste.” The pollution from salmon farms has also been shown to increase the levels of mercury in rockfish. Those contaminants have also increased parasites, tumors, and lesions on other ground fish near salmon farms. Chemicals and antibiotics used in salmon farms in attempt to decrease diseases, parasites, other problems farmed salmon struggle with, and increase the speed at which the farmed salmon grows. These chemicals damage other marine life even further. Buying farmed salmon is supporting and industry that causes lots of damage to nature.

3. Farmed Salmon is the major cause of decline of some wild species that are used in the feed: Wild fish species that are made into feed for farmed fish are also in danger, because of the increase in fish farms around the world. These wild fish are crucial for their local eco-system, but are usually caught by habitat damaging fish trawls half way around the world from the salmon farms. It takes over three pounds (with other studies saying as high as 10 due to unconsumed feed sinking) of other wild fish to produce one pound of harvested farmed salmon (www.puresalmon.org). That three pounds of feed species does not include the wasted feed that escapes through the pens, and pollutes the ocean floor with layers of the excess feed that was dumped into the ocean. Many areas around the world have been over fished for these feed species while trying to keep up with the demand from salmon farms. Usually the wild salmon feed species from fish farms come from third world countries where it is easy to manipulate the industry to produce at an unsustainable level. The farmed salmon industry commonly tries to cover this up by reporting ratios of dried feed to wet salmon produced.

What you can do: Did you learn anything new in this article? Do your friends a favor and share it with them.

Make sure you always ask waiters, or fish monger, if the salmon on their menu is farmed or wild caught, and spread the word of why you prefer wild caught. The one place in the world that is best known for its sustainably harvested wild salmon is Alaska. Alaska is so concerned about the sustainability of their ocean’s resources that they have never allowed any salmon farming in the state.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Environmental Impacts of Open-Ocean Aquaculture

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

Cleanliness: Sjøtroll Aquaculture AS Osterfjorden has reported escapees after the storm.

 Fin fish on the run in Osterfjorden and Lindas (translated) Related story: Notification of escapes in Lindas January 11, 2015 Suddenly net full of fifty large trout.

- The fjord is completely full of fish. The only possible explanation is that a fish farm has wrecked by the storm, said Flæsland.

Two plants damaged Fisheries confirms Sunday evening that there have been escapes from two hatchery: 

On Ospenest Lindas a part of the plant to Fyllingsnes Fish have driven away. Cages contained 65,000 salmon, and it is unclear how many have managed to escape.



In Osterfjorden have storm damaged wood cages belonging Sjøtroll Aquaculture. Cages contained rainbow, and it is uncertain how many escaped.

Legacy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots Want tips His Haddal, senior adviser to the Directorate of Fisheries, asking audience notify if they detect unusual quantities of fish.

- Companies are quick to report the escape, but there may be events that are not yet discovered. Therefore it is very useful for us to know where the fish are observed, so that we can find the source, he said.

Despite the historic storm, believes Haddal that there have been few injuries.

- My impression is that things have largely gone well. I think the situation is very good compared to earlier, where we saw several escapes by storm, adding Haddal to.

Consequences for the environment According to the directorate it is too early to say anything about how escapes can affect the environment and biodiversity.

- First, we must secure an overview of the scope, says Haddal.

Regarding ownership of fishing, it belongs formally farming companies, although it has escaped.

- But in practice it is very rare that it is possible to send the fish back, says Haddal.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Grieg Seafoods Atlantic Salmon Farm Application: Broughton Archipelago (British Columbia)

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 MARINE

INSTITUTE CALL FOR STANDARDS AND INSPECTIONS ON FISH FARMS WELCOMED December 26, 2014

Environmental groups have welcomed the publication of a five year study funded by the European Commission which has called for technical standards and regular inspections for fish farms to be put in place.

‘Prevent Escape’, which involved eleven partners from Norway, Greece, Spain, Malta, Scotland and Ireland, began in 2009. It was led by the Norwegian institute for Fisheries and Aquaculture. The Irish component was led by Dave Jackson of the Marine Institute.

‘Assessing the causes and developing measures to prevent the escape of fish from sea cage aquaculture’ revealed that the introduction of standards for fish farm installation in Norway in 2006 halved the number of escapes over the next four years in spite of production increasing by 50%.

Save Bantry Bay and Friends of the Irish Environment have welcomed the Report and called on Fisheries Minister Simon Coveney to bring in standards and inspections in Ireland.

The Minister recently told the Oireachtas in a written Parliamentary Reply to Clare Daly, TD, that while he was ‘satisfied that the current inspection regime is satisfactory’, his department was ‘alert to ongoing technological changes which enhance the security of all structures on licensed sites and in this regard my Department is currently preparing a draft protocol for the structural design of marine finfish farms.’

Friends of the Irish Environment have appealed to the High Court for release of a Report examining the loss of 230,000 farmed salmon in Bantry Bay in February 2014. Minister Coveney refused to release the Department of Marine’s Engineering Division report claiming it was an ‘internal document’ whose release would ‘not serve public interest’.

Yet a previous report on the escape of 80,000 farmed salmon in Clew Bay in 2010 which was released included a Department of Marine’s Engineering Division Report which showed the Minister himself to be at fault for not requiring the necessary inspections of the equipment which failed, stating: ‘if a more rigorous/frequent mooring inspections programme had been in place it is possible – even likely – there would have been earlier detection which would therefore have avoided the November 2010 failures.’

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots ‘While the Department has no capability itself of mounting its own inspections of underwater equipment it does have a role to play in ensuring that licensing conditions to the effect that licences shall take all necessary steps to prevent the escape of fish are complied with. We did not to my knowledge actually check that there was an adequate monitoring system in place at this site.’

A note by an Assistant Secretary on the Report states: ‘This Report clearly points to the fact that adequate systems in relation to certification, maintenance, inspection, repairs and records need to be in place for this type of installation’.

The Prevent Escape report concluded: ‘To prevent escapes of juvenile and adult fish as sea cage aquaculture industries develop, the Prevent Escape Project recommends that policy makers introduce a technical standard for sea-cage aquaculture equipment, coupled with independent mechanisms to enforce the standard.’

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Editorial: Wild fish still best choice, but farming is getting better December 22, 2014 There are still good reasons to favor non-farmed salmon, but the science of growing fish is improving Serving farmed salmon to dinner guests of restaurant patrons invites rebellion, or at least discontented whispers. We are salmon snobs, and proud of it.

One reason for this has been the poor reputation of farmed fish in general, and farmed salmon in particular. But the influential “Ask Well” column in The New York Times last week struck a different tone about farmed fish — even farmed salmon.

Large corporations are one driver of improvements, with well-respected retailers like Whole Foods insisting on better quality from fish farms. (On the other hand, Whole Foods also is significant customer of Astoria’s Bornstein Seafoods, which is featured in one of Whole Foods’ television commercials. There could be no stronger advocate of wild-caught fish than Bornstein.)

A good deal of the Times’ newly positive attitude toward farmed fish relates to oysters, rainbow trout and Arctic char, all of which are rich in healthy omega 3 fatty acids. Throughout the U.S., oysters have tended to be farm-raised for most of the past century, including in Willapa Bay. Industrial-scale oyster farming is not entirely benign, and a few take the position that it is detrimental to water quality and ecological balance. But a majority of coastal residents and oyster consumers are firm in their belief that farmed oysters are about as pure a food as it’s possible to find.

Is it possible to achieve the same top-tier reputation for other kinds of farmed seafood?

For many in the Pacific Northwest, farmed salmon immediately brings to mind the Atlantic salmon operations of British Columbia, with their occasional outbreaks of disease and “cattle feedlot” approach to rearing fish as quick and cheaply as possible. It may be hard to overcome squeamishness about crowded conditions, feeding practices and other matters.

Editorial Comment: • Ocean-based salmon feedlots have not improved their practices nor have the reduced their impacts on ecosystems, cultures, human health or economies.

• Land-based salmon feedlots offer potential reductions to some environmental impacts – still have impacts to some environmental issues, cultures, human health and economies.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots But since Oregon and Washington are making it increasingly difficult for consumers to access Columbia River salmon, it would be good to have a viable salmon option in those seasons when wild Alaska sockeye isn’t available. A scientist with the Environmental Defense Fund told the Times that consumers should feel OK about eating a mix.

Editorial Comment: • Harvest of Columbia River salmon is being reduced in an effort to conserve and rebuild their populations.

• Ocean-based salmon feedlots are not, and never will be, viable substitutes for wild salmon.

“You paint yourself into a corner if you say you don’t want to eat any farmed fish ever,” he said. “It automatically removes 50 percent of the U.S. seafood supply from your choices.”

As a philosophical matter, almost all of us would prefer to maintain a focus on making certain that commercial fishing remains healthy and that fish farming never comes to be the only way to obtain seafood. We should always avail ourselves of wild-caught fish whenever we can. An example of one underutilized fish when it comes to local human consumption is the sardine, which are loaded with good nutrition but only rarely incorporated into local menus.

Nevertheless, it’s good to know fish-growing operations are getting better.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 It is Time to Advertise!

The response from so many people to advertising has been much greater than I thought! This is the second image in the series in response to the use of pig by-products in farmed salmon feed. Please share this widely and let’s see how far we can go.

I have worked for 25 years to protect wild salmon from salmon farms, publishing science, attending company AGMs, going to court, activism, I was featured on 60 Minutes and I engaged in every government process on this issue. But Canada opened the door to more salmon farms in January and this December vetoed an inquiry recommended by a NAFTA commission into Canada's record on protecting wild salmon from salmon farms.

Meanwhile controversy is boiling over in Norway on the health risks of eating farmed salmon echoed by the premier US business news service Bloomberg.

Legacy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots I am a biologist, but I can see no amount of science is going to inspire this industry to clean up enough to protect wild salmon. Wild salmon are declining everywhere they are exposed to farmed salmon. There is a better way, but global corporate deadlock prevents anyone from going first to stop salmon farmers from pouring industrial feedlot waste over some of the last great runs of wild salmon left on earth.

The industry exists alone in the world of advertising and it is now time that consumers get a different side of the story. I have a pledge of $60,000 if I can raise the rest to make a high impact advertising purchase to run a series of ads.

Aquaculture can mature into a viable, industry that could actually make food, but this will only happen if the consumer demands it. Please consider a donation, no matter how small, and tell your friends, do not eat farmed salmon.

Wild salmon feed the trees that make the oxygen we breathe our planet needs them.

The power of one is all we have, but we ALL have it. If we want wild salmon it is up to us.

EU gives 'untimely' OK to pork, poultry in fish feed

The European Commission has reapproved the use of reconstituted animal protein for use in fish feed from June 2013, in a move declared "untimely"

by French deputy minister for food Guillaume Garot.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

Energy Generation: Oil, Coal, Geothermal, Hydropower, Natural Gas, Solar, Tidal, Wind

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

Petroleum – Drilled, Refined, Tar Sands, Fracked  Petropolis - Rape and pillage of Canada and Canadians for toxic bitumen Watch video HERE

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

Supporters cheer President Barack Obama's pledge to veto a Keystone XL bill from Congress on Jan. 10, 2015, outside the White House.

 Keystone means 'unlocking' Canadian oil sands January 11, 2015 The proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline between Canada and the United States is the first big political battle of 2015.

The House passed a bill Friday approving construction of the oil pipeline in spite of a veto threat from President Barack Obama, who has said he is waiting on input from the State Department before making a decision on the pipeline.

On Fox News Sunday, host Chris Wallace asked an opponent of the project, Sen. Chris Coons, DDel., what Keystone XL means for energy and the environment.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots Coons responded, "Keystone means unlocking the Canadian tar sands, some of the dirtiest sources of energy on the planet, and allowing those tar sands to go across our American midwest and then reach the international market."

We’ve looked into where Canada would export oil carried through Keystone XL, as well as the pipeline’s effect on the environment. But what about Coons’ claim that Keystone XL would mean "unlocking" western Canada’s tar sands? Does the pipeline make a difference between pumping, or not pumping, crude oil from the tar sands?

The short story is the impact seems relatively small. Oil drilling companies in Western Canada have been extracting oil from its sands and transporting them to the United States for production for years, and that practice is expected to continue regardless of Keystone XL. But given the right circumstances, the absence of the Keystone XL pipeline could prevent the region from producing at full capacity.

Editorial Comment: 

The Keystone XL pipeline would transport dangerous diluted bitumen (dilbit) from Alberta’s Tar Sand fields across America’s midwest for foreign consumption.



We must transition away from reliance on fossil fuels and their health and environmental risks..

A Coons spokesman said "he might have been better served saying ‘further unlocked’ than simply ‘unlocked.’ " The basics The 875-mile Keystone XL pipeline, operated

by TransCanada, would carry heavy crude oil mixture from Hardisty, Alberta, to Steele City, Neb. Then it would connect with an existing southern leg that opened in early 2014, delivering more than 800,000 barrels of crude oil sands to refineries on the Gulf Coast.

Editorial Comment: 

Dilbit is highly corrosive, flammable and sinks when spilled in water.



Many North American pipelines (some under water) are failing due to age (fifty years and older) and corrosion.

The oil would come from the tar sands of Canada’s boreal forests. Extracting this type of dirty, thick crude oil is expensive, energy intensive and produces a significant amount of carbon emissions.

Critics say that Keystone XL will elevate greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to climate change by encouraging expansion of tar sands development.

However, an oft-cited U.S. State Department report about Keystone XL says the project is "unlikely to significantly impact the rate of extraction in the oil sands."

Editorial Comment: Corporate arrogance and bullying enabled by consumer empathy.

This is because Canadian officials and oil producers vow that the oil will be extracted and reach the American marketplace by other means regardless of the proposed pipeline.

Already, trains and several existing pipelines carry Western Canadian crude oil into the United States at an increasing rate -- almost 2 million barrels per day produced in 2013, with the United States importing about half of that.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots "Keystone XL would only provide a more direct and somewhat less costly method of transporting Canadian heavy crude to the U.S. Gulf Coast for refining and exporting," said Anastasia Shcherbakova, a University of Texas Dallas clinical assistant professor in energy economics and energy finance.

Editorial Comment: Less costly to whom?

Certainly not to American taxpayers who will need to pay for expected hazardous material spills and environmental impacts.

At most, Keystone XL would allow an increase in oil sands production of about 25 percent from today's levels, said Andrew Leach, a professor of energy policy at the University of Alberta School of Business. He said that tar sands will come out as long as there is someone willing to pay for the oil, and "that demand doesn’t go away if there’s no pipeline from Canada."

There are several other pipelines under consideration that could carry tar sands oil to the United States. If they are built, Keystone XL on its own wouldn’t have much impact because the oil will get to the United States by other cost-effective means, said James Coleman, a law and business professor at Calgary University.

On the other hand, if Keystone XL and the other pipelines aren’t constructed, oil companies could take a sizeable hit to their profit -- about $8 a barrel -- because they would have to transport the oil by rail and other means, which are more expensive, according to the State Department report.

But the absence of Keystone XL on its own wouldn’t be enough to induce these added costs.

Coons spokesman Ian Koski pointed to a report from the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers that shows projected growth to about 8 million barrels per day by 2030 (including U.S.produced oil that travels on the Canadian pipelines) after adding the several pipelines under consideration, including Keystone. But if those pipelines aren’t included, growth appears stuck at around 5 million barrels per day.

Without Keystone XL and the other pipelines, the tar sands could not be fully extracted because the oil would "have nowhere to go," he said.

Koski pointed to a couple examples of Canadian oil sands mines that were put on hold due to, in part, rising industry and transportation costs: the Joslyn Mine and the Statoil Corner project.

"Costs for labor and materials have continued to rise in recent years and are working against the economics of new projects," Statoil said in a statement. "Market access issues also play a role -including limited pipeline access, which weighs on prices for Alberta oil, squeezing margins and making it difficult for sustainable financial returns."

Regardless, experts and the State Department don’t think that Keystone XL will have a major impact one way or another on whether oil companies will continue to exploit the tar sands. However, there is a catch: Low oil prices could potentially curtail production.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots Cost of oil Oil prices have dropped to about $50 per barrel -- the lowest prices since 2009, the height of the recession. For Canadian oil sands to break even on production costs, oil prices need to be around $70 a barrel.

Without the Keystone XL pipeline, transportation costs are high, which exacerbates the hit to revenue after low oil prices.

The State Department’s report assumed oil prices staying at around $75 per barrel. It said that if oil prices fall between $65 and $75 per barrel, then the cost of transporting oil without the Keystone XL pipeline might make a difference as to whether or not Canada continues to produce tar sands oil at current rates.

But under $65 per barrel -- where prices are now -- it’s more the sheer low price of oil that would negatively impact oil production rather than any pipeline in particular.

"You still need pipes, but Keystone XL or any other individual line in and of itself is not as crucial to likely growth plans," Leach said.

Additionally, the price of oil is volatile, and many experts think it will go back up again, so a long-term impact on tar sands production due to low oil prices is not likely.

"Under State's analysis, blocking Keystone XL will only have an effect on oil sands production if all the other pipelines are blocked, and oil prices stay below $75 per barrel," Coleman said. "How likely is that? I'd say it's unlikely, but no one really knows."

Our ruling Coons said building "Keystone means unlocking the Canadian tar sands."

Oil production has been steadily growing in the Canadian tar sands without the Keystone XL pipeline.

Most experts expect that trend to continue despite current low oil prices.

Coons would have been on safer ground if he said Keystone XL would unlock Canada’s ability to further increase its production capacity. The pipeline would offer much lower transportation costs than current transportation methods, which would encourage greater oil production.

But his literal words weren’t accurate. We rate his claim Mostly False.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

A long train of oil cars, marked with the 1267 stickers indicating highly flammable oil, cross 1st street, southbound, in Marysville earlier this month.

 As more oil trains roll through the Northwest, safety concerns increase

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots EVERETT — The parade of flat-black tank cars began arriving here less than two years ago.

Now the crude oil trains are a familiar sight — and a source of anxiety for many people along the route.

Every week, up to a dozen such trains skirt Puget Sound, each hauling more than 1 million gallons of Bakken crude from North Dakota and Montana. They pass erosion-prone coastal bluffs, then travel through the downtowns of Edmonds, Mukilteo, Everett, Marysville and Stanwood. They take the highly flammable fuel from fields in North Dakota to refineries in Skagit and Whatcom counties.

“All of us use it every day, even if you don’t know it,” U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen told a roomful of people at a Stanwood rail-safety forum last month. “How do you move this stuff through our communities safely?”

Editorial Comment: Crude oil is not safe to extract, transport or burn. It’s time to transition to clean energy.

The rhetorical question summed up a debate over crude-oil transportation that’s raged all year — and promises to result in regulatory changes soon at the state and federal level. That includes a 500-page study (Marine and Rail Oil Transportation Study) that could guide action by the Legislature and Gov. Jay Inslee when it reaches them next year.

Some changes recommended for the Port of Grays Harbor include the Coast Guard establishing a long-term waterways management plan for increased vessel traffic and appropriate vessel traffic service and, while it wasn’t listed as a key recommendation, the legislature is discussing a tug escort through the Harbor, a direct result of public comments received for the 500-page study.

Railroads have carried potentially dangerous cargoes through Washington since tracks were laid in the late 19th century. These days, that means propane fuel as well as chemicals such as chlorine and ammonia.

What makes the recent oil boom different is volume. You can see it in the trains of 100 tank cars or more marked with red-and-white placards bearing the number 1267 — the hazmat code for petroleum crude oil. That’s about 3 million gallons per trainload.

“We think the likelihood of a derailment and fire in our town is high and we’d like to see more preparation for dealing with that, to the point where people are instructed on evacuation and perhaps practice an evacuation,” said Dean Smith, of Everett, who started the Snohomish County Train Watch group.

Smith believes that should apply to people living within a quarter mile of rail lines.

More oil cars coming BNSF Railway reports carrying 19 loaded oil trains through the state every week. That includes eight to 12 through Snohomish County.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots By 2020, the state estimates that 137 loaded oil trains could pass through the state weekly if new refineries and terminals are built on north Puget Sound, at Grays Harbor and on the Columbia River. That’s a sevenfold increase from current levels.

As recently as 2011, trains weren’t bringing any crude here at all.

Washington still receives most of its oil by sea or through pipelines, but the share moved by rail has gone up steadily, the state says. Trains hauled 8.4 percent of the total last year.

BNSF maintains that the oil trains are a small part of the overall increase in freight volume already causing traffic headaches in local towns. Agricultural products and containers are the biggest factors.

“Take out oil and coal trains and traffic is still going up,” Larsen said.

The oil-train numbers have only started to come into focus during the second half of this year, following a federal directive that forced rail companies to report crude-oil shipments. The pace of change has left federal and state lawmakers scrambling to enact changes to safeguard against spills and explosions.

A state Department of Ecology draft report released Dec. 1 outlines steps to lower the risks of moving oil by rail.

The Legislature authorized the study last year and Inslee later issued a directive to get recommendations out sooner. A final report is due by March 1.

The current draft includes 43 recommendations, starting with better funding Washington’s program for preventing and responding to oil spills. Another suggestion would add eight rail inspectors at the state’s Utilities and Transportation Commission through a change in railroad regulatory fees that would generate an extra $2.5 million per year.

Other parts of the report focus on strengthening local hazmat and spill response. A state survey of local fire departments found that 59 percent believed they were inadequately trained and equipped to handle a train derailment that results in a fire.

The prospect of derailments makes oil trains a much greater potential threat to human health and safety than coal trains, which also have attracted significant attention.

“Bakken crude oil has potential volatility, putting public safety at risk,” the state report says. “These hazards came to light in a tragic rail incident in Quebec (in July 2013) when 47 people lost their lives as an oil train derailed and burned.”

The report also contemplates the potential for oil spills to kill birds and marine life and to spoil beaches and groundwater.

“Almost 2,500 miles of major rivers in Washington run within 1,000 feet of a rail line,” the study says.

A separate report by the Puget Sound Regional Council last summer counted 10 large crude-by-rail oil spills in the U.S. and Canada since March 2013.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots Widespread concern Public hearings in Olympia and Spokane this fall attracted more than 1,000 people who wanted to weigh in on the state’s draft report. Among them: firefighters, longshoremen, tribal leaders, shellfish industry workers, crabbers and marine pilots.

“The diverse set of stakeholders who attended was astounding,” said Rein Attemann, an advocacy manager for the nonprofit Washington Environmental Council in Seattle. “It was a clear indication that the public has woken up.”

The Environmental Council is urging that the state not open any new oil-by-rail terminals. It calls the state report “a good starting point” but says it falls short.

“If an accident happens, it will be catastrophic for the water quality and the economies that depend on that environment,” Attemann said. “We really hope that this study provides the basis for some legislation.”

The group wants to see more-detailed studies of the effect of crude-by-rail transportation on the economy and public health. They also want to know how it might contribute to climate change. They want to see the state take a good look at rail infrastructure through 100-year flood plains and landslide zones.

The comment letter also raises the issue of loaded oil trains traveling over Stevens Pass. For now, only empty tank cars travel that route eastbound, while trains with oil follow a route along the Columbia River into Western Washington.

BNSF Railway, which hauls most of the oil in Washington, is reviewing the state’s report, spokeswoman Courtney Wallace said. “We stand shoulder to shoulder with the state of Washington and the nation in making rail safety a priority,” Wallace said.

Larsen’s congressional district includes the BNSF lines from Everett north and four oil refineries.

He often points out that federal law requires the railroad to carry all cargo — so it isn’t an option to stop carrying commodities such as oil or coal, just because communities along the way disagree.

“I think pursuing tougher standards is the route we should go,” Larsen said.

Phasing out old cars One effort at the federal level has focused on phasing out older tank cars, known by the name DOT-111. The same type of car was involved in the deadly Quebec explosion.

At least 80 percent of the tank cars used in Washington are newer, safer models, the state estimates.

Sen. Patty Murray announced last week that she has helped push for a Jan. 15 deadline for the federal Department of Transportation to issue a final rule for new tank car design standards.

Editorial Comment: 

DOT-111 tank cars are not safe for Bakken formation oil or Alberta’s Tar Sands dilbit (diluted bitumen)



Updated tank cars are not considered safe for the transportation of crude oil



DOT-111 tank cars and their upgrades must be removed from North America’s rail infrastructure



North America and other industrialized nations must transition away from fossil fuels

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots The state draft report recommends phasing out the DOT-111 cars within two years.

BNSF, on its own initiative, is working to add 5,000 newer tank cars to replace DOT-111 models, Wallace said. The company touts investing $235 million in safety infrastructure this year.

“If we didn’t have trains, we’d have a lot more trucks,” Wallace said. “Just something to think about.”

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

A 110-car-long oil train makes its way over the Swinomish Channel railroad bridge towards March's Point in Anacortes.

 Ranker co-sponsors bill on oil train transportation January 15, 2015 In the first week of the 2015 legislative session, state Sen. Kevin Ranker, D-Orcas Island, has teamed up with Sen. Christine Rolfes, D-Kitsap County, to introduce Gov. Jay Inslee’s requested oil transportation legislation.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots The measure, Senate Bill 5087, would shift some of the burden of spill prevention and response onto the rail and oil industries.

How to address increasing oil transportation has been an ongoing debate in Washington and across North America in recent years.

Roughly 60 million gallons of volatile crude oil passes through Washington every week, and more than a million gallons of crude oil was spilled from trains in North America in 2013, more than the previous 30 years combined. Numerous explosions have also occurred, including the explosion in Quebec that killed 47 people.

It’s not a question of if spills will happen, but when, Rolfes said.

Only the federal government has the authority to impose many safety measures, but states do have control over some key aspects related to transparency, accountability and taxation.

“For the safety and health of our communities, it’s imperative we give first responders all the information they need to best prepare themselves to respond and contain a spill or derailment to prevent a worst-case scenario,” Ranker said. “We will not sit idly by and let a city in Washington join the list of those devastated by an oil train fire or vessel spill.”

SB 5087 has not yet been scheduled for a hearing.

This comes on the heels of Wednesday’s Department of Transportation announcement that the agency would miss the Jan. 15 deadline set by Congress on new oil train safety standards and would instead issue final rules by May 12.

A message seeking reaction from BNSF Railway on the legislation was not immediately returned Thursday.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Exxon Mobil TV Commercial “You don’t need to think about the energy that makes our lives possible because we do…”

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Public safety at heart of need for oil pipelines, says Metro Vancouver Tory MP Industry Minister James Moore says oil shipments by rail through the Lower Mainland have soared January 1, 2015 OTTAWA — Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s B.C. lieutenant said he’s confident a new oilsands pipeline will eventually be built to the West Coast, and one of his key arguments for such a megaproject is public safety in the Lower Mainland.

Editorial Comment: The sustainable solution is not rail vs pipelines – we must transition away from reliance on fossil fuels to safely meet our energy needs.

Industry Minister James Moore raised the spectre of the deadly Lac Megantic rail disaster that killed dozens in an inferno of blazing oil that engulfed the Quebec town in the summer of 2013.

“The people of Lac Megantic wished they had pipelines instead of rail,” said Moore, who represents the Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam riding.

He pointed to the huge rail yard that is in the heart of Port Coquitlam and is the second-largest employer in his riding. He said an increasing number of trains are arriving there carrying diluted bitumen crude that has no other way to get to foreign markets.

“It’s very dangerous for the Lower Mainland ... to have the massive spike in rail transfer of dangerous goods,” he said.

“The people of Port Coquitlam and Burnaby and New Westminster, with dangerous goods going on those rail lines, should be concerned about that.”

The shipment of crude oil and diluted bitumen to West Coast ports, including Prince Rupert, has soared from just 2,133 metric tonnes, or 15,635 barrels, in 2011 to 262,613 tonnes, or just over 1.9 million barrels, in 2013, according to Transport Canada.

He said the federal and B.C. government push to improve Asia-Pacific gateway infrastructure, through improvement to ports and transportation arteries in the Lower Mainland and Prince Rupert, is hurt because the lack of pipelines puts pressure on rail systems.

“We’re clogging up our rail arteries with dangerous materials. That’s something to be concerned about,” he said, noting complaints last year from farmers who said there was a shortage of capacity to get grain to West Coast ports.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots The U.S. State Department, in a report earlier this year on the Keystone XL pipeline project from Canada to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries, said if that project doesn’t go ahead, the resulting increase in rail transport of oil will lead to 49 additional injuries and six additional deaths in the U.S. related to rail accidents.

Greenpeace Canada spokesman Keith Stewart said that while pipelines tend to leak a larger volume of product into the environment, the rail transportation option does indeed lead to greater public safety risks because rail yards are located closer to dense populations.

“I would stress, though, that both can be much safer than they are now,” he said in an email exchange. “And it is government’s job to both require companies to make the short-term investments in safety that are required, and to develop a transition plan to move to cleaner energy in the longer term.”

If Moore is concerned about rail safety his government “could act on that tomorrow.”

A spokeswoman for Transport Canada said the government has already taken a number of measures to deal with rail safety since the Lac Megantic tragedy, including new rules to ensure unattended trains are fully secured.

Moore was asked whether he’s optimistic one of the two proposed pipeline megaprojects, Enbridge’s to Kitimat and Kinder Morgan’s to Burnaby, will go ahead.

“I’m confident. When? I don’t know, because the dynamics are so challenging.”

He cited the legal challenges facing Enbridge due to objections from First Nations along the route, while Kinder Morgan still has to get through a review by the National Energy Board.

But he said the plunging price of oil in global markets highlights the need for Canada to diversify its customer base away from the U.S., since some studies have indicated that a wider market will increase the price Canada fetches for its oil.

Moore also levelled a blistering attack on opposition parties, saying the NDP is “against everything” while Justin Trudeau is taking a “flighty” approach to pipelines.

The Liberal leader opposed Northern Gateway even before the review process was completed, favoured Keystone XL to the U.S. Gulf Coast, and has delivered mixed messages — depending, say his critics, on where he’s delivering the message — on the Kinder Morgan pipeline to Burnaby and TransCanada’s Energy East pipeline to the Atlantic coast.

“He’s absolutely making it up as he goes along, depending on commodities, polling and the political environment,” Moore said, pointing to Trudeau’s recent criticism of the Energy East project after plunging public support for TransCanada’s initiative.

“That’s irresponsible for a (prospective) prime minister,” he said.

“And the consequence of that is far greater than the impact on those specific projects. It’ll send a chill to the investment community about what kind of flighty ad hoc governance you have from a prime minister who just picks and chooses processes not based on any clear linear regulatory process that is binding. It’s crazy.”

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Guest: Protecting Bristol Bay is the right call for a fragile marine ecosystem We need the oil and gas that Alaska provides, but we also need the fish that Bristol Bay and the Bering Sea provide. Thankfully, President Obama agreed and safeguarded one of the world’s richest marine ecosystems.

By Keith Colburn FOR more than three decades, fishermen like me, Alaska Natives, local communities, and the seafood industry have been asking for decision-makers in our nation’s capitol to permanently protect Bristol Bay and the Bering Sea from the risks of offshore development. President Obama finally listened.

On Dec. 16, the Obama administration permanently withdrew the outer continental shelf in Alaska’s Bristol Bay from offshore development. This means America’s richest marine ecosystem, called the nation’s “fish basket,” which is roughly the size of Florida, will be permanently protected from oil and gas exploration.

As a Bering Sea commercial crab fisherman who has made his living in these waters for 30 years, I commend the president for having the vision to protect the area and the long-standing and abundant commercial- and subsistence-fisheries economies that already exist there.

These rich waters sustain indigenous subsistence traditions as well as jobs and a way of life for thousands of Americans. They bring in more than $2.3 billion a year and provide more than 40 percent of America’s wild seafood harvest. These renewable resources are the backbone of a regional economy that supports a thriving seafood industry, hardworking fishermen and fishing families like mine. Had the president not acted, vital habitats, nurseries and fishing grounds for salmon, red king crab, halibut and other species would have been at risk. While fisheries around the world struggle, commercial fisheries in the southeastern Bering Sea, now more than ever, will continue to flourish.

At a time when ocean acidification and climate-change impacts are causing uncertainty, it makes little sense to add a dimension of risk from offshore oil and gas in one of the most dangerous marine environments on Earth. Even though many oil companies are more dedicated than ever to implementing a high standard for safety, even with their best efforts, spills happen. Few places on the planet witness more severe and dramatic weather conditions than Alaska’s Bristol Bay and the southeast Bering Sea that surrounds it. If you’ve watched me and my crew on the TV show “Deadliest Catch,” you have had a glimpse at how big waves can get and how rough the seas are.

We are out there fishing in subfreezing temperatures and high winds, and avoiding sea ice. People die in these seas. Containment and clean up of a spill would be very challenging in typical conditions and unequivocally impossible during a Bering Sea storm.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots The impacts of a spill would be long-lasting and would wreak havoc on important fish habitats. These waters are much colder than the Gulf of Mexico, and oil sticks around here. Technology that adequately cleans up a spill in sea ice conditions doesn’t yet exist. Day-to-day operations of offshore exploration include the use of seismic activity in the exploration phase, the dumping of toxic drilling wastes into the marine environment, and the disturbance posed by infrastructure and traffic. These impact life on the sea bed and migratory paths of marine mammals that transit and forage in the area.

This wasn’t an easy decision. As a businessman, I understand the importance of oil and gas to operating businesses — after all, the cost of fuel is my largest operating expense. I understand that there will always be tradeoffs when it comes to where and how to harvest our natural resources. Our nation and the world needs the oil and gas that Alaska provides, but it also needs the fish we provide.

We must find a balance, and some areas should be protected. Thankfully, President Obama agreed and safeguarded one of the world’s richest marine ecosystem and the economies it supports.

Thank you, Mr. President, for preserving America’s most productive fisheries from offshore oil and gas, not just for this fishing season or the next, but once and for all.

Keith Colburn, owner and captain of the fishing vessel the Wizard, has fished commercially in Alaska’s Bering Sea for 30 years.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 LARGEST

TAR SANDS PIPELINE INTO US SHUT DOWN AFTER SPILLING NEARLY 60,000 GALLONS OF OIL December 19, 2014

Enbridge Inc. reported yesterday that the Line 4 pipeline at the Regina Terminal in Saskatchewan, Canada had been “shut down and isolated” after it spilled over 13,000 barrels, approximately 56,700 gallons, of oil on Tuesday, Reuters reported.

A spokesman for the company, Graham White, said in an email that the spill “originated at a flange or valve within the terminal, so there were no problems with the pipeline itself.” White said that could mean the problem would be “relatively” easy to fix, but had no set time frame for when the pipeline would resume operations.

Canada’s National Energy Board said yesterday it was “monitoring” Enbridge’s response to the spill.

“The pump station and pipeline was immediately shut in and cleanup operations are underway. The release is contained within the company’s Regina Terminal pond,” the NEB said in a statement.

The pipeline, which is the largest oil-export pipeline to the US, carries nearly 800,000 barrels a day of crude oil from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada to Superior, Wisconsin.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots In a statement, Enbridge said: “There are no impacts to the public, wildlife or waterways. Nearby residents and business may detect a faint odour. Air monitoring is being conducted and levels are well within safety limits. Enbridge first responders with clean-up and response equipment are on-site and expect the cleanup of free product to be completed [on Thursday] … A complete investigation into the incident is being conducted. We are committed to the goal of reaching zero spills and will thoroughly investigate the incident for lessons learned.”

Enbridge is no stranger to dealing with the effects of oil spills as it was involved in one of the largest and most expensive inland oils spills in American history.

Earlier this month, Enbridge agreed to pay a $6.75 million settlement over a July 2010 spill, which resulted in more than 800,000 gallons of Canadian tar sands crude oil spilled into the Kalamazoo River in Michigan.

Enbridge estimated that, aside from the settlement, cleanup costs for that spill alone were about $1.2 billion.

Editorial Comment: Enbridge’s spill of Canadian tar sands diluted bitumen (dilbit) into Michigan’s Kalamazoo River, like other spills of this asphalt-like material, is impossible to totally clean up, especially when it’s spilled into water.

While this week’s spill is nowhere near the size or near as damaging as previous Enbridge spills, it is a reminder of just how dangerous the oil industry is. The spill should also serve as a sign that cleaner, renewable types of energy are needed now more than ever.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

Coal

 Train derails near North Bend December 26, 2014

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

Crews deal with a 15 car train derailment in Banff at the rail bridge over 40 Mile Creek

 Ash spilled in train derailment could harm fish in Banff creek December 30, 2014

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots Authorities are concerned about the long-term health of fish in a Banff creek after a freight train derailed last week, spilling several hundred tonnes of potentially toxic cargo into the water and surrounding area.

A Parks Canada official said Monday much of the spilled fly ash — a byproduct of coal production that can disrupt the local ecosystem — has settled to the bottom of 40 Mile Creek.

As water quality returns to normal, the ash is not expected to hurt fish that frequent the area for now, unless something stirs up the creek bed, said Bill Hunt, resource conservation manager with Parks Canada.

Officials plan to leave the ash in the creek until the ice melts ahead of the spring. But when crews remove it, they will attempt to avoid mixing the harmful material with the waterway, frequented by four species of fish.

“We know that much of any sort of sediment going into the water is not a good thing for fish,” Hunt said.

“We know that in the immediate area, if there were eggs or anything laying on the bottom, they will be severely impacted (killed). In areas further downstream, we don’t know yet.”

Fifteen rail cars on a Canadian Pacific train fell off the tracks while crossing a bridge over 40 Mile Creek early Friday, eight of them falling into the water below with some of them spilling their contents.

Authorities responding to the crash were concerned that the spill site lies just 200 metres upstream from the Bow River.

Initial reports indicated that seven cars had fallen into the creek, spilling lentils and fly ash. On Monday, however, Hunt confirmed eight cars had fallen, one of them loaded with soybeans and the remaining seven with ash.

A background report on the ash, disclosed by Parks Canada, says it came from a coal-fired plant in Saskatchewan, and that it may contain trace amounts of arsenic, lead, nickel, mercury and uranium, among other materials. “(It) may cause long-term adverse effects in the aquatic environment,” states the report, formally called a Material Safety Data Sheet.

Canadian Pacific declined to disclose the report to the Herald because it contains “customers’ proprietary information.” But spokesman Jeremy Berry said local authorities received it immediately after the crash.

Hunt said the railway company acted quickly and adequately to control the spill and mitigate any impact on the environment.

An Alberta conservationist said the spill was concerning, especially because it occurred in such a sensitive habitat.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots “This is really, really unfortunate, especially because it’s in the context of a national park,” said AnneMarie Syslak, executive director of the southern Alberta chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society.

Canadian Pacific resumed train service through the affected area early Sunday, but authorities continued to clean up spilled cargo along the banks of the creek.

Although Canadian Pacific removed most derailed cars and quickly installed a new bridge to continue moving its cargo across the main line, two cars remained partially submerged in the water.

One of them contains ash, which will be pumped out to avoid adverse effects on humans — it can cause respiratory problems when airborne — and wildlife.

The other car, loaded with soybeans, has served as a makeshift dam to block spilled cargo from flowing to the Bow River, the source of Calgary’s drinking water. Crews installed a second dam with rock and filter fabric farther downstream from the spill site to further protect the river.

“When you have this volume of material that is in a spawning stream that has been the subject of restoration and it’s within metres of the main stem of the Bow River, this is a crisis,” said Wild Canada Conservation Alliance director Jim Pissot.

According to Parks Canada, the spill would have initially been toxic for fish because it caused the creek to become murky, which would have made it difficult for the swimmers to breathe.

Now that the ash has settled to the bottom, and water quality is “approaching very close to normal,” there are not expected to be major short-term effects.

Parks Canada officials are now trying to determine how they can extract the coal ash from the bottom of the creek ahead of the spring without further disturbing the ecosystem.

Four species of fish are known to travel through 40 Mile Creek. Westslope cutthroat trout, a species at risk, is known to frequent the creek’s headwaters, but they don’t often reach the area around the spill site, Hunt said.

The creek is also home to white sucker, whitefish and bull trout.

“The good news is that the primary fish that’s in that area is bull trout and they are a fall spawner, so we fully intend to have this dam removed before fall,” Hunt said.

“The bad news is that because they are fall spawners any eggs and stuff would have been impacted by the spill.”

Officials with Parks Canada and Canadian Pacific are now trying to figure out whether they should remove the train car that’s serving as a temporary dam. And, in the months ahead, they will plan the next phase of cleanup.

Authorities have still not identified the size of the landscape they will have to scour for remaining ash, given that some of it may have surpassed the temporary dams.

Parks Canada has tested water quality downstream of the spill site to understand how far the material flowed, but the results are not yet available.

“That’ll inform us on how big of a cleanup area we have — is it 40 metres long or 100 metres long or 600 metres long? We don’t know yet,” Hunt said.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Cherry Point coal terminal would harm salmon, Lummi way of life January 8, 2015 Someone once told me that anything can be accomplished if you just have enough time and money.

But for many people and communities, including Lummi, currency is something far more valuable than a dollar bill.

Salmon is our most important currency; it’s the lifeblood of our people and always has been.

Our job is to ensure we have enough salmon spread across time to sustain our people and Schelangen, our way of life, now and for generations to come. That’s why to protect our treaty fishing rights is to protect the very future of our people.

The tribe recently asked the U.S. Army Corps to deny a permit for a shipping terminal at Cherry Point. We’ve been vocal in our opposition to the terminal and our request of the Corps is a natural next step in the fight to protect our rights guaranteed under the Treaty of Point Elliott of 1855.

In a move that was unusual at the time, our ancestors preserved explicit treaty rights to fish in our usual and accustomed areas. They had the foresight to protect the most important resource for our people: salmon. Fishing, teaching our children to fish, eating salmon when we celebrate life and when we mourn those who have passed — it’s who we are. So we will continue our fight to preserve the way of life that our ancestors worked so hard to protect.

Our request of the Corps to deny the permit is also a critical move toward protecting our community from the devastating impacts of an industry where money comes first and a community’s way of life comes in a very distant second.

The proposed coal terminal at Cherry Point is a harvesting location of incredible cultural and spiritual significance to our people. A shipping facility poses significant threats to the health of our fish and shellfish. The increased vessel traffic would interfere with our harvest, and the resulting pollution from fuel and coal dust would create irreparable harm to our fish and cannot be mitigated. There isn’t a dollar amount that the coal industry can pay to make up for the damage the terminal would cause to our people, our waters and our resources. So the Corps, as a federal agency, has an obligation to uphold Lummi’s protected rights by denying the permit.

The future of our people and our way of life relies on preserving our fish and resources. Because of our duty to protect our land and people, we are taking a close look at many issues that affect our region.

We’re lucky here in the Pacific Northwest to enjoy rich natural resources. But when it comes to environmental protection and our economy, we know that it’s sometimes necessary to find a balance.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots In conversations with the Corps on the Whatcom Waterway, we gave our approval for phase 1 cleanup of industrial contamination. It’s in everyone’s interest that this site be restored to the greatest extent possible. We have also had productive dialogue with Whatcom County on the best path forward for addressing water pollution from dairy farm run-off. This pollution led to the devastating closure of our shellfish beds at a crucial harvest time, so finding a lasting solution among partners is key.

Ultimately, the decisions we make today are intended to successfully manage our resources and ensure enough to go around for years to come. The most important responsibility we have is to make the best decisions to create greater certainty for a sustainable future.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

Hydropower

 Chehalis

River dam denounced on environmental, cultural and economic

grounds Seattle, Washington (January 12, 2015) – We at Wild Game Fish Conservation International (WGFCI) have supported and continue to support flood damage mitigation efforts in the Chehalis River basin These include the following: habitat restoration, raising homes, reducing or eliminating steep slope logging in the headwaters of the Chehalis, restoring the flood plain, and eliminating development in the flood plain. We must find cost effective ways to reduce the impact of flooding on those who live, work and play in the basin. Building the proposed Chehalis River dam will not provide basinwide flood damage relief.

The construction of the proposed Chehalis River dam near Pe Ell, Washington fails on environmental, cultural and economic grounds.

The Quinault Indian Nation (QIN), with its guaranteed treaty rights, relies on the Chehalis River, its tributaries and the surrounding land for fish, wildlife and other resources. The QIN adamantly opposes this proposed dam.

Note: Quinault Tribe has unusual and accustomed fishing areas at Grays Harbor and its watersheds including the Humptulips River. (U.S. v. State, 459. 1020, 1038 (W.D. Wash. 1975) The Chehalis Basin Strategy (November 2014), confirms that little if any benefit would be realized by building a dam to retain 2007-equivalent flood levels versus one to retain water from a typical 100year storm. Additionally, a dam built to retain water from a typical 100-year storm would not be a cost effective, basinwide solution to reducing flood damage. Either scenario would result in a reservoir with catastrophic and irreversible impacts to salmon and steelhead spawning and rearing habitat above and below the proposed dam. Moreover, as recent severe storms have demonstrated, a dam on the headwaters of the Chehalis will not prevent flooding flood damage under most circumstances.

Bruce Treichler, WGFCI co-founder, states, “given questionable study results and lack of adequate design, construction, operation, maintenance, benefit/cost, hydrology, geology and seismology detail, it is impossible to determine whether or not this dam would be cost effective. Constructing it would devastate uniquely valuable natural resources while putting downstream lives, property and structures in harm’s way for the life of this structure”.

The alternatives submitted and consistently supported by WGFCI to elected and appointed officials to reduce flood damage throughout the Chehalis River basin are critical to the health and well-being of those who live there. Continuing to ignore these kinds of common sense approaches will lead to increased flood damage and loss of human lives.

WGFCI and our associates expect full adherence to and enforcement of state and federal legislation developed to conserve this wild river basin, its citizens and the many environmental, cultural and economic benefits it provides freely year in and year out.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Washington State Flood Plain Management

Flooding in Washington State What is a flood?

Floods are the most common and widespread of all natural disasters - except fire. Most U.S. communities can experience some kind of flooding after spring rains, heavy thunderstorms, or winter snow thaws. Floods can be slow or fast-rising but generally develop over a period of days.

Dam failures are potentially the worst flood events. A dam failure is usually the result of neglect, poor design, or structural damage caused by a major event such as an earthquake. When a dam fails, a gigantic quantity of water is suddenly let loose downstream, destroying anything in its path.

In Washington, the primary mechanisms causing a flood situation are: 

Heavy rainfall, which is the primary mechanism for floods in Western Washington, and may or may not include low-elevation snow melt or saturated soil. These events usually happen in the fall and early winter.



Rainfall on snow, which can rapidly melt the snow pack and result in winter and early spring floods. Rapid snowmelt during a hot spell can produce large floods, typically in late spring.

These conditions primarily affect flooding in Eastern and Central Washington.

E-mail response from US Army Corps of Engineers: “Thank you for your email.

Any structure proposed for construction would require a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers.

We met with the Chehalis Basin River Flood Authority last November to discuss the potential permitting process and plan to meet with them again.

We have not received an application for a permit.”

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 ‘Catastrophic’ earthquake and tsunami brewing off B.C. coast December 27, 2014 VICTORIA – The pressure has been building for more than 300 years.

A giant slab of rock sliding in from the Pacific is exerting so much pressure on the west coast of North America it is warping Vancouver Island, tilting it higher and squeezing it a few centimetres eastward every year.

One day, the strain will be released in an instant and a catastrophic earthquake will rip down the west coast from British Columbia to northern California. Geologists can’t predict when the mega-thrust quake will hit, but they say it is inevitable.

Parts of the coast will suddenly sink more than a metre and jump 10 to 15 metres to the west when the tectonic plates on the 1,130-kilometre Cascadia subduction zone slide past each other.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots The ground shaking will be so intense older bridges and unreinforced buildings will crack and many are expected to collapse. Landslides will cut off roads, railways and millions of people could be left — for days, and in some areas, possibly weeks — without phone, cable, power and water. The coast will be hammered as a tsunami sends a wall of water racing ashore, that could wash away resorts, campgrounds, rearrange shipping channels, and sever major undersea cables.

“There would be widespread damage, including thousands of injuries and fatalities and the destruction of hundreds of buildings,” says a recent report from B.C.’s auditor general that harshly criticized the province for not being better prepared for the catastrophe and its aftershocks.

Megaquakes on North America’s west coast are rare but they occur like clockwork about every 500 years, say scientists, who have uncovered evidence of 19 giant Cascadia quakes in the last 10,000 years.

They can be as big as the Boxing Day quake that struck off the coast of Sumatra on December 26, 2004. The quake unzipped a 1,300-kilometre subduction zone under the sea floor, generating killer waves that took more than a quarter of a million lives in 14 countries.

The world has learned plenty since the Sumatra disaster, but experts and auditors say Canada still has a way to go.

“Overall the province (British Columbia) is still at a significant risk if a catastrophic earthquake were to occur today,” states the damning auditor general’s report released in March.

It said the Emergency Management BC, the provincial agency responsible for leading the response to catastrophes, has not made it a priority to come up with comprehensive plans to deal with a catastrophic quake and tsunami and ensure as many people as possible are out of harm’s way.

The auditor found “critical gaps” in areas such as earthquake response plans and procedures, training exercises and public education programs and oversight of stakeholder readiness and capacity.

John Clague, a quake expert at Simon Fraser University, agrees B.C. could and should do more.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots “We should be as well prepared as Japan,” says Clague, noting how Canada is also lagging in key areas such as mapping areas most threatened by tsunamis and “seismic microzonation” to that can identify pockets within cities and districts that can be up to five times more prone to shaking, liquefaction and damage.

Small quakes regularly rattle the west coast, but megathrust quakes are a different beast. Cascadia’s subduction quakes are huge – magnitude 9 or more. The last one stuck Jan. 26, 1700, creating a tsunami that destroyed First Nations villages and swept across the Pacific causing damage in Japan.

There is no predicting when the next on will strike. But experts say there is a 12% probability a Cascadia megathrust earthquake will hit in the next 50 years.

Because the Pacific Northwest coast is not heavily populated, a Cascadia quake and tsunami is not expected to be as deadly as the Sumatra quake.

But it will be a major disaster. Emergency planners in B.C. and the U.S. estimate the number of deaths could exceed 10,000 with another 30,000 people injured. Communities on the west coast of Vancouver Island and the U.S. states will be hit hardest, but aging buildings and infrastructure in Victoria, Vancouver, Seattle and Portland are also at risk of damage and collapse.

The economic impacts are expected to be far-reaching with damage from a Cascadia quake and tsunami expected to cost Canada up to $75 billion – almost twice B.C.’s annual provincial budget – and another $70 billion in the U.S. The B.C. government responded to the damning auditor’s report saying it is making “catastrophic earthquake preparedness” a priority, and it is working on a “multi-year roadmap” to enhance preparedness.

When it comes to reducing the death toll experts say quick thinking and response will be critical, especially on the west coast of Vancouver Island where the tsunami poses the biggest threat.

“In some places there will be maybe 20 minutes before the wave hits,” says Garry Rogers, a senior research scientist at the federal Pacific Geoscience Centre outside Victoria, where he and his colleagues monitor seismic activity and measure the geological forces building offshore.

Coastal communities, fish farms, resorts and logging operations could be devastated by the metreshigh tsunamis that crash ashore and race up inlets.

People will need to know how to get to higher ground and quickly. There will be no time to “collect your favorite pictures, maybe not even your dog,” says Clague.

Millions of tourists flock to Vancouver Island every year, and visitors at seaside resorts and campgrounds in Tofino and Pacific Rim National Park will have no time to dither when the quake hits and the ground starts shaking so hard it will be impossible to stand or walk for several minutes.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots Rogers suggests tsunami notices and evacuation routes should be posted on the back of hotelroom doors. “Like the fire escape notice,” he says.

While Canada has done some tsunami modelling Rogers and Clague say more detailed analysis is needed to figure out where the giant waves could do the most damage – identifying inlets and channels that could amplify five-metre tsunamis into 15-metre walls of water. And how the waves may slosh around and create powerful currents between the Gulf Islands as the tsunami funnels around Vancouver Island.

“There is a very clearly defined set of tsunami problems that need to be solved,” says Rogers.

He points to the proactive work done by the state of Oregon, which has mapped tsunami inundation zones in detail, enabling communities to better plan evacuation routes, identify and create safe havens people can run to, and devise ways to reinforce coastal highway bridges to withstand a tsunami. “The gold standard is what was done in Oregon and that’s what we should aim for,” says Rogers.

Researchers would also like to get a better read on how the strain is building offshore where the tectonic plates collide and are now locked.

Evidence left by previous quakes suggests Cascadia tsunamis are between five to 10 metres high – “probably closer to five metres,” says Rogers. While 5-metre waves can do plenty of damage, they are a fraction the size of the 40-metre monsters generated by the Tōhoku quake off the coast of Japan in 2011. Those wave crippled ports, destroyed thousands of homes and buildings and triggered a nuclear reactor meltdown.

Rogers say it appears “extremely unlikely” Cascadia’s subduction zone could generate such huge tsunamis. But he says more detailed assessment is needed to rule out the possibility.

GPS stations on land have enabled the scientists to measure the way Vancouver Island is being tilted and squeezed as the geological strain builds – findings that have led to revisions of the building code to try ensure new west coast homes and high rises are built to withstand quakes.

The scientists want to place sensors on the seafloor along the Cascadian fault – like the Japanese have done off their coast – to better estimate tsunami wave heights.

“We know the on-land measurements, but we don’t what is happening under the water,” says Rogers.

“That is the important part for tsunamis.”

Editorial Comment: Hundreds of existing and planned dams along North America’s west coast will be weakened when this scenario comes true. Failure of these dams will likely kill thousands, if not millions, of citizens – all in the name of “cheap” electricity and flood damage control..

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

A BC Hydro study determined the Jordan River dam had the highest seismic hazard in B.C., and concluded it was not practical to rebuild it.

 Residents below aging B.C. dam warned: in case of major earthquake, get out in 10 minutes or die December 29, 2014

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots VANCOUVER — After deciding it would be too expensive to rebuild a 103-year-old dam built in one of the most collapse-prone areas of Canada, British Columbia’s power utility has settled on a controversial plan: Bracing for a disastrous flood. “[I]n a magnitude 9 earthquake, the people down below would have 10 or 15 minutes to get out of there, or I guess the bottom line is that they would all die,” said Mike Hicks, municipal director for the area.

Since early December, BC Hydro has been busily transforming the area surrounding its Jordan River dam into a flood-ready no-man’s-land.

The utility is pushing to stop development in the future “inundation zone” and has successfully obtained a ban on overnight camping at a popular nearby park. It is also looking to install a warning siren to alert day-trippers if they are about to be swamped by several million litres of reservoir water.

Most contentious of all, the provincial utility offered to buy up 11 houses and businesses in the tiny community of Jordan River, a once-thriving resource town that would largely be flattened by a dam collapse.

Locals are uniformly outraged at the offer, even as they see the value of their homes being wiped out by the news.

“For just about everybody around here it’s not a money thing; we don’t want to move, fix your dam,” said Doug Harvey, speaking to local television.

Mr. Hicks noted camping at Jordan River Regional Park was being shut down only four years after the municipal government spent $9.9-million to buy the land.

“If they’re going to ask us to have no overnight camping, they should buy our park, simple as that,” he said. “They sterilized Jordan River, and they’re the ones responsible for this.”

News of the looming dam collapse has also scuttled plans to turn the park over to the nearby Pacheedaht First Nation, who were to build a campground and interpretative centre.

Said Mr. Hicks, “That’s all gone, too, with BC Hydro’s announcement that they’ll all be dead.”

While the utility claims it cannot fix the dam, it has acknowledged there are ways the structure could be prevented from collapsing in an earthquake.

‘I guess the bottom line is that they would all die’ BC Hydro could simply lower the water in the reservoir, but it said this would cause an electricity shortfall that could cost as much as $200-million to fix.

The dam could also be decommissioned, but this would also be “highly costly” and would risk flooding homes with spillover from an unregulated Jordan River.

The utility’s dramatic plans for the area were fuelled by an alarming seismic study released this month showing the Jordan River dam, built in 1911, sits atop one of the most vulnerable parts of British Columbia and possibly the country.

When the Big One hits (an event that is statistically due for coastal B.C.), the dam will shake as much as three times harder than buildings in Downtown Vancouver.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots The pressures are virtually guaranteed to rip apart the structure and kick off what has clinically been called an “uncontrolled release of upstream reservoir water.” As the utility said in a statement, it was “not aware of any dams in the world” strong enough to straddle the Jordan River without collapsing.

Locals also have the misfortune of living in a tsunami hazard zone.

In any catastrophic earthquake, residents would be swept out to sea by the dam breakage, only to be pounded a second time by the rising Pacific Ocean.

BC Hydro’s plan for Jordan River is not an entirely scorched-earth proposal: As long as locals can hustle out of the area within 10 minutes, they are welcome to work or relax in the hazard zone.

“Surfing, hiking or logging activities, for example, should continue as before,” reads a BC Hydro information page.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Watana dam would kill the Susitna as salmon river December 27, 2014 After recently reading an Alaska Dispatch News headline with a preposterous claim, “Manager says increasingly expensive Susitna dam could help salmon,” (Dec. 18) I must protest with due respect.

As a freshwater ecologist who has worked on salmon rivers for 40 years, I want to make it clear: Without question, a dam the size of Susitna-Watana will kill the Susitna as a salmon river.

The Alaska Energy Authority vastly oversimplifies the impacts of this megadam on Alaska’s fourthlargest king salmon river by stating that sediment trapped in the reservoir behind the dam would improve water clarity and food resources for fish. Perhaps the statement is based on dammed Lower 48 rivers, where hydroelectric dams often cool water and reduce sediment discharge, allowing trout food to proliferate in previously warmer, more turbid rivers where trout were never native. But in the case of northern rivers like the Susitna, wild salmon are adapted to and depend on ecological interactions between seasonal flooding, sediment flux, streamside vegetation, cold temperatures, ice and a suite of other biophysical conditions. Development of the 735-foot-tall Susitna Dam would completely change -- and in many cases destroy -- these in-stream processes that Susitna salmon depend upon.

Hydroelectric operations like Susitna-Watana release water according to electricity demand, thereby eliminating natural river flow and temperature patterns. If built, the Susitna dam will decrease summer flows by more than half, and winter flows will vary by more than 400 pecent over the course of just one day. Rather than freezing over downstream of the dam, anchor ice will form under water.

When anchor ice jams, it will scour the river bottom and the floodplain habitats that the juvenile salmon depend upon. High, clear water flows in winter will degrade the river bottom and disconnect channel environments essential for salmon spawning and rearing.

Flows regulated by hydropower dams always vastly reduce salmon productivity because they destroy natural patterns salmon require. Salmon cannot hatch and grow to properly time their out-migration to sea or their return to natal habitats to spawn. The proposed dam cannot improve conditions but, conversely, will very negatively impact native Susitna salmon. Moreover, keep in mind that the reservoir will trap vast quantities of sediments, filling the reservoir basin sooner than later in this case, shortening the life of hydropower production.

The truth is that Susitna salmon are uniquely adapted to and thrive in a cold, sediment laden river fed by glaciers. AEA completely misses -- or more likely purposefully ignores -- the essential point that removing the conditions to which the salmon are adapted has no other outcome than vastly reducing or eliminating salmon runs.

AEA’s claim that a dam can improve salmon runs simply and blatantly fails the test of common sense.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots One need look no further than the Lower 48, where salmon are at just 7 percent of their historic abundance. In the Columbia River alone -- formerly the world’s largest king salmon producer -- more than half of salmon habitat was eliminated by dam construction. Despite our best efforts and billions of dollars, we have failed to engineer or mitigate development projects to produce more than a small fraction of pre-dam salmon numbers. Now 80 percent of the salmon returning to the Columbia basin are spawned and reared in hatcheries, a process that is not only extremely expensive but is very harmful to wild salmon. And to add insult to injury, nearly all Columbia River salmon are trapped during their migration to sea so they can be transported around dams by barge or truck. Due to dams and other development, remaining Lower 48 salmon depend on factory-like production in aquatic zoos and "swim" to the ocean in trucks. Do we want that kind of salmon management in Alaska?

Indeed, Alaska remains home to some of the last, best, free-flowing, wild salmon-sustaining rivers in the world. Wild king salmon are declining all around the Pacific Rim, owing to fishing pressure, climate warming and changing ocean conditions, among other anthropogenic influences. The point is simply that we must preserve systems like the Susitna where king salmon still thrive.

Alaska has a reputation for stellar salmon management, and the Susitna is one of the success stories. So rather than wrongfully claiming that man can improve on nature -- as we’ve unsuccessfully tried time and again with Lower 48 salmon rivers -- it will cost nothing to just leave the Susitna alone. Here’s hoping the state’s new leadership can see through the lies purported by AEA and abandon this project in the name of common sense, if not simply for the preservation of uniquely adapted wild Alaska salmon.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Major Flood Predicted for Newaukum River; Moderate Flooding Predicted on Others January 3, 2015 Flooding is forecast for portions of the Twin Cities and Lewis County as a flood watch for the area approaches, with four river gages predicting moderate flooding and one projecting a record flood.

Lewis County will go under a flood watch Sunday night as a deluge bears down on Lewis County. The National Weather Service has issued the flood watch, which will go into effect late Sunday night, as 3 to 7 inches of rain are forecast to fall in the south Cascades. Snow levels will rise to the 6,000-foot to 8,000-foot mark, which will ensure precipitation falling in the mountain passes will be all rain.

Editorial Comment: This storm is one example of why the proposed Chehalis River dam is NOT a basinwide solution to flood related damage – it would be ineffective, especially when storms develop anywhere within the Chehalis River basin other than over the headwaters of the Chehalis River.

The flood watch states that it is still too early to predict where the heaviest rains could fall, but several rivers are under the gun as of Sunday morning.

The Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service projects a crest of 13.5 feet on the Newaukum River at Chehalis, matching its record, at about 4 p.m. Monday. That height also corresponds to major flood stage, which would cause flooding along the river including its forks, tributaries and other streams that feed it.

If the Newaukum reaches moderate flood stage, many roads and several homes could be inundated.

Affected areas could include state Route 508, Jackson Highway and the following roads: Tune, Rush, Sommerville, Griel, Hamilton, Tauscher, Guerrier, Kirkland, Macomber, Rice, Senn, Lucas Creek, Middle Fork, North Fork, Bishop, Shorey, Labree, Gish and Yates.

As of Sunday morning, four other river gages predicted moderate flooding.

The Chehalis River at Centralia is forecast to hit 70.5 feet at 10 a.m. Tuesday, which is well into moderate flood stage. The National Weather Service says a flood of that magnitude would inundate Fort Borst Park, some residential and commercial areas and many roads from Chehalis to Centralia.

Flooding could affect the Interstate 5 ramps at state Route 6 and Main Street in Chehalis, and flood areas around Plummer and Hayes Lakes.

The Cowlitz River at Randle is forecast to crest at 20.95 feet just before 10 p.m. Monday.

Floodwaters will likely inundate farmlands and many roads, including U.S. Highway 12 in Randle.

Moderate flooding is forecast on the Skookumchuck River at Bucoda, which is projected to crest at 15.7 feet Monday evening. Several businesses and homes in Bucoda could be affected, along with water overflowing many roads.

Moderate flooding is also forecast on the Chehalis River at Grand Mound. The river there is forecast to crest at 15.7 feet for most of Tuesday. Floodwaters would affect the Independence Valley and likely cut off access to and from the Chehalis Reservation.

Legacy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots The Skookumchuck River is predicted to hit minor flood stage in Centralia, reaching 85.9 feet at 10 p.m. Monday. The river will likely flood several roads and farmlands in and near Centralia.

Residents in areas near the affected rivers are urged to monitor forecasts through the weekend as the situation could continue to change.

The Chronicle will also continue to monitor the forecasts on Chronline.com andLewisCountyWatch.com as the situation develops.

and

provide

updates

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Commissioners Tour Flood-Stricken Areas With Sheriff Worst Was Over: County Leaders Get Firsthand Look at Swollen Creeks and Raging River January 6, 2015 Lewis County is no stranger to flooding, having been hit with several significant inundations over its history.

Yet each time notable flooding occurs, there seems to be a different location that takes the brunt of the damage, causing concern not only for residents and property owners, but also for officials and elected leaders.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

A landslide in Pe Ell blocked state Route 6 and destroyed a home owned by Pe Ell Fire Chief Mike Krafczyk in December 2007. It was just one of many slides that occurred that year. Many others have been reported before and since, both on state Route 6 and on U.S. Highway 12. The county is currently one of several considered at "extreme" risk for additional slides.

 Landslide Hazard Considered ‘Extreme’ for Lewis County January 5, 2015 All of Lewis County is under an extreme landslide hazard warning, according to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

“Landslide initiation is expected to be very frequent and widespread,” the DNR website said.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots The majority of coastal and peninsula counties are under extreme warnings as well. The information can be viewed on the DNR’s “Shallow Landslide Hazard Map for Washington State.”

The map isn’t an official warning, and cannot be used to definitely predict if or when a slide will occur, officials say.

Landslide risks are determined on passed and predicted rainfall over a 48-hour period.

“The rainfall totals in your area over the last 24 hours are up over three inches almost everywhere,” said National Weather Service Meteorologist Josh Smith. “The way that all the precipitation was coming in ... you guys got the brunt of it.”

A major slide closed all four Portion of U.S. Highway 12 at Aberdeen Monday morning.

The DNR partners with the National Weather Service to develop the shallow landslide susceptibility model. “Shallow” refers to slides that occur around 10-feet below the surface.

To view the landslide map go to https://fortress.wa.gov/dnr/landslidewarning/

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

Solar

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

Wild Game Fish Management

A new study has found that 98 per cent of chinook salmon will be gone by 2100 if climate change warms the water

 Chinook salmon could be wiped out by 2100, new study claims December 22, 2014 New climate-change research involving a University of British Columbia scientist predicts that one of the West Coast's most prized salmon stocks could be wiped out over the next 85 years.

A study has concluded that there is a five per cent chance of a catastrophic loss of the chinook salmon by 2075, and a 98 per cent chance the population will suffer catastrophic losses by 2100, if climate change warms the water.

An international research team looked at the ability by the chinook to adapt to warming water temperatures caused by climate change.

UBC zoologist Anthony Farrell was part of the research group and says the juvenile salmon studied developed serious heart problems in water temperatures higher than 24.5 C. Once past that temperature, the study found that the heart couldn't go any faster and would either slow or go arrhythmic.

The study was recently published in the journal Nature Climate Change

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Atlantic Salmon Trust warns wild stocks face extinction Wild Atlantic salmon are in danger of extinction, the Perth-based expert body that carries out research into the king of fish has warned.

January 6, 2015 In its annual review of the species, the Atlantic Salmon Trust said some catchment areas of the Dee and Spey were already suffering.

“Numbers of wild Atlantic salmon at sea have declined by more than 60% between 1970 and 2014, and are now extinct in more than 300 North Atlantic seaboard river catchments,” said Tony Andrews, the trust’s chief executive.

“For every wild Atlantic salmon in the sea, there are more than 200 farmed Atlantic salmon in open net cages, ‘sharing’ the same coastal waters.

“Recent scientific research indicates that impacts of parasites, pollution and disease from salmon farming on the coastal environment and wildlife may be far greater than previously assessed.

“Despite international pressure to put an end to mixed stocks drift and coastal netting, and the continuing decline in killing salmon by anglers, the number of wild salmon killed by human exploitation in the bio-region remains too high for a species under pressure of extinction.”

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 J50: Another reason to conserve wild chinook salmon

Good News! It is a Girl!

The new baby killer whale in J pod, called J50 by researchers that designate these whales alphanumerically, is alive and well, and with its matrilineal family today in northern Georgia Strait British Columbia. The new baby was first seen in the San Juan/Gulf Island archipelago on the 30th of December when it was estimated to be 4-10 days old, and it quickly became the subject of mystery because it was swimming alongside a female whale that is estimated to be 43 years old – beyond the age calculated for reproductive senescence in these whales. The 43 year old female, J16, has had five known prior babies, three of which have survived and still swim by her side. Her sixteen year old daughter, J36, was not seen nearby on 30 December, and we have for several years hoped that she would calve soon.

We still do not know which whale, J16 or J36, is the mother of little J50, but we will analyze photographs and behaviors noted today and in the future to determine the exact status in addition to the now confirmed female sex of the new baby. Sometimes it takes a few encounters and some time to sort these things out because these whales are very caring for one another, and baby-sitting is not unusual, especially with grandmothers. The presumed maternities in our catalogue now spanning forty years of precise photo-identification have all been verified by genetic studies, so we have to be careful and not leap to conclusions about exact relationships from only two sightings of this baby. We are working in coordination with researchers from Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to obtain facts and photographs that will help solve the matrilineal situation, but the sex of J50 is now confirmed to be female.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Where have all the salmon gone?

January 4, 2015 A SHOCK slump in the number of salmon caught on the River Tweed in Peeblesshire has been revealed.

Over the peak three month season ending on November 29, every beat on the upper river recorded a fall in catch numbers compared to the previous year.

On Traquair, just 34 fish were taken – down from 188 on the corresponding period of 2013.

It was a similar story at Holylee where rods took only 34 salmon, compared to 119 last year.

Other Peeblesshire beats recorded the following catches: The Nest 37 (91 last year), Ashiestiel 34 (105), Glenormiston 28 (87), Cardrona 34 (79) and Dawyck 20 (36).

The statistics, posted on the online magazine FishTweed and gleaned from catch returns from beats and angling associations across the catchment, show that just 2,500 salmon were taken with rod and line in the last three months of the season.

This compares to 8,000 which were caught in the corresponding period last year. Across the entire season, just 4,000 salmon were taken, compared to the five-year average from 2008-2013 of 11,000.

Although the exact totals will not be confirmed until the annual general meeting of the River Tweed Commissioners (RTC) in March, the beat owners will have much to ponder about the future of an industry worth an estimated £15m to the Borders economy.

The RTC has already introduced a compulsory catch and release policy - from February 1 to June 30 - for spring-running salmon (a rarity on the upper Tweed) in a bid to conserve stocks.

Among end-of-season reports posted on the FishTweed website is one from Hawick Angling Club, the largest association of its kind in the Borders.

“Thanks goodness that this season is over,” states the report, citing “far fewer fish than there should be”.

“Disease is rife with a high proportion of fish showing fungus in varying degrees. Let’s just hope this has been a one-off bad season and next year will be better.”

Theories abound as to reasons for the dearth of salmon catches in 2014 – from the overharvesting of salmon food (krill) at sea to the spread of lice infestation from commercial salmon farms.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots There appears, however, to be consensus on the need for a curb on wholesale coastal netting of salmon.

An online petition to Holyrood is calling for the Scottish Government to follow the example of the RTC and outlaw for a period of five years the killing of all Atlantic Salmon, either by nets or rods, before July 1 each year. The petition by Ian Gordon of the Salmon and Trout Association (Scotland) also urges the government to “take such steps as are necessary to bring an end to the exploitation of wild salmon by mixed stock fisheries at any time of year, in line with Scotland’s international commitments and obligations.”

The online petition closes on January 26.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

B.C. wildlife user groups have called on the provincial government to retake control of resource extraction practices, planning and oversight.

 B.C. government reviews environmental oversight of resource development Pr v ce’ u e f c mp January 14, 2015

-hired professionals to monitor environment part of review

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots The B.C. Liberal government has launched an internal review of how its laws and oversight of resource development affects wildlife habitat.

The review, headed by Prince George North MLA Mike Morris, is a response, in part, to concerns raised by a trio of wildlife user groups late last year.

The 43,000-member B.C. Wildlife Federation, B.C. Trappers Association and the Guide Outfitters Association of B.C. called on the provincial government to retake control of resource extraction practices, planning and oversight.

The groups said the government’s move in the past decade to rely on professionals hired by industry to make decisions on the land base, with little government oversight, has failed.

The government has reduced its own professional staff that monitors resource company practices and moved to a model where they increasingly rely on professionals who work for the companies, including foresters and engineers, to ensure the environment is protected.

The groups outlined their concerns in a letter to Forests, Lands and Natural Resources Minister Steve Thomson, which was copied to Premier Christy Clark.

Thomson said he disagreed professional reliance was a failure, but said he was willing to discuss concerns with the groups.

Morris, a former RCMP superintendent, has until the end of June to complete the review and deliver advice to Thomson.

Morris’s mandate includes examining provincial and federal legislation, land-use planning, monitoring, cumulative effects of resource development as well as the professional reliance issue.

“Personally, I am supportive of professional reliance if it’s done properly. I think that we’ve fallen down on that. And that needs to be looked at, but to what degree I don’t know,” Morris said in an interview.

“I’m certainly not going to prejudge anything before I’ve done my review on this,” added Morris, who was a trapper for 30 years.

Morris will be assisted by staff in the ministries of forests, environment, natural gas development, energy and mines and agriculture.

B.C. Wildlife Federation representative Wayne Salewski said they are pleased to have the attention of government.

Professionals are caught in the middle of sustaining the environment verses the economics of the company they work for with little latitude for innovation, said Salewski, the habitat and sustainability chair for federation.

An independent report last year also raised concerns over professional reliance.

The B.C. Ombudsperson report on the use of professional reliance to protect sensitive areas around streams during logging concluded there had been a lack of oversight, training, information and reporting by the provincial government.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots Criticism has also been levied on inadequate government oversight in the aftermath of the collapse of Imperial Metals’ Mount Polley gold and copper mine tailings dam in early August last year.

The dam collapse, among the largest in the world in the past 50 years, released millions of cubic metres of water and potentially-toxic tailings into the Quesnel Lake watershed.

The Vancouver Sun has reported that the B.C. government conducted no geotechnical inspections of the Mount Polley mine’s tailings dam in 2009, 2010 and 2011, and only five geotechnical inspections of B.C.’s 60 operating and shuttered mines in 2010 and 2011.

Inspections have increased since then, and the B.C. government has hired additional geotechnical inspectors.

B.C. Wildlife officials have said the government may need to hire more inspectors to monitor resource company practices, and they have called for an expanded role for the B.C. Forest Practices Board to include the mining and oil-and-gas sectors.

The board, created under the NDP in the mid-’90s, is an independent watchdog agency that reports directly to the B.C. legislature. The board audits and releases reports on individual forest companies but also on larger concerns, such as the effects of wide-scale logging of beetle-killed timber.

Morris said he plans to talk to Forest Practices Board officials and will consider the expansion suggestion.

He said he will also talk to professionals such as foresters and biologists, the wildlife associations and representatives of the forest, mining and oil-and-gas sectors.

Morris said he was not certain whether there will be any public meetings or call for submissions.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Situation Assessment for Capitol Lake December 19, 2014

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

Wildlife Artists:

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Artist Response Team

Holly Arntzen

Kevin Wright

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Leanne Hodges: West Coast Wild

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Dan Wallace: Passion for Authenticity r ce e : e r: S er S ver: 1.5” X 6.0” Available at Lattimer Gallery

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Derek DeYoung Art: “Dream Double 2” (SOLD)

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Diane Michelin - Fly Fishing Fine Art: "Gentle Release" Original watercolor 10" x 14"

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

Conservation-minded businesses – please support these fine businesses

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 Kingfish West Coast Adventure Tours

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Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Dave and Kim Egdorf's Western Alaska Sport Fishing Booking Now Montana: (406) 665-3489 Alaska: (907) 842-5480

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 Spirit Bear Coffee Company

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 Hidden Paths - Slovenia

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 ProFishGuide: Coastal Fishing at its Best

I focus on Tillamook Bay and its surrounding areas because its known for huge Salmon and acrobatic Steelhead. All of the bait, tackle and rods are top quality so when you hook a trophy it won't be out of reach. All you need to bring is your fishing license, rain gear and camera. Lunches can be provided at extra cost and come highly recommended. Not only will I ensure a great trip, it is also highly educational and fun for the whole family.

I currently guide in Oregon & Alaska for Salmon & Steelhead. I also have experience guiding in Idaho for trout as well as teaching Fly fishing & Fly casting. My certifications include US Coast Guard Certified license, CPR/1st aide, I also hold an Oregon & Alaska guide license, and I am fully insured.

Legacy – February 2015 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

 Silversides Fishing Adventures

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 Rhett Weber’s Charterboat “Slammer” Reserve your Pacific Ocean fishing adventures on Slammer through Deep Sea Charters – Westport, Washington

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