Legacy - August 2013 by Jim Wilcox

Issue 22

August 2013

Legacy ÂŠ Wild Game Fish Conservation International

The Journal of Wild Game Fish Conservation Published by volunteers at:

Wild Game Fish Conservation International

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

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 – The Journal of Wild Game Fish Conservation: Complimentary, no-nonsense, 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 features wild game fish conservation projects, fishing adventures, 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.

Wild Game Fish Conservation International Founders

Bruce Treichler

Jim Wilcox

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

Contents WGFCI Outreach via Legacy and Facebook _________________________________________________________ 9 We’re writing for wild game fish conservation ______________________________________________________ 10              

Senator Patty Murray, ________________________________________________________________________________ Congressman Denny Heck, ___________________________________________________________________________ Director General Bernard Vallat, _______________________________________________________________________ Senator Maria Cantwell,_______________________________________________________________________________ President Barak Obama, ______________________________________________________________________________ Governor Jay Inslee, _________________________________________________________________________________ Governor John Kitzhaber _____________________________________________________________________________ Senator Maria Cantwell,_______________________________________________________________________________ President Fawn Sharp,________________________________________________________________________________ Senator Maria Cantwell,_______________________________________________________________________________ Secretary John Kerry, ________________________________________________________________________________ Dr. Martine Dubuc, ___________________________________________________________________________________ Mr. Bruce Stewart, ___________________________________________________________________________________ Senators Cantwell and Murray, ________________________________________________________________________

10 10 11 11 12 12 13 13 14 14 15 15 16 17

Introducing WGFCI’s new colleague - YUK _________________________________________________________ 17  Our pal, YYU UK K, needs no introduction or fanfare _________________________________________________________ 17

Responses to WGFCI: ____________________________________________________________________________ 18  US Senator Maria Cantwell, Washington State __________________________________________________________ 18  New Keystone XL Pipeline Application _________________________________________________________________ 19  Statement on Infectious Salmon Anaemia Testing ______________________________________________________ 21

Community Activism, Education and Outreach: ____________________________________________________ 23  Leave this world better than when you found it _________________________________________________________ 23  Wild Pacific Salmon Need You – Salmon Are Sacred ____________________________________________________ 24       

Salmon Confidential: View documentary, Sign up for salmon, Community outreach, Donate, More _________ Wild Salmon Warrior Radio with Jay Peachy – Tuesday Mornings________________________________________ Farmed salmon toxins proven unsafe __________________________________________________________________ Why Chilliwack has a chapter of the Salmon Feedlot Boycott ____________________________________________ Pure water – Wild Salmon – OFFENSIVE? ______________________________________________________________ Oil shipment opponents meet in wake of Canada disaster _______________________________________________ Who you gonna call? - Fish Busters ___________________________________________________________________

25 26 27 29 30 31 32

 Action Requested: Moratorium on open pen salmon feedlots – Letter to Washington Governor, Jay Inslee _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 33  OK salmon farmers - the deception is coming to an end. ________________________________________________ 34  Petition: No to More Factory Fish Farms in Washington _________________________________________________ 35  Declaration signature requested: Wild Salmon First ____________________________________________________ 36  A picture is worth a thousand words___________________________________________________________________ 37  Petition: Protect Orcas from increased coal export _____________________________________________________ 38  John Kerry – Cancel contract with Environmental Resources Management _______________________________ 39

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! Seafood consumption: Food safety and health _____________________________________________________ 40  Warning: Eating Farmed Salmon May Affect Your Baby _________________________________________________ 40  Norway Issues Warnings About Health Dangers of Farmed Salmon ______________________________________ 41  Wild Salmon Is Worth the Price________________________________________________________________________ 45  Is Your Food Artificially Dyed? ________________________________________________________________________ 47  Food for thought _____________________________________________________________________________________ 48  Enjoy seasonal wild Pacific salmon dinners at these fine restaurants:____________________________________ 49  PROUD TO SUPPORT WILD SALMON – Original art by Leanne Hodges __________________________________ 50  Wild Salmon Supporters – View entire list here _________________________________________________________ 51  GE Salmon? Are You Out of Your Minds?! _____________________________________________________________ 52  Seafood Labeling Law Signed in Washington State _____________________________________________________ 54  First Genetically Modified Meat and Salmon To Be Approved For Summer 2013 ___________________________ 55  Fish Diseases Threaten Food Supply In Warm Climates _________________________________________________ 57    

Opinion: Toxicants and the Brain ______________________________________________________________________ Finnish people's intake of dioxin and PCBs ____________________________________________________________ Norwegian salmon, dangerous for our health: the need to protect consumers ____________________________ Splayed advice farmed for several years _______________________________________________________________

59 61 63 65

   

Norway recognizes that its salmon can be hazardous to health __________________________________________ Farm Raised Fish vs. Wild Caught _____________________________________________________________________ Eating Organic is Like Giving Monsanto the Finger _____________________________________________________ Marine Harvest Canada first in BC to achieve three-star salmon certification _____________________________

67 69 70 71

Impacts of open pen salmon feedlots ______________________________________________________________ 72       

Norwegian virus devastating to farmed salmon spreads to Canada and Chile: paper published ____________ Fish farms blamed for wild salmon decline _____________________________________________________________ Scientists' dire warning: GM salmon will breed with trout and permanently harm the ecosystem ___________ A Global Assessment of Salmon Aquaculture Impacts on Wild Salmonids ________________________________ Svar til lakselobbyen _________________________________________________________________________________ Local orca numbers lowest in 10 years ________________________________________________________________ ISA Outbreak Confirmed in Norway ____________________________________________________________________

72 74 75 76 77 79 81

 Fish-farm parasites eating Wester Ross trout alive _____________________________________________________ 82  Sea bottom still toxic in Shelburne, says marine scientist _______________________________________________ 84  Finn én feil: Fiskeriminister Lisbeth Berg-Hansen og storinvestorene blir styrtrike. Miljøet og alle vi andre betaler prisen. _________________________________________________________________________________ 85  Dr. Alexandra Morton Talks: Video series ______________________________________________________________ 87  Letter: Net pens may harm local salmon _______________________________________________________________ 88      

Sea lice from open pen salmon feedlots on Finnock (sea trout) __________________________________________ Cooke Aquaculture's Atlantic salmon "From egg to plate medicate" _____________________________________ Salmon at risk? ______________________________________________________________________________________ Our Beef With Aquaculture____________________________________________________________________________ Triploid escapees potential hazard to steelhead ________________________________________________________ Skuna Bay Salmon Processor Attains BAP Certification ________________________________________________

89 90 91 92 94 95

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! Climate Change __________________________________________________________________________________ 96  Salmon and Streams to Benefit from New 'Climate Action Plan' __________________________________________ 96  Walmart Farmed Salmon Boycott – Watch video HERE __________________________________________________ 98  Obama surprises on Keystone in second-term climate speech__________________________________________ 100

Energy production and wild game fish: Oil, Coal, Hydropower, Wind, Natural Gas ___________________ 102 Oil – Drilled, Tar Sands _________________________________________________________________________________ 103  Casualties feared after derailment sparks explosions, fire in Quebec town ______________________________ 103  One 100-car train of oil rolls on Washington's rails each day ___________________________________________ 106  Train crash hits close to home _______________________________________________________________________ 107  Oil trains -- pipelines on wheels -- headed to Northwest terminals and refineries from North Dakota fracking ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 108  Rare Whale Sighted Off British Columbia Coast _______________________________________________________ 109  First Nations don't have right to direct tankers, Northern Gateway lawyer says __________________________ 111  The Salish Sea: In Danger____________________________________________________________________________  High-Tech Solutions? Not For Keystone Pipeline ______________________________________________________ Coal __________________________________________________________________________________________________  Even without terminals, coal trains will cross WA______________________________________________________

114 115 118 120

 Vancouver City Council set to symbolically ban coal industry within city limits __________________________ Hydropower and water retention ________________________________________________________________________  Fish, Frogs, and People to Benefit from Biggest Dam-Removal Project in California History ______________  Feds Say Bonneville Dam Improvements Helping Salmon ______________________________________________  Orchard Park dam classified as a ‘high hazard’ ________________________________________________________  Most run-of-river power projects fail to meet monitoring requirements __________________________________  LMT Guest Opinion: If you do the math, dams don't add up ____________________________________________  Legislature awards $28.2 million in flood relief funding_________________________________________________ Natural Gas, Fracking __________________________________________________________________________________  Water Contamination from Fracking: Jessica Ernst Releases Groundbreaking Report ____________________  Exxon joins LNG race in B.C._________________________________________________________________________ Wind__________________________________________________________________________________________________

122 123 123 126 127 128 130 133 135 135 136 139

 Washington Governor Inslee – “well-positioned to lead the nation…” ___________________________________ 139

Forest Management and Wild Game Fish _________________________________________________________ 140  Herrera Beutler seeks solutions for Skamania Co. timber woes _________________________________________ 140  100-plus businesses, CEOs support Wild Olympics campaign __________________________________________ 142

Government action/inaction and wild game fish ___________________________________________________ 143  I Don’t Pay Attention to Politics… ____________________________________________________________________ 143  Keystone XL Environmental Consultant ‘Lied’ About TransCanada Ties _________________________________ 144  Norwegian Salmon May Be Banned From Its Biggest Market, Russia, Over Concerns About Larvae And Parasites In The Fish ________________________________________________________________________________ 146  Canadian Food Inspection Agency strips Dr. Kibenge’s lab on Prince Edward Island of its ISA reporting authority. __________________________________________________________________________________ 147  The CFIA's PR War On Salmon: Internationally Renowned Canadian OIE Research Lab Loses The Battle They Shouldn't Have to Fight __________________________________________________________________ 148

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!  Scientists concerned over chill in reporting of salmon virus after lab delisted ___________________________ 151  Norwegian fisheries prevents objective research (via Google translate) _________________________________ 153  Deadly Fish Virus No Threat to Pacific Salmon ________________________________________________________ 157  Budget funds pre-design work for proposed state office building _______________________________________ 158  BC Salmon Farmers Sign Transfer Agreement for Genome BC Study ___________________________________ 159  Govt to allocate 45 'green' aquaculture licenses _______________________________________________________ 160  Fish farm rejected by Nova Scotia government, risk to wild salmon cited ________________________________ 161  Norway’s fishermen concerned about fish health, not new quotas ______________________________________ 162  DFO approve salmon farm expansion before responding to Cohen Report ______________________________ 164  Harper government announces new pipeline safety measures __________________________________________ 166  Lake Quinault closed to nontribal uses _______________________________________________________________ 168  Quinault property owners wonder about lake closure __________________________________________________ 169  Tribe re-opens Lake Quinault to swimming ____________________________________________________________ 171  Tribe says Lake Quinault docks must go ______________________________________________________________ 172

Mining and wild game fish _______________________________________________________________________ 174  The end of sockeye salmon? _________________________________________________________________________ 174  Bristol Bay Ecosystem – Unparalleled Salmon Habitat _________________________________________________ 177

Wild game fish management _____________________________________________________________________ 178  Nisqually Tribe uses tangle nets, beach seines to reduce impact on chinook ____________________________ 178  USGS Research Says Fish Virus In Washington Coastal Steelhead Originated From Columbia River Basin_______________________________________________________________________________________________ 179

Local Conservation Projects _____________________________________________________________________ 180  Yakama Nation celebrate sockeye return to Cle Elum Lake for the first time in 100 years _________________ 180

Conservation-minded businesses – please support these fine businesses __________________________ 181     

Guiding Sportfishing with Gašper Konkolič ___________________________________________________________ Fly Gal Ventures ____________________________________________________________________________________ Tranquil Charters ___________________________________________________________________________________ Bravo Restaurant and Lounge________________________________________________________________________ John Wayne’s Waterfront Resort _____________________________________________________________________

181 182 183 184 185

 Vedder River Inn ____________________________________________________________________________________ 186  Icy Bay Lodge ______________________________________________________________________________________ 187  Togiak River Lodge _________________________________________________________________________________ 188  Three Rivers Lodge _________________________________________________________________________________ 189  Urban Angler Miami with Hai Truong__________________________________________________________________ 190  Rumbo Sur – Fly Fishing_____________________________________________________________________________ 191  BC Outdoors – Your Fishing and Hunting Authority ____________________________________________________ 192

Attention Conservation-minded Business Owners _________________________________________________ 194 WGFCI endorsed conservation organizations: _____________________________________________________ 194 Featured Artists: ________________________________________________________________________________ 195  Ta’Kaiya Blaney – Raising a Generation to Care for the Environment ____________________________________ 195  Pat Quinn: Listen to “Fish Farm Blues” _______________________________________________________________ 196

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! Featured Fishing Photos: ________________________________________________________________________ 197  Jan Maizler Photos: Peacock Bass ___________________________________________________________________ 197  Smiles all around on Charterboat “Slammer” (Westport, Washington) ___________________________________ 198  Remember When… __________________________________________________________________________________ 199

Recommended Reading _________________________________________________________________________ 200  Alexandra Morton: “Listening to Whales” _____________________________________________________________ 200  Jan Maizler: “Fishing Florida’s Flats” _________________________________________________________________ 201

Video Library – conservation of wild game fish ____________________________________________________ 202 Final Thoughts: _________________________________________________________________________________ 203

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

Legacy Forward The August 2013 issue of Legacy marks twenty two consecutive months of our webbased publication, the watchdog journal published by Wild Game Fish Conservation International. Once again, no holds are barred in this issue. Legacy is published each month to expose current and planned actions that impact the future of wild game fish and their ecosystems around planet earth to our growing audience. Legacy is also utilized to promote the many benefits of healthy populations of wild game fish. Please share this uniquely comprehensive publication with others far and wide as it includes something of interest and importance for everyone. Our hope is that those who read Legacy will come to understand that what is good for wild game fish is also good for humans. Similarly, what is bad for our planet’s wild game fish is also really bad for humans! It’s exciting that a growing number of recreational anglers and others around planet earth are passionate about conserving wild game fish and their continued availability for this and future generations to enjoy and appreciate. Just as exciting is that growing numbers of consumers and retailers are paying close attention to the impacts each of us have on global resources through our daily activities and purchases. We continue to urge our global audience to speak out passionately and to demonstrate peacefully for wild game fish and their ecosystems; ecosystems that we are but one small component of. As recreational fishermen, conservation of wild game fish for future generations 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.

Bruce Treichler

James E. Wilcox Wild Game Fish Conservation International

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

WGFCI Outreach via Legacy and Facebook

The July issue of Legacy is being read in these countries

4,500+ WGFCI Facebook friends

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

We’re writing for wild game fish conservation

 Senator Patty Murray, re. http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/05/01/firstgenetically-modified-meat-and-salmon-to-be-approved-forsummer-2013/ FDA / USDA must not permit the sale of GMO salmon for human consumption in the United States of America. Similarly these unnatural products should never be permitted to be raised in the USA or anywhere else where they could negatively impact America's wild salmon and trout. We're counting

you

and

your

colleagues

to protect

Washington's wild salmon and trout.

 Congressman Denny Heck,

Senator Patty Murray US Congress Washington state

It is of great importance that you work with Washington's congressional delegation to remove open pen salmon feedlots from Washington state. These "weapons of mass destruction" are devastating to wild Pacific salmon, their ecosystems, cultures, communities and economies. The salmon produced in these feedlots for human consumption are often diseased and always carry a cocktail mix of chemicals used to treat parasites such as salmon lice, antibiotics and even chemicals to color their flesh. These feedlot salmon are fed using forage fish, GMO corn and byproducts from poultry, swine, cattle, etc. The health risks, especially to young mothers and their babies is insane, if not criminal.

Rep. Dennis “Denny” Heck US Congress th Washington’s 10 Congressional Dist

For more information on this topic, we respectfully urge you and your staff to view the recently released, biodocumentary "Salmon Confidential" which is available online at http://salmonconfidential.ca.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Director General Bernard Vallat, cc: Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Department of Fisheries and Oceans - BC Regional Director General We are writing on behalf of Wild Game Fish Conservation International and our associates around planet earth to formally and respectfully demand that Dr. Kibenge’s lab retain its credentials as one-of two World Organization for Animal Health accredited laboratories authorized to test for and report findings of Infectious Salmon Anemia. To strip this highly specialized, professional lab of its authority to test for Infectious Salmon Anemia is irresponsible, heavy-handed and totally uncalled for. Proceeding with this action is putting the health of the world’s human population at extreme risk while at the same time ignoring the impacts to Canada’s and the United States of America’s irreplaceable wild salmon, their ecosystems, cultures, communities and economies.

Bernard Vallat Director General World Organization for Animal Health

Going forward with this action to strip this important authority from this highly respected lab will have dire and costly ramifications.

 Senator Maria Cantwell, Re. NOAA's 10-year aquaculture plan: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/aquaculture/docs/policy/final_noaa_10_ yr_plan.pdf We respectfully request that you: 1. continue to work with your colleagues in Congress to implement an immediate and permanent moratorium on new open pen salmon feedlots in America's (including states’) marine ecosystems. 2. work to remove open pen salmon feedlots from wild salmon migration routes along America's west and east coasts as these "weapons of mass destruction" are negatively impacting human health, wild salmon, their ecosystems, cultures, communities and economies.

Senator Maria Cantwell US Congress Washington state

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 President Barak Obama, We are writing on behalf of Wild Game Fish Conservation International and our associates around planet earth to respectfully urge you and your administration to enact an immediate and permanent moratorium on open pen salmon feedlots from being sited in America's wild salmon migration routes. These "weapons of mass destruction" are negatively impacting human health around the world as well as America's wild salmon, their fragile ecosystems, cultures, communities and economies. This is an important human health, environment and economic matter that deserves your personal attention and appropriate action by your administration. President Barak Obama United Sates of America

 Governor Jay Inslee, As our Environmental Governor with the stated goal of preserving our natural environment, I urge that you consider a moratorium on additional fin fish net pens until such time as there can be definitive scientific evidence that expansion will not harm the native species that Washington has spent so much money and effort restoring. During your campaign for governor, you said you would make sure there is full environmental assessment review based on science. You voiced your concerns about the infection issues and disease transfers such as the one that occurred in Bainbridge last May when the IHN (infectious hematopoietic necrosis) virus caused the destruction of nearly 600,000 Atlantic salmon contained in the pens. Has there been any study since that time of the effect of this disease on our wild salmon? Is there ongoing monitoring of disease inside the pens now for ALL viruses?

Governor Jay Inslee Washington State

In addition to the risk of infectious viruses often concentrated in net pens, there is the very real danger with the proliferation of sea lice shown to attack and kill native smolts, thus, putting at risk the native species that have been making a recovery and returning to Washington waters. A significant amount of research has been done in BC as well as in Norway that confirms sea lice incubating in the net pens and infecting nearby native species. It is indeed alarming that the monumental efforts of the last decade, that included dam removals, now could be jeopardized by adding more fish farms to our area. We believe that it is time for you to step in and, using the precautionary principle, issue a moratorium until such time as the significant environmental and health issues can be resolved through more comprehensive scientific research.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Governor John Kitzhaber, It's important that you as Oregon’s Governor, stop coal export in its tracks. I respectfully urge you on behalf of Wild Game Fish Conservation International and our associates around planet earth to deny the Air Containment Discharge Permit and other state permits that will pave the way for Ambre Energy's Morrow Pacific coal export project. Coal is toxic. And DEQ should use its full authority to protect the entire Columbia River from toxic coal dust. This includes requiring a 401 water quality certification that will evaluate all impacts of dirty coal on our river. Governor John Kitzhaber Oregon

Oregon should also refrain from making a decision on any permits until an independent Health Impact Assessment is reviewed and the federal government evaluates the significant impacts of coal export in an Environmental Impact Statement. Coal harms our lungs, our water, and our climate. Stand on the right side of history: reject coal export in Oregon.

 Senator Maria Cantwell, As you've implied for years, there are significant concerns regarding the information provided by Canada regarding the impacts of open pen salmon feedlots on wild salmon, their ecosystems, cultures, communities and ecosystems. As you are most likely aware, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recently stripped Dr. Kibenge's - World Health Laboratory of its authority to publish his recent findings of Infectious Salmon Anemia found in feedlot and wild Pacific salmon. This deliberate, intentional and totally irresponsible action by Canada puts Washington's wild Pacific salmon and all those who enjoy them at immediate risk. This information is summarized at: http://www.salmonconfidential.ca/for-media/cfia-takes-outkibenge/ Your leadership on this important matter is essential.

Senator Maria Cantwell US Congress Washington state

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 President Fawn Sharp, On behalf of Wild Game Fish Conservation International and our associates around planet earth, thank you for your courageous leadership associated with closing Lake Quinault to non tribal members and for your opposition to the proposed Chehalis River dam. Both of these difficult decisions were important on many fronts, especially in regards to human health and protecting and restoring local natural resources. We commend you and the Quinault Indian administration for these important actions.

Nation

President Fawn Sharp Quinault Indian Nation

 Senator Maria Cantwell, The more we read regarding the risks to human health and our natural resources due to the negative impacts associated with open pen salmon feedlots, the more we understand that feedlot salmon should be permanently banned by the United States of America. Similarly, America must no longer be involved in raising and marketing these inferior products. The ongoing muzzling of government-funded scientists working to identify and report these risks is unacceptable and must be curtailed immediately. As you've seen, Canada has muzzled world renowned scientists (Miller and Kibenge) from reporting their positive ISA findings in British Columbia Atlantic and Pacific salmon. Muzzling the work of scientists associated with open pen salmon feedlots is nothing new. As reported today, Norway was doing this in: 2006:

Senator Maria Cantwell US Congress Washington state

Your effective leadership is needed to protect human health and our precious environment from the impacts of open pen salmon feedlots.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Secretary John Kerry, We are writing on behalf of Wild Game Conservation International and our associates around planet earth to respectfully urge the US Department of State to immediately revoke the contract with Environmental Resources Management (ERM). The issues associated with the proposed Keystone XL pipeline are complex and messy enough. Exacerbating these challenges by working with a contractor having a working relationship with TransCanada (pipeline owner) is an obvious ethical / legal matter that must be avoided by you and your staff.

Secretary John Kerry Department of State United States of America

 Dr. Martine Dubuc, We are writing on behalf of Wild Game Fish Conservation International and our associates around planet earth to formally and respectfully demand that Dr. Kibenge’s lab retain its credentials as one-of two World Organization for Animal Health accredited laboratories authorized to test for and report findings of Infectious Salmon Anemia. To strip this highly specialized, professional lab of its authority to test for Infectious Salmon Anemia is irresponsible, heavy-handed and totally uncalled for. Proceeding with this action is putting the health of the world’s human population at extreme risk while at the same time ignoring the impacts to Canada’s and the United States of America’s irreplaceable wild salmon, their ecosystems, cultures, communities and economies. Going forward with this action to strip this important authority from this highly respected lab will have dire and costly ramifications.

Dr. Martine Dubuc Vice-President, Science/ Chief Food Safety Officer for Canada OIE Delegate for Canada Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Mr. Bruce Stewart, It's exciting to read that the collaborative efforts involving Washington tribes, Washington state and the federal government have not detected the Infectious Salmon Anemia Virus in Washington's wild Pacific salmon. Hopefully additional funding will be made available to continue this testing in pink salmon and others. We at Wild Game Fish Conservation International respectfully urge your team of biologists and others to submit sub samples of these fish under ISAV examination to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) labs in Canada and Norway as these are where the world's two leading ISAV scientists test for and report this deadly salmon disease. Clearly the ISAV investigation that you and your colleagues are doing is critically important - including these world renowned OIE-authorized scientists is justified and is absolutely the responsible action.

Bruce Stewart Fish health program manager Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission

Alexandra Morton: No they did not use the same test as Dr. Kibenge. Both the US (as I understand it) and the CFIA ignore pieces of the virus when detected, they only accept the entire virus sequence as a "positive." ISA virus shatters easily after the fish dies, as compared to PRV which is much tougher and stays in one piece for longer. When a virologist gets a partial sequence of virus they put the sequence into a Gene bank and run it for a match. This would be like running a partial fingerprint for a match. To reject the large segments of ISA virus that have been detected is extremely poor science and management. You can't have pieces of the virus in a sample without having the virus.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Senators Cantwell and Murray, The recently published report regarding the impacts of Piscine reovirus (another european salmon virus associated with Norway's open pen Atlantic salmon feedlots) on wild Pacific salmon will bring significant concerns from our region's fishing community that relies on wild Pacific salmon. This disease will also have significant negative impacts on our region's tourism industry, cultures, communities and economies. Here's the link to this important report: http://www.virologyj.com/content/10/1/230 This is further justification for:

Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray US Congress Washington State

1. an immediate and permanent moratorium on open pen salmon feedlots sited in Washington's wild salmon migration routes 2. a Canada / USA agreement to permanently remove open pen salmon feedlots from wild salmon migration routes utilized by salmon and trout originating in one or both countries.

Introducing WGFCI’s new colleague - YUK

 Our pal, YYUUKK, needs no introduction or fanfare

Don Staniford: “Watch this online - you don't need to understand Norwegian to see what the people in supermarket think when asked if they had worries about buying farmed salmon infected with diseases! http://www.nrk.no/hordaland/--laks-med-virus-selges-pa-tilbud-1.7326941”

Legacy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Year of the Wild Salmon!

Responses to WGFCI:

ď ś US Senator Maria Cantwell, Washington State

June 21, 2013 Thank you for contacting me about genetic engineering in agriculture. I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue. The Senate passed the Agricultural Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2013 (S.954), also known as the farm bill, on June 10, 2013, to reauthorize the federal government's agriculture and food programs. I strongly supported passage of this legislation, which will strengthen investments in Washington State's agriculture economy and research, sustain local and organic food programs, and save taxpayers more than $23 billion. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has filed amendments (S. Amdt. 1025 and S. Amdt. 1026) to express the sense of the Senate concerning the labeling of genetically modified foods and to require a report on the methods of labeling genetically modified food in nations that already label these foods and the potential effects of having differing state labeling laws in the absence of a federal labeling standard with respect to genetically modified food. However, these amendments were not voted on during the Senate debate. It may interest you to know that the U.S. Senate did consider an amendment (S. Amdt. 965) introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to affirm the rights of states to label foods that contain genetically engineered ingredients. If enacted, the amendment would have allowed states to require the labeling of foods produced with genetically engineered ingredients. I voted for this amendment on May 22, 20313; unfortunately it was not agreed to. I believe that federal agencies should undertake comprehensive scientific reviews of genetically engineered crops, including considering any environmental, ecological and human health implications. Because the science surrounding certain types of genetically engineered crops is relatively new, the U.S. Senate has a responsibility to carefully examine all aspects of this issue based on the information that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and other stakeholders provide. Thank you again for contacting me to share your thoughts on this matter. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of further assistance. Sincerely, Maria Cantwell United States Senator

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 New Keystone XL Pipeline Application July 12, 2013 On May 4, 2012, the Department of State received a new application from TransCanada Corp. for a proposed pipeline that would run from the Canadian border to connect to a pipeline in Steele City, Nebraska. The new application includes proposed new routes through the state of Nebraska. The Department’s responsibility, under Executive Order 13337, is to determine if granting a permit for the proposed pipeline would serve the national interest. The Department is considering this new application on its merits. Consistent with the Executive Order, this involves consideration of many factors, including energy security, health, environmental, cultural, economic, and foreign policy concerns. In accordance with its interim guidance, the Department of State selected Environmental Resources Management (known as “ERM”) to serve as an independent third-party contractor for its environmental review of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline project. ERM is assisting the Department in conducting a thorough analysis of both the new route in Nebraska (in cooperation with the State of Nebraska) and any other information relevant to the environmental review that has become available. On September 7, 2012, the Department of State received an environmental report from the applicant, TransCanada Corp. It is a normal part of the federal environmental review process for the private company applying for a permit to submit its own initial analysis of the environmental issues relevant to its proposal. On January 22, 2013, the Department of State received notice from Governor Heineman of the State of Nebraska that he had accepted the route recommended by the Nebraska state route review process. On March 1, 2013, the Department of State: 

posted a copy of the Environmental Resources Management (ERM) contract and organizational conflicts of interest disclosures. The documents are available at http://keystonepipelinexl.state.gov/admindocs/index.htm



published a Media Note announcing the release of the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2013/03/205548.htm

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! 

published a Fact Sheet regarding the release of the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. http://keystonepipeline-xl.state.gov/draftseis/205549.htm



released a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the new Presidential Permit application for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. The Draft SEIS is available at: http://keystonepipeline-xl.state.gov/draftseis/index.htm. On March 8, 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of the Draft SEIS on its website, starting the 45 day public comment period. On April 18, 2013, the Department of State held a public meeting in Grand Island, Nebraska. On April 22, 2013, the comment period on the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement closed. The Department is reviewing the comments we received during the public comment period and will make revisions to the Draft SEIS as appropriate. Next, the Department will seek the views of other agencies identified in Executive Order 13337, and make a determination as to whether issuance of a Presidential Permit for the Keystone XL pipeline would serve the national interest. The Department intends to provide an additional opportunity for the public to comment during the National Interest Determination (NID) period that will begin with the release the Final SEIS. This additional public comment period will provide a further opportunity for the public to provide input on this proposed project. The Department will provide the details on the NID comment period at a later date. On May 15, 2013, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued their Biological Opinion for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline to the Department, which was prepared consistent with the Endangered Species Act. The Department posted the Biological Opinion at http://keystonepipelinexl.state.gov/proj_docs/bio/index.htm. UPDATE On May 23, 2013, the Department posted the first set of approximately 100,000 comments, out of the more than 1.2 million received, on the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline to www.regulations.gov, a public website. The comments can be viewed at http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=DOS-2013-0011. The Department plans to post subsequent sets of comments of a similar size weekly. All comments will be posted prior to completion of the Final SEIS. The Department continues to review the Presidential Permit application for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline in a rigorous, transparent, and efficient manner.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Statement on Infectious Salmon Anaemia Testing Recent allegations need to be corrected about the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's (CFIA) role in the decision to delist the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) as a World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) reference laboratory. In Canada, infectious salmon anaemia (ISA) is a federally reportable disease. This means that all suspected cases must be immediately reported to the CFIA for follow-up investigation and testing. In late 2011, the former OIE reference laboratory at the AVC reportedly found evidence of ISA. Because any suspected cases of ISA must be confirmed at a designated federal laboratory, the National Aquatic Animal Health Laboratory, overseen by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), conducted testing of fish samples. The positive test results reported by the AVC were not corroborated by the DFO laboratory. Due to the differences observed in these test results, the CFIA conducted evaluations of both laboratories to assess their capability to reliably detect the ISA virus in accordance with accepted scientific standards. The evaluation conducted at the AVC identified concerns, which may have led to the questionable ISA test results. This information was shared with the OIE. The OIE designates reference laboratory status based on a laboratory's ability to maintain the highest technical and operational standards. The OIE undertook an independent audit of the AVC after another OIE member country also reported issues related to ISA test results from this laboratory. The OIE audit, performed by an international panel of scientific experts, found a series of weaknesses affecting the quality of diagnoses performed at the AVC laboratory. The decision to delist this laboratory as an OIE reference laboratory was approved unanimously by the General Assembly of the OIE in May 2013. The CFIA is committed to protecting the health of wild and farmed fish, and takes reports of ISA seriously. On the east coast of Canada, the CFIA has confirmed, responded to and posted findings of ISA publicly. The CFIA posts reports on all federally reportable diseases including ISA on a monthly basis. As part of the CFIA's multi-year wild salmon disease surveillance initiative in British Columbia (BC), 4175 wild salmon samples were collected directly from BC waters, processing plants and enhancement hatcheries in March 2012. All of the samples have tested negative for ISA. The samples were also tested for either infectious haematopoietic necrosis (IHN) or infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN) and these tests were also negative. This surveillance initiative is led by the CFIA in partnership with many organizations, including DFO, the Province of British Columbia, First Nations groups, the aquaculture industry and the fishing and processing industry. All sampling, testing and response activities associated with this surveillance initiative are based on internationally recognized science. They are also consistent with international guidelines and national aquatic animal health requirements. A full report of the surveillance initiative is available through the CFIA website.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! By the end of 2013, this surveillance program is expected to collect an additional 5,000 samples for testing. The CFIA is also finalizing its approach to evaluate ongoing farmed salmon testing activities in BC. The CFIA expects to begin the collection and testing of farmed Atlantic and Pacific salmon this fall. As part of the CFIA's transparency initiative, additional information on this surveillance initiative and CFIA National Aquatic Animal Health Program, are available on the Agency's website at www.inspection.gc.ca/aquatic. Date modified: 2013-07-05

Watch Above Video Here (source: “Salmon Confidential”) Watch 70-minute documentary, “Salmon Confidential” Here

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

Community Activism, Education and Outreach:  Leave this world better than when you found it

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Wild Pacific Salmon Need You – Salmon Are Sacred

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Salmon

Confidential: View documentary, Sign up for salmon, Community outreach, Donate, More

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Wild Salmon Warrior Radio with Jay Peachy – Tuesday Mornings Listen to July 9 program HERE

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Farmed salmon toxins proven unsafe July 2013 Last month, “Wild Salmon Warrior News” explained why salmon farms must be removed from wild salmon migration routes. This month, we tell the other side of the story: how farmed salmon in BC, Norway and elsewhere is full of toxins. First some shocking news from Norway, the country where modern salmon farming originated and which owns most of the salmon farms in BC. Norwegian doctor Anne-Lise Birch Monsen, a specialist from the clinical department at Haukeland University Hospital, recently stated to the Norwegian newspaper VG (Verdens Gang), “I do not recommend pregnant women, children or young people to eat farmed salmon. It is uncertain in both the amount of toxins salmon contain and how these drugs affect children, adolescents and pregnant women.” She points out that the types of contaminants detected in farmed salmon have a negative effect on brain development and are associated with autism, ADHD and reduced IQ. On June 10, the International Herald Tribune published an article about farmed salmon, with the caveat, “Don’t give [it] to the children,” and the accompanying caption: “May produce brain damage.” Here in BC, two of many champions for wild salmon are educating the public and inspiring us all to take action to protect wild salmon and public health. Twyla Roscovich, documentary filmmaker and underwater marine cinematographer, states, “I think the biggest concern right now is the impact that salmon farm-origin pathogens are having on our public marine resources. The high density of the farms is creating dangerous mutations and amplifying pathogens, which our valuable wild fish are being exposed to. Our government, which is deeply enmeshed with industry, cannot be trusted to manage this public resource so we must take the management of salmon back to the people who depend on them. I will be releasing an ongoing series of coastal news video clips as the science unfolds. Sign up or watch the free 70 minute film at SalmonConfidential.ca” Twlya Roscovich

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! Eddie Gardner (T’it’elem Spath) is a member of the Skwah First Nation in Chilliwack, BC. Eddie is currently an Elder-in-Residence at the University of the Fraser Valley. He is devoted to working with First Nations authorities, Salmon Are Sacred, environmental groups, scientists and the food industry to protect and restore wild salmon. He has started a series of actions to educate the public about the dangers of eating farmed salmon, especially for children. “I choose a restaurant or food outlet that sells farmed salmon and ask the manager to remove farmed salmon from their shelves.

Eddie Gardner

I let them know there will be a rally in front of their establishment to help raise awareness. I also give the manager information to hand out to customers. A media advisory is issued announcing there will be a boycott on a specific date at the store or restaurant and I also post the event on social media. I present a certificate of acknowledgement and appreciation if the store or restaurant joins the feedlot salmon boycott. I also reward them with a ‘cash mob’ by having 8 to 12 people show up for a meal at their restaurant. This encourages other restaurants to follow suit.” Contact Eddie at singingbear@shaw.ca For more viewpoints and events, listen to Wild Salmon Warrior Radio, with host and artist Jay Peachy, Tuesdays 10:30AM. Begins July 2 on CJSF 90.1FM or online at cjsf.ca Editorial Comment: The above article was republished from the July 2013 issue of Common Ground

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Why Chilliwack has a chapter of the Salmon Feedlot Boycott I am often asked, "Eddie what's the big deal with farmed Atlantic salmon and why are you promoting a boycott of farmed salmon here in Chilliwack?" The answer is simple: the Norwegian Aquaculture industry, better known as the "aquavirus industry," must be exposed. Just watch Salmon Confidential, a shocking exposure of how the Norwegian Aquaculture industry (Cermaq, Marine Harvest and Grieg's), with full support of federal and provincial governments, has damaged the ocean ecosystem and threatens the very survival of Fraser River sockeye salmon. It is a story of pollution, transference of sea lice and importation of deadly European salmon viruses. It is a story of cover-ups, denials and lies. Here in BC, tons of non-native Atlantic farmed salmon are trapped and grown in feedlots of open net cages. The feedlot salmon are fed food pellets laced with antibiotics to fight a losing battle with mutating European viruses. What goes in must come out. Through the force of gravity, huge amounts of feces settle to the ocean floor beneath and in addition, uneaten pellets are added to this. Atlanticfarmed salmon, with little room to move around are much fatter than wild salmon and absorb large amounts of PCBs that are bad for your health. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) on Canada's East Coast recently gave the green light for farmed salmon with the European Infectious Salmon Anemia virus to be sold in Canadian supermarkets. The CFIA's argument is that it does not harm humans, but can spread to wild fish and kill them. How ethical is that? This is all pretty new, and I am not as confident as the CFIA that it is a good thing to send sick, drugged fish with the mutating virus to our supermarkets and say it is safe for human consumption. The DFO is in a conflict of interest, having the constitutional responsibility to protect the Oceans and Wild Fisheries as well as the adopted mandate to promote, and financially support Norwegian-owned companies to operate fish farms on the coastal waters. It is a conflict of interest of great concern as expressed by Justice Bruce Cohen because the fish farms have great potential to do irreversible harm to Fraser River sockeye salmon along its migration routes along the coastal waters. This is why people in BC are asking the province to exercise the precautionary principle, and use its jurisdiction and authority to revoke fish farm leases and have them removed. The Christy Clark government is unwilling to do this. Since federal and provincial governments have clearly abdicated their responsibility to exercise the precautionary principle to remove the open net feedlots, consumers are using their own precautions by not buying Atlantic farmed salmon. Here in Chilliwack, we are lucky because the following places will not have Atlantic farmed salmon on their shelves or menus: BC's own Save On Foods, Coopers, Price Smart Foods, as well as Jackson's Steak and Grill House and Bravo Restaurant and Lounge. We expect more to follow this kind of environmental concern and leadership. The Chilliwack Chapter of the National Salmon Feedlot Boycott will continue to educate consumers so they can strategically support Fraser River Sockeye salmon. Boycott Atlantic farmed salmon wherever it is sold! Remember: Vote Wild Salmon in the spring provincial election! Together, we can save wild salmon!

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Pure water – Wild Salmon – OFFENSIVE?

John Phair: Within days of putting up this sign, the owner of the business and building in downtown Burns Lake, BC, has been served notice to apply for BOTH a new permit for the sign AND to submit a letter of appeal regarding the permit which would be rejected as a matter of course because of 2 anonymous complaints that the sign is "offensive". The sign meets all other bylaw conditions, unless it's deemed to be "unsightly, grotesque or offensive in character or matter".

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Oil shipment opponents meet in wake of Canada disaster July 13, 2013 In the wake of the crude-oil train derailment and subsequent fire that destroyed the center of a small town in Quebec last Saturday, opponents of the three proposals to ship crude oil by rail through Grays Harbor met Friday to discuss potential impacts to the area. The 73-car train carrying about 2.1 million gallons of crude oil sped down a nearly seven-mile-long hill derailing in the town of Megantic, where it caused explosions that killed at least 13 people and left about 50 people missing. Current Port tenants Westway Terminals and Imperium Renewables have already cleared one hurdle in the permitting process; the State Department of Ecology and the City of Hoquiam determined that steps the companies say they would take to minimize their environmental impacts are enough to avoid an in-depth and costly Environmental Impact Statement. However, they still have work to be done, with a process that will involve at least 26 permits combined. The Quinault Indian Nation and a coalition composed of Friends of Grays Harbor, the Grays Harbor Audubon Society, Citizens for a Clean Harbor, the Surfrider Foundation and the Sierra Club, have filed appeals over both companies’ projects. About 40 people attended the informational meeting, held by the Grays Harbor Coalition for Infrastructure at the Furford Gather Center in Aberdeen, and led by speakers Arnie Martin and Arthur “R.D.” Grunbaum of the Friends of Grays Harbor. The coalition describes itself as a “coalition of concerned citizens and area organizations.” Contacts for the group include County Commissioner Frank Gordon and Aberdeen resident David Furford. The group began with a look at a video of pictures they had taken of the Wynooche rail bridge, showing it rusted and broken in parts with faded paint. They said it was a look at a sample of the infrastructure that may be called upon to help carry the crude-oil trains, some of which can reach up to 143 tons. Grunbaum said they hadn’t had the chance to look at many other structures throughout the area, but the “suspicion would be they’re probably in the same condition.” The group looked at an economy possibly threatened by crude oil pollution were an accident like that in Quebec to happen, citing — among other points — the frequency of spills by trains as being nearly three times the number of spills by pipeline. The threat of fire and all the ways one might start on a crude oil train were discussed, the list including lightning, operational errors, equipment failures, cracks and ruptures, leaks and line ruptures, static electricity, open flames, natural disasters and runaway trains like Quebec.

READ ENTIRE DAILY WORLD ARTICLE HERE

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Who you gonna call? - Fish Busters

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Action

Requested: Moratorium on open pen salmon feedlots – Letter to Washington Governor, Jay Inslee

Governor Jay Inslee Office of the Governor PO Box 40002 Olympia, WA 98504-0002

Editorial Comment: If you agree with this letter, please print this page, include your contact information then send it to Governor Inslee.

Dear Governor Inslee, RE: FIN FISH NET PENS (Fish Farms) As our Environmental Governor with the stated goal of preserving our natural environment, I urge that you consider a moratorium on additional fin fish net pens until such time as there can be definitive scientific evidence that expansion will not harm the native species that Washington has spent so much money and effort restoring. During your campaign for governor, you said you would make sure there is full environmental assessment review based on science. You voiced your concerns about the infection issues and disease transfers such as the one that occurred in Bainbridge last May when the IHN (infectious hematopoietic necrosis) virus caused the destruction of nearly 600,000 Atlantic salmon contained in the pens. Has there been any study since that time of the effect of this disease on our wild salmon? Is there ongoing monitoring of disease inside the pens now for ALL viruses? In addition to the risk of infectious viruses often concentrated in net pens, there is the very real danger with the proliferation of sea lice shown to attack and kill native smolts, thus, putting at risk the native species that have been making a recovery and returning to Washington waters. A significant amount of research has been done in BC as well as in Norway that confirms sea lice incubating in the net pens and infecting nearby native species. It is indeed alarming that the monumental efforts of the last decade, that included dam removals, now could be jeopardized by adding more fish farms to our area. I believe that it is time for you to step in and, using the precautionary principle, issue a moratorium until such time as the significant environmental and health issues can be resolved through more comprehensive scientific research.

NAME Address/E-mail/Phone ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 OK salmon farmers - the deception is coming to an end. June 28, 2013 Norway - the country that spawned your devastating industry is calling you out for what you are - a dirty industry dumping raw sewage, making a product that appears bad for human health. You are impacting the wild fish that people love and depend on. You are protected in Norway by a Fisheries Minister who IS a "millionaire" fish farmer, but apparently Norwegians can see through that. The OIE destroyed its reputation covering for you, but you know it’s over when your own country finds you disgusting. My advice, which you always ignore, is get out of BC before the courts make you pay for what you have done here. When your own country turns on you - that's how you know the deception is over.

Dr. Alexandra Morton Marine Biologist

You are not feeding the world, you are hurting us. Or how about you stick around, keep working the backrooms and lets add up your bill for your stay in these waters. You can pay for what you have done. Why is it after 20 years of standing up to you - preventing you from expanding - you have never sued me? It is always me who takes you to court. Could it be because I am right? Take a good look at what your country is saying about you:

•

Emits as much as the entire population of Tokyo Environment Ministry would "look into it" in 2010 - it became worse Sewage and food waste from farmed fish equivalent 11.9 million people released directly into Norwegian fjords. http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dagbladet.no%2F2013%2F06 %2F28%2Fnyheter%2Fsamfunn%2Fpolitikk%2Fvalg13%2Flisbeth_berghansen%2F27886416%2F%3Ffb_action_ids%3D10151705029875050%26fb_action_types% 3Dog.recommends%26fb_source%3Daggregation%26fb_aggregation_id%3D2883814812375 82&langpair=auto|en

Public Health requires that the feed must be cleaned to make salmonhttp://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dn.no%2Fforsiden%2F naringsliv%2Farticle707461.ece&langpair=auto|en

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Petition: No to More Factory Fish Farms in Washington

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Declaration signature requested: Wild Salmon First

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 A picture is worth a thousand words

This cartoon from New Yorker Magazine speaks volumes regarding some of the impacts associated with open pen salmon feedlots that are sited in wild salmon migration routes: 

Wild salmon dependent wildlife like these grizzly bears will suffer significantly due to the open pen salmon feedlot industry’s impacts on wild salmon



The only salmon that may be swimming in the planet’s oceans, lakes, rivers and streams may be those that have escaped from open pen salmon feedlots

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Salmon that escape from open pen feedlots will likely outcompete wild salmon while also breeding with wild stocks

Wait until genetically-modified salmon are grown in open pen feedlots!

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Petition: Protect Orcas from increased coal export Toxic chemicals and sharp declines in salmon have left the orcas that live in the waters of Puget Sound teetering on the edge of extinction— today, fewer than 90 whales remain.

Protect Endangered Orcas from Toxic Coal

Now Big Coal is planning to bring massive amounts of coal through the Northwest, which would pollute the waters and salmon that orcas depend on with toxic coal dust and soot. Keep toxic coal pollution out of endangered orcas' waters by signing the petition opposing these disastrous projects. Right now, multimillion-dollar coal companies are forging ahead with plans to build massive coal terminals in the Northwest. If approved, as much as 100 million tons of coal per year would be transported by train from the Powder River Basin in Montana to massive terminals in Oregon and Washington, then loaded onto giant barges and shipped overseas—spewing coal and toxic pollution into orcas' waters.

Sign the Petition to Stop Coal Ports TODAY>>>

Not only would waterways from the Columbia River to Puget Sound be polluted, construction of the massive terminals would destroy crucial habitat. And when the coal is burned, it causes carbon pollution that drives climate change and mercury pollution that is already affecting salmon, orcas and many other species that depend on Northwest waters. Fierce opposition in the Northwest from wildlife advocates like you has forced Big Coal to scrap some of its plans, but the fight for orcas is far from over. Three massive proposals are still on the table, and Big Coal is pulling out all the stops to push them through. We can't let Big Coal rake in profits at endangered orcas' expense—sign the petition to stop coal exports through Northwest waters. Coal companies are spending millions of dollars to hide the full impacts of their coal export plans. Fortunately, these proposals are by no means a done deal. By demonstrating widespread opposition to our decision makers and the media, we can help stop proposed coal ports from harming orcas. With proposals moving quickly and more popping up all the time, orcas urgently need our voices to show overwhelming national opposition to these dirty coal projects. Add your voice TODAY—take action to protect critically endangered orcas from toxic coal.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 John Kerry – Cancel contract with Environmental Resources Management Today, Friends of the Earth released a shocking expose of the State Department’s handling of the Keystone XL pipeline's environmental review. We discovered that the company hired by the State Department to conduct the environmental review for this risky pipeline has done extensive work for TransCanada and the many oil companies that stand to benefit if the pipeline is built. Making matters worse, the firm, Environmental Resources Management, lied on its federal conflict of interest disclosure forms when it declared it had no such ties. Where does this leave the Keystone XL review? It’s now time for Secretary of State John Kerry to determine how a firm with financial ties to TransCanada and the oil industry was allowed to write the government’s environmental impact statement, and why the State Department never investigated the company’s claims to have no such ties. Only then can we have a fair and accurate assessment. Tell Secretary of State John Kerry that it’s time to cancel ERM’s contract and halt the Keystone review until it can be done fairly and without the influence of Big Oil. This is not the first time the State Department’s botched handling of the Keystone XL environmental review has been in the news. In March, Mother Jones revealed that the State Department had tried to conceal the fact that some of the consultants who wrote the report had worked for TransCanada. Now, with today’s conflict of interest revelation, it’s clear that the Keystone review has been hopelessly compromised by the oil industry. The United States simply cannot afford to let Big Oil set its climate policy through shady deals and cover-ups. Join us in calling on John Kerry to halt the Keystone review and launch an investigation immediately into this corruption of the environmental review process. Since TransCanada first applied for a presidential permit in 2008, the State Department has acted like the oil industry’s best friend, willing to sneak a thumb onto the scales to benefit Big Oil. We need your help to bring transparency and an end to these backroom deals. Tell John Kerry, no more cover-ups. Halt the Keystone XL review now.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

Seafood consumption: Food safety and health

 Warning: Eating Farmed Salmon May Affect Your Baby

Legacy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Year of the Wild Salmon!

ď ś Norway Issues Warnings About Health Dangers of Farmed Salmon By Dr. Mercola July 9, 2013

Environmental experts have warned about the unsustainability of fish farms for over a decade, yet nothing has been done to address such concerns. This is an important issue for me as I consume most of my protein as salmon. I purchase mine from Vital Choice, which is certified wild caught from Alaska. Instead of addressing these issues, government agencies and environmental organizations around the world have consistently chosen to ignore predictions of disaster, both to the environment and human health, to protect instead the profitability of this burgeoning industry. Biologist Alexandra Morton, featured in the documentary film Salmon Confidential, has posted a number of recent developments with regards to farmed salmon and human health on her blog. During the first two weeks of June, reports of farmed salmon toxicity spread through Norwegian news, and on June 16, the Norwegian Health Department actually went on the record warning against eating too much farmed salmon:2 "We have reviewed the Scientific Committee report again and looked at the recommendations that were there and how this was discussed in the report of the National Nutrition Council in 2011.

Watch this video HERE

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! There, they discussed all research related to toxicology and health effects thoroughly, and we have based our evaluations on their report. They did not provide this clarification. Now we see that there is a need for clarifications to pregnant women and young women." The new, official recommendation to Norwegian women of childbearing age or who are pregnant is to limit consumption of fatty fish such as salmon to a maximum of two such meals per week. Farmed Salmon—An Environmental and Nutritional Nightmare Alexandra Morton was one of the first biologists to discover that wild salmon in British Columbia were testing positive for dangerous European salmon viruses associated with salmon farming worldwide— a finding that the Canadian government has since fought to suppress. The revelations of health hazards discussed in the Norwegian media came as a surprise even to her, seeing how Norway is the “motherland” of salmon farming; the entire industry originating from Norsk Hydro, which is the country’s largest public company. “The salmon feedlot industry in British Columbia is 98 percent Norwegian-owned, and one of the companies is largely owned by the Norwegian government itself, Cermaq,” Morton explains. On June 19, media reports stated that "Russia fears that Norwegian salmon is unsafe and is critical of Norwegian food security." And the Norwegian National TV2’s website recently reported that the country’s four major grocery chains are threatening to ban farmed salmon from their stores unless the farmed salmon industry agrees to “change their production to closed pens and guarantees that the fish are safe to eat.” According to TV2: “Norwegians spend 130 Billions [Norwegian] kroners each year on food. Four big food chain stores: Rema 1000, ICA. Norgesgruppen and Coop, more or less control most of the food retail market. According to ICA’s managing director, it gives them the power to make demands to their suppliers for ICA in Norway, Sweden, and The Netherlands... ICA demands that the salmon farming industry becomes environmentally sustainable within three years. Prototypes of closed, recirculated fish farms have been developed, but the fish farming industry has shown very little interest in investing in these.” In response to these threats, the Environmental Association in Bergen, which is leading the campaign for sustainable fish farming, received a letter from a law firm hired by the national fish farming industry (FHL), threatening to sue the organization for urging the food chains to stop selling farmed fish... As explained by Morton in the video above, Dr. Anne-Lise Birch Monsen at the University of Bergen, Norway, has raised serious concerns about high levels of contaminants in farm-raised salmon. The contaminants in question originate in wild salmon, courtesy of environmental pollution. These toxic contaminants bind to the fat molecules in wild fish, and when these fish are ground up for use in fish meal together with added high-fat fish oils, these molecules can enter your body where they bind to your cells. While this can certainly cause health problems for you, it can also pose a very serious threat to the health of your unborn children.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! As explained by Morton, when you give birth, your body dumps up to 90 percent of the accumulated toxins in your body into the body of your first-born child. More toxins are later expelled through your breast milk. This is why it’s so critical to avoid toxic exposures throughout childhood and early adulthood, to prevent damage to future generations as well as your own life cycle... According to Dr. Monsen: "I do not recommend pregnant women, children or young people eat farmed salmon. It is uncertain in both the amount of toxins salmon contain, and how these drugs affect children, adolescents and pregnant women... The type of contaminants that have been detected in farmed salmon have a negative effect on brain development and is associated with autism, ADD / ADHD and reduced IQ. We also know that they can affect other organ systems in the body's immune system and metabolism." As reported by Alexandra Morton, a large European study involving about 8,000 newborns found that pregnant women with high levels of toxins in their bodies tend to give birth to children with lower birth weight, which in and of itself may have an adverse on the child’s health. Omega-3 Levels in Farmed Salmon Is Nearly Half of That in Wild Salmon Another Norwegian article reveals that levels of critical omega-3 fats have been reduced by about 50 percent in farmed salmon, compared to wild salmon, due to increasing amounts of grain feed. One article4 refers to farmed salmon as “swimming corncobs.” Furthermore: "[T]he Norwegian food production’s four Norwegian feed producers now have an exemption to use 19 different genetically modified ingredients in their feed. Genetic modification (GM) is very controversial, and completely excluded in Norwegian agriculture," the article states. The following chart from the Pure Salmon Campaign’s website,5 reveals the nutritional differences between farmed and wild salmon, according to USDA data. While farmed salmon is much fattier than wild salmon, it contains FAR LESS healthful omega-3 fats, and less protein. Norway Lobbied to Raise Allowable Toxin Levels in Salmon Feed... In 2006, Russia banned Norwegian farmed salmon, claiming it contained excessive amounts of lead and cadmium (originating from the feed). The Norwegian Food Safety Authority (FSA) rejected the accusations, but Dr. Claudette Bethune, a researcher at the National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES) spoke out6 saying that “given the amount of research, there is no way Norway can be so sure its salmon is completely safe.” She also told the media that the FSA’s recommendations on how much salmon is safe to eat actually exceeded the level set by the World Health Organization (WHO) for poison ingestion. Despite that, and in the midst of all these rising concerns over the past several years, a June 17 story in the Norwegian media7revealed that Norway lobbied the EU to raise the permissible level of toxins in salmon feed, which has now been granted. A translation reads: "After yesterday’s debate on the danger of eating farmed salmon due to high levels harmful pollutants, it was revealed Norwegian authorities have lobbied in EU to allow more toxin level in salmon. According to Aftenposten’s report, Norway has for years tried to get the EU to allow 10 times more toxin [Endosulfan—a bioaccumulative toxin] in salmon than previously allowed. Now, Norway has received approval in the EU.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! The consultation document from the FSA shows that there are economic reasons why Norway is eager to raise the limit.' The limit value for the concentration of endosulfan in feed for salmonids is of great economic importance for the aquaculture industry in the short and longer term,' stated the letter. Endosulfan was previously forbidden to use in feed for all salmonids, but research has shown that fish can withstand poison through better feed than by being exposed to it in the water." As explained by Morton, Endosulfan is a toxic pesticide known to attack the nervous system, and can increase the risk of autism and cause birth defects to the male human reproductive system. Further complicating the situation and raising new questions about safety is the fact that, in April of this year, the EU also made it official that pigs and chickens can be used in farmed salmon feed! Since when do salmon eat a diet of grains, pork and poultry? Just what kind of fish do you end up with when they’re given this kind of diet? Farmed Fish Pose a Number of Health Hazards to Your Health It’s important to realize that farm raised fish of ALL species can spell disaster for your health in a number of ways. Just like you need an optimal diet to be healthy, all other animals need their optimal diet as well. And fish were never meant to eat corn, grains, or poultry and pork for that matter. In addition to this unnatural diet, farmed fish of all species are also given a concoction of vitamins, antibiotics, and depending on the fish, synthetic pigments to make up for the lack of natural flesh coloration due to the altered diet. Without it, the flesh of caged salmon, for example, would be an unappetizing, pale gray. The fish are also fed pesticides, along with compounds such as toxic copper sulfate, which is frequently used to keep nets free of algae. Not only do you ingest these drugs and chemicals when you eat the fish, but these toxins also build up in sea-floor sediments. In this way, industrial fish farming raises many of the same environmental concerns about chemicals and pollutants that are associated with feedlot cattle and factory chicken farms. In addition, fish waste and uneaten feed further litter the sea floor beneath these farms, generating bacteria that consume oxygen vital to shellfish and other bottom-dwelling sea creatures. Studies have also consistently found levels of PCBs, dioxins, toxaphene and dieldrin, as well as mercury, to be higher in farm-raised fish than wild fish. The reason for this, as discussed above, is because wild fish are caught and ground up into fish meal to be fed to the farmed fish, which concentrates any contamination found in each individual wild fish... Sadly, even wild-caught fish have already reached such toxic levels that it's impossible to recommend eating them with a clear conscience anymore. For example, according to a US Geological Survey study, mercury contamination was detected in EVERY fish sampled in nearly 300 streams across the United States. More than a quarter of these fish contained mercury at levels exceeding the EPA criterion for the protection of human health. So, when you consider the fact that factory farmed fish typically are even MORE toxic than wild-caught fish and also contain an assortment of antibiotics and pesticides, avoiding them becomes a nobrainer – at least if you're concerned about your health.

READ ENTIRE MERCOLA ARTICLE HERE

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Wild Salmon Is Worth the Price July 5, 2013 I have come to view a meal of wild salmon as a splurge, a treat to be savored, and I’m willing to pay the price. Wild salmon is a seasonal thing, available from May to October. It’s not cheap, but the flavor is incredible — sweet, silky, meaty — and the vermilion color is magnificent. Recipe: Wild Salmon with Green Beans and Sauce Verte

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! Wild salmon may be expensive, but it's worth the price. With the abundance of relatively low-priced farmed salmon, however, many of us succumb. But the flavor of farmed salmon doesn’t even compare. It’s like the difference between a free-range chicken and one that’s been factory raised. Wild salmon swims long distances, its color a result of a natural diet of krill, plankton and algae. Farmed salmon languishes in pens, and its pink color comes artificially. And even if some fish farms are exploring more-sustainable methods, it is well known that aquacultured salmon is an environmental danger and potential health hazard. A quick Internet search will give curious cooks more information on the topic. It’s enough to put you off your dinner, and may well make you a wildsalmon convert. Certainly, once you taste wild salmon you’ll be convinced. There are many ways to prepare this good salmon. For a summer lunch or supper, I like to keep it simple, so I often opt for a roomtemperature salad, pairing the fish with seasonal vegetables and herbs.

Editorial Comment: The direct cost comparison between Atlantic salmon raised in open pen feedlots and wild Pacific salmon that mature naturally in the open ocean is considerable. In our hometown of Olympia, Washington Atlantic salmon fillets sell for approximately $10.00 per pound at our local super market while fresh, wild Pacific salmon fillets sell for approximately $20.00 per pound at the Farmers’ Market. The differences in long term costs and benefits between these two options are also considerable especially when considering: •

Human health

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Ecosystems

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Cultures

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Communities

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Economies

Wild salmon win hands down – each and every time!

At the market now, there are lots of wonderful green beans, many still on the juvenile side; known as haricots verts, they are also called filet beans, and may be green, yellow or purple. Look for the smallest, which are more tender than the big blue lakes. Cook them in salted water briefly, just past al dente, so they’re firm but not crunchy. Freshly dug creamy new potatoes are here now, too, and they make a fine accompaniment. As for the salmon, the most important thing is not to overcook it. Whether baked or grilled, it is ready as soon as you see white juices rising to the surface, which means the fish will be succulent, not dry. It is better to err on the rare side. All that is needed to complete this salad is a green herb sauce: sauce verte in French. It’s basically a zippy vinaigrette with shallots, capers and a mixture of herbs, mostly parsley. Use chervil, too, if you can find it. It is similar to parsley but more delicate, with a faint anise taste. A little fresh tarragon or mint also makes a nice addition. There you have it. Wild salmon, green beans, new potatoes and herbs: simple seasonal ingredients for an epic summer dining experience.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Is Your Food Artificially Dyed? July 5, 2013

Many people know--or suspect--that farmed salmon is not naturally pink. They are right. Farmed salmon are dyed with the chemicals astaxanthin and canthaxanthin to produce an appealing, though unnatural, pink. In the wild, it is the crustaceans and algae that salmon eat that makes them pink; on the farm they would turn gray. Salmon farm operators can even choose the exact color they want. Are the dyes safe? Canthaxanthin at high dosages has been linked in humans to retinal damage, partial loss of vision and a serious blood disorder called aplastic anemia.

READ ENTIRE SCOOP ARTICLE HERE

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Food for thought

Eating Feedlot Salmon is...

Gambling with YOUR Health What Happens in Norway Should…

Stay in Norway

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Enjoy seasonal wild Pacific salmon dinners at these fine restaurants:

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 PROUD TO SUPPORT WILD SALMON – Original art by Leanne Hodges

Editorial Comment: When making your next dining reservations for yourself, you and your loved one or a party, please be sure to look first at the restaurants that do not offer open pen feedlot salmon on their menu. This is a simple way that we can thank these businesses for their significant dedication and commitment to our iconic wild Pacific salmon.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Wild Salmon Supporters – View entire list here

Eddie Gardner: BAD CHOICE! So called “Fresh Farmed Atlantic Salmon Steak Tip" is very fatty and this absorbs high concentrations of PCBs. For your health and for the well being of the marine habitat, do not purchase this product.

Nikki Lamarre: They couldn't pay me to eat that!

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 GE Salmon? Are You Out of Your Minds?! To help stop GE salmon, please sign petitions to the food industry and Congress. Has the FDA gone completely mad? Why are they trying to open the flood gates to genetically engineered (GE) salmon—a move that will go down in history as one of the most asinine and dangerous ever made by our government? What's it going to take for them to actually start protecting public health? Frankenfish can promote disease The FDA is reviewing data submitted by AquaBounty, the company that spliced a growth hormone gene into Atlantic salmon, forcing it to grow up to five times faster, and reach market size in about 18 months instead of 3 years. But according to the evidence, their buff salmon might have higher levels of a cancer promoting hormone IGF-1, more antibiotics, and more of a potentially lifethreatening allergen(s). The FDA failed to learn their lesson with their idiotic approval of genetically engineered bovine growth hormone. It also has higher levels of IGF-1 and more antibiotics. Now it's condemned by the American Public Health Association and the American Nurses Association, banned in most other countries, and has been banished by most US dairies. Even Wal-Mart won't allow the stuff into their milk. The GE soy and corn on the market, which the FDA continues to pretend is just the same as the natural stuff, also has higher levels of allergens, and has been linked to numerous disorders. Now the American Academy of Environmental Medicine condemned genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and urged all physicians to prescribe non-GMO diets. "GMO-Free" is one of the fastest growing health claims among US brands for the past two years, and a tipping point of consumer rejection of all GE ingredients appears to be just over the horizon. Then there is the threat of Frankenfish escaping into the wild. Here too, the FDA ignores the lessons from GE crops which, in spite of early assurances to the contrary, have been contaminating non-GE crops and wild relatives all over the world for more than a decade. Their self-propagating genetic pollution is irreversible; it can outlast the effects of global warming and nuclear waste. But somehow escaped GE salmon carry an even greater hazard.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! Frankenfish can wipe out natural salmon According to a Purdue University computer model that tracked the effects of releasing just 60 Frankenfish (not salmon) into a population of 60,000, there was a shocking complete extinction in just 40 fish generations. Apparently their bigger size, which attracted mates more easily, combined with a slight reduction in survival rates, was a killer combination. Canadian scientists engineered their own set of fast growing salmon and tested their behavior in tanks with other fish. When there was sufficient food, all was fine. When food stocks decreased, the Frankenfish freaked. They became cannibals, attacking and killing other fish—whether GE or natural. Their unexpected behavior resulted in population crashes or complete extinctions in the fish tanks. The study also suggested that if released, these ravenous aggressive salmon would pursue and consume other types of fish. I'm not sure which scenario is worse: The complete extinction of salmon, or gangs of voracious mutant freaks scouring the ocean, attacking anything that can feed their rapidly-expanding, alwayshungry bodies. (Heck, let's just give the fish automatic weapons.) Never mind that the GE AquAdvantage salmon are supposed to be grown in inland tanks and are supposed to be sterile. In reality, they won't all be sterile; and there are numerous ways that these salmon, whose eggs will regularly be shipped from Prince Edward Island, Canada to growing tanks in Panama, can escape into the ocean. It only takes one! Corporate interests and politics run the FDA show US consumers have been clear for years that we don't want Frankenfish, Frankenpigs, Frankenmosquitoes, Frankenanything that walks, flies, slithers, or swims. And most Americans are now uneasy about the Frankencrops already growing in our fields. So who is clamoring for GE salmon? Who's getting the FDA to push open the doors to GE animals against public opinion? Thank you Union of Concerned Scientists for the answer. Your September 12th survey of 1710 FDA employees explains who is really driving the bus at the agency. One staff member said, "Food safety has succumbed to the higher priority of global corporate profits." In fact, 38 percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that "public health has been harmed by agency practices that defer to business interests." Another employee points to political interference: "I have been here for 26 years and it still amazes me . . . how politics filter down to the lowest levels of government." So its corporate profits and politics. Anyone surprised? About 1 in 4 surveyed admit that they had personally experienced, either frequently or occasionally, "situations where corporate interests [or members of Congress, or special interests] have forced the withdrawal or significant modification of [an agency] policy or action designed to protect consumers or public health." If there is one face that best captures the FDA's conflict-of-humanity's-interest, it would be Michael Taylor. Taylor is the US Food Safety Czar. You'd think that if there were significant safety concerns about the GE salmon, our Czar would step in to preserve and protect. Don't count on it.

READ ENTIRE HUFFINGTON POST ARTICLE HERE

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Seafood Labeling Law Signed in Washington State May 22, 2013 A law to help protect consumers from being victims of seafood fraud was signed into law this week in Washington state by Gov. Jay Inslee. The bill requires all fresh, frozen or processed fish and shellfish to be labeled by its common name as defined by the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife. If the name of a particular fish species is not defined by the department, the market name as outlined in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s guidelines can be used. The bill comes in response to a push by advocacy groups such as Oceana to have more straightforward labeling of fish. Oceana and other groups and media outlets have conducted studies showing up to one-third of all the seafood sold in the U.S. in supermarkets and restaurants is mislabeled, either intentionally or unintentionally. “This bill is a win for seafood processors, fishermen, consumers, and, ultimately, healthy and productive oceans,” Whit Sheard, a senior advisor with Oceana, said in a statement. The bill also includes restrictions on which species can be called “halibut” and requires salmon be labeled by their scientific or common names to avoid confusion among consumers who may be wanting to buy wild salmon and instead wind up with farmed salmon. Chris Bell, sustainability officer at the Pike Place Fish Co. in Seattle, said the law will help give assurance to consumers the fish they are buying is not being misrepresented. Pike Place Fish Co. was already putting country of origin and whether the product is wild or farmed on its labels–”all the stuff the bill is telling other seafood sellers to do,” Bell said. “It’s a great thing,” Bell said. “It is important in our industry to have people who can come up to us and know what they are buying is what we said it is.”

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 First

Genetically Modified Meat and Salmon To Be Approved For Summer

2013 May 1, 2013

Scientists at the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute are encouraging the Government to support the spread of GM salmon as well as support Genetic Engineering in farm animals.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! The United States is expected to approve GM salmon within the next week. The US government is in its final stage of deliberations on whether to allow commercial production of the GM meat and fish. It’s developed by using a growth hormone gene and a gene taken from the ocean pout. The fish is sterile, and would be raised in a series of large scale tanks. If approved, the salmon would be the first of 30 or more potential GM fish currently under development that could hit the market. Biotech Corporations like AquaBounty seem to garnish the power of persuasion when it comes to dealings with the United States government. Many major “food and health corporations”, like Monsanto, always have major politicians that lobby for them. Major AquaBounty shareholder, the Intrexon Corporation (1) is owned by a major pharmaceutical company called Clinical Data Inc. After Intrexon purchased Avalon Pharmaceutical Inc, a whollyowned subsidiary of Clinical Data Corp (2). Maybe our overall human health numbers are declining because the pharmaceutical companies that own our food want to make a profit? There is a multitrillion dollar incentive there. Maybe it’s not all about money? Maybe something else is going on? So called experts that are supporting the push for GM salmon and meat use the concepts of world hunger as justification for production. World hunger is not a problem that stems from a shortage of food. We have more than enough resources to make sure everyone on the planet receives what the human body requires. What North America throws away alone could feed the entire planet. The money that’s spent on War could eradicate world hunger. Since world hunger is not due to the shortage of food on our planet, we don’t need to manufacture more, that seems to be a mainstream media myth. We have to be careful what we put in our bodies, GMOs are modified using chemicals and in the end we are choosing to consume DNA altering food. Not only is there opposition from a large portion of humanity that do not approve of GMOs, supermarkets, consumer organizations, environmental groups and commercial fishermen are voicing their disappointment. Supermarket chains like the Whole Foods Market will not sell genetically modified salmon. It seems as if the entire food supply has been taken over and put in the hands of a small group of corporations. We continue to step away from real, natural healthy foods in exchange for genetically altered, unnatural food developed by pharmaceutical companies. Conflict of interest, wouldn’t you say?

Sources: (1) http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/84d6ffe2-4061-11e2-8e04-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2S4J9FLE3 (2) http://www.dna.com/content.aspx?ContentID=1357 http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/apr/24/genetically-modified-salmon-aquabountypanama-united-states http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2309668/GM-meat-fish-set-sale-Scientists-press-aheaddespite-public-outrage.html

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Fish Diseases Threaten Food Supply In Warm Climates Aquaculture industry may be vulnerable to disease outbreaks. June 17, 2013

(ISNS) -- A rise in fish farms has meant cheap, fast-growing protein to feed the world's growing human population. But a new study suggests that countries located at lower latitudes – many of which rely heavily on fish farming – may be most at risk for fish disease outbreaks. The tropical environments in countries near the equator are ripe for breeding waterborne pathogens.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! Aquaculture, the technical term for the farming of aquatic plants and animals, is the fastest-growing agricultural industry in the world. The term refers to farming in all sorts of water environments, including ponds, rivers, lakes and controlled areas in the ocean. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, more than 90 percent of these fish farms are located in developing countries, which often have warm, tropical environments, conducive to raising fish year-round. A study published earlier this year in the Journal of Applied Ecology, however, shows that operations near the equator are also more prone to dangerous and rapid disease outbreaks that could wipe out entire stocks of fish. Tommy Leung, a lecturer in parasitology and evolutionary biology at the University of New England in Armidale, Australia, and his colleague Amanda Bates at the University of Tasmania, reviewed 114 previously published reports on disease outbreaks at fish farms from Norway to South America. The implications of these findings for developing countries, many of which are located near the equator, could be dire. "A lot of these countries are really dependent on aquaculture as a way to have a secure food source, so it provides them with food security, as well as a way of supporting their economy," said Leung. In their analysis, Leung's team considered the geographical location of the fish farm outbreaks, the severity of the outbreaks, the type of fish or shellfish involved, and the type of farm -- fresh or saltwater, and how the farms were separated from the surrounding waters. They also considered the types of pathogens that caused disease, generally viruses, bacteria or parasites. Diseases ranged from skin flukes, which make fish scales appear discolored and peel off, to salmon anemia, a viral disease thought to be carried by sea lice. The findings showed that the closer the fish farms were to the equator, the more likely they were to have an outbreak and the more severe the outbreaks were compared to fish farms located farther away from the equator. Young fish and shellfish were particularly susceptible to the deadly outbreaks. Leung said, on average, disease outbreaks in tropical areas wipe out 88 percent of the fish in any given stock. This is mainly because diseases tend to breed and spread faster in the warmer waters of the tropics. In addition, disease is difficult to contain in water. "Unlike on a dairy farm where if you have a sick calf you can put them aside to quarantine them, it's much harder to quarantine in an aquatic environment," said Leung. According to Jeffrey Lotz, an aquaculture specialist at the University of Southern Mississippi in Ocean Springs, Miss., diseases will always threaten aquaculture. "Certainly there have been more problems in the tropics but there are disease problems in the [higher] latitudes as well," he explained. Lotz said he’s worried about the implications for imports. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration the U.S. imports 85 percent of its seafood, more than half of which is from aquaculture operations rather than wild-caught. While imported pork, beef and chicken are subject to inspections by the Food and Drug Administration, fish imports don't face the same scrutiny. According to Lotz, the less stringent inspection regulations could allow diseased fish imported from tropical countries onto grocery store shelves in the U.S., potentially posing a threat to public health. Both Leung and Lotz are concerned about the implications for the future, saying global warming could result in rising temperatures and thus, a rise in the incidence of fish disease across the globe. Lotz said some of the tropical diseases will likely move farther from the equator and the overall prevalence of fish disease will increase, impacting both supply and food safety.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Opinion: Toxicants and the Brain Investment in brain research should aim at protecting the brains of the future from harmful environmental pollutants. June 17, 2013 The US government plans to support research that aims at mapping brain activities to gain insight into the processes of perception, decision-making, and, ultimately, consciousness. The BRAIN (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies) Initiative is expected to cost billions of dollars, and will likely take many years. The European Union is also pouring its resources into brain research, this spring deciding to assign €1 billion to two Flagship projects, one of them the Human Brain Project. Like the US BRAIN project, it which will focus on multiple levels of brain organization, from genes to cognition and behavior. These announcements are good news for the research community, for patients, and for drug companies and other industries that benefit from basic brain research that points to new ways to study, treat, or alleviate neurological diseases. But there is more to brain health than diagnosing and treating disease; it also involves preventing disease, first of all by maintaining optimal brain development. The EU project highlights prevention of disease as a possible benefit, and the US initiative emphasizes the need to help patients. But neither identifies brain development as a key area of research, nor mentions the possible effects of environmental toxicants on brain health. This is a shame. A wealth of research shows that metals, pesticides, solvents, and other chemicals can seriously impede brain development in children. So far, we have identified about a dozen chemicals that can harm brain development in children and result in lasting deficits and disease, and there are more than 200 additional substances, the majority commonly present in the environment, that are known to be neurotoxic in adults, but for which we have little or no evidence for the effects on brain development. Furthermore, animal models suggest that brain toxicity during early development may lead to degenerative brain disease, such as Parkinson’s and autism, later in life. We need to understand better the causation and emergence of brain diseases as a result of toxic chemicals. Additionally, beyond well-characterized disease, there is evidence that childhood exposure to lead, mercury, pesticides, and other brain-toxic chemicals can lower intelligence. As people with lower IQs tend to land jobs that pay less, health economists have calculated that “chemical brain drain” due to neurotoxic chemicals is costing the US billions of dollars per year in terms of lost income —many times the budget for the BRAIN Initiative.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! In addition, children with cognitive deficits require more support in school, and in some cases may incur health-care costs for dealing with their disabilities. Finally, brain toxicity may also lead to delinquent or criminal behavior. Less tangible costs associated with suffering and loss of wellbeing are important, but more difficult to estimate. However, it is clear that chemical brain drain is costing enormous amounts in terms of education, health care, social costs, and lost economic productivity. This evidence deserves exploration in the new brain research initiatives. In addition, the effects of toxic chemicals can benefit science by shedding light on both normal and abnormal brain processes. Aside from the science, we also need to learn from the blunders of the past that contributed to the serious publichealth impact of the chemical brain drain. Until a few decades ago, we erroneously assumed that the placenta would protect the fetus against foreign compounds. We also relied on the blood-brain barrier to block the passage of toxic compounds from the systemic blood circulation into the brain. We thought that brain development was inherently safe, unless clinical symptoms emerged. All of these assumptions later proved to be way too optimistic, as we found that the majority of industrial chemicals find their way from the mother’s circulation to the fetus, and that “subclinical” brain damage could lead to neurodevelopmental abnormalities and massive loss of IQ points. Most seriously, regulatory agencies assumed that chemicals were innocuous, as long as a definite proof of any adverse effects was not available. We get only one chance to develop a brain. Yet no textbook discusses brain development from the point of view of vulnerability to toxic damage, and only a tiny fraction of neuroscience today’s focuses on the developmental and toxicological origins of brain dysfunctions and disease. Methods for neurotoxicity testing of chemicals are available, but some need further validation or refinement. Our future use and production of chemicals should be tested for safety with regard to brain development. The new research initiatives can contribute crucial guidance for prudent decisions on protecting the brains of our children and grandchildren. That would be an intelligent investment.

Claudette Bethune: “Farmed salmon are allowed to have a whole host of contaminants 10- to 15-times higher than farmed animals on our market shelves. WE need to help consumers understand the real cost of feedlot salmon: "A wealth of research shows that metals, pesticides, solvents, and other chemicals can seriously impede brain development in children. So far, we have identified about a dozen chemicals that can harm brain development in children and result in lasting deficits and disease, and there are more than 200 additional substances, the majority commonly present in the environment, that are known to be neurotoxic in adults, but for which we have little or no evidence for the effects on brain development. Furthermore, animal models suggest that brain toxicity during early development may lead to degenerative brain disease, such as Parkinson’s and autism, later in life. We need to understand better the causation and emergence of brain diseases as a result of toxic chemicals." Carryover data from 2011 in farmed salmon here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub med/21284993

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Finnish people's intake of dioxin and PCBs TDI for dioxin and dioxin-like PCB compounds is 2 pg TEQ per kilogram of body weight. In Finland, adults' assessed average daily intake of dioxin and dioxin-like PCB compounds is 1.9 pg TEQ per kg of body weight, i.e. near the TDI value. According to the most recent studies, the intake of 3-year old children may exceed tolerable intake. Growing children consume the most food per one kilogram of body weight at this age, which means the intake per kg of body weight is also at its highest.

Claudette Bethune: “A staggering pie chart that makes it clear dioxin and dioxin-like pcbs are coming from fish (farmed for most of us) and what that means for children.”

EFSA has further assessed that people's daily intake of non-dioxin-like PCB compounds is in Europe in the range of 4.3 – 25.7 ng per kg of body weight pg = picogram ng = nanogram TDI = Tolerable Daily Intake TEQ = toxic equivalent, i.e. quantity of the most toxic dioxin derivative with equivalent toxicity (WHO 2005); it indicates the total toxicity of dioxins and dioxin-like PCB compounds Distribution of intake of dioxin and dioxin-like compounds in 2005

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! Intake of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs from food Food group Milk and products

milk

Daily intake of dioxins, pg WHO-TEQ

Daily intake of dioxin-like PCBs, pg WHO-TEQ

Daily intake, total, pg WHO-TEQ

3,00

1,73

4,73

Eggs

1,33

1,15

2,48

Fish, total

44,18

53,79

97,96

Meat and meat products

3,86

2,52

6,38

Vegetable oils

0,87

0,19

1,06

Other

0,37

0,72

1,08

Total

53,61

60,10

113,70

LAST MODIFIED 10.05.2013

Eddie Gardner: “Wild salmon are getting sicker as the years go by, and many people pushed for prevention. It is not happening as this $50 Billion dollar industry buys out governments at great expense to biodiversity. Now the bad news is starting to come home to human beings as farmed salmon are very toxic, threatening the health of those who consume this crap. The aquaculture industry on a global scale is an experiment that has gone horribly wrong, exacting a price that will be too high for both humans and the natural world. Sadly, we must do the job of governments that have turned their backs to well being of people and the environment for the sake of the almighty dollar and warn people of the dangers.”

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Norwegian salmon, dangerous for our health: the need to protect consumers July 9, 2013

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! A very serious problem of food and environmental health has come to light in Norway. 's farmed salmon is produced in appalling conditions and is harmful to health. From an official 2006 report of the Norwegian health authorities, and despite the proliferation of studies and reports on the subject, Norway late (after 7 years and under public pressure) recognized the recommendations made by scientists and doctors , including the limitations of consumption required for children and pregnant women or women of childbearing age without children, for the moment, be implemented. The Norwegian government is playing with our health The conditions of rearing and feeding of salmon in 2010, the facts have been reported on the excessive use of pesticides, the diflubenzuron , to fight against a natural parasite sea lice This pesticide presents health risks, in addition to affecting fish toxicity can also be transmitted to humans. Nothing has been done despite the warning issued by the French government at the time to his Norwegian counterpart. France, the largest consumer of fish this country (imports 110,000 tons of Norwegian salmon per year) and thus its population are affected as many other European countries. By their continued inaction, the Norwegian government and industry of farmed salmon play with the health of the world's population . The economic stakes are indeed high: Norway accounts for 60% of world production of Atlantic salmon and export it brings in each year 4.7 billion (NOK 29 billion). For increased production controls But health and environmental issue obviously exceeds the economic issue. Intensive salmon farming in Norway, in deplorable conditions - overcrowding of animals, antibiotic treatments, spreading harmful to the environment ... - Leads to produce a carrier fish potentially harmful substances transmitted to consumers and fueling a growing pollution in the fjords are located farms. With the Greens Norwegian (From Grønne), Europe Ecology Green requires that light be shed on the conditions of salmon farming in Norway and the consumption recommendations made by health authorities are met. It must be ensured as soon as the distribution of salmon without any health hazard, product feeds and substances harmless and environmentally sound manner. Increased production controls are, at this stage, of course essential. We call on the French and European authorities to take action to protect the health of consumers. These should require the Norwegian government a new regulatory framework, at least, must comply with EU law and transparency in the health and environmental consequences of industrial production of farmed salmon. Alexandra Morton: 

A very serious problem of food and environmental health just burst at big day in Norway. The farmed salmon there is produced in scandalous conditions and is harmful for health.



To the fish farm trolls - it is time for you to go now.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Splayed advice farmed for several years Safe to serve salmon for kids? The last 10-15 years have we been warned consumers against salmon farming pools. So we were reassured. So warned and reassured.

The government recommends we eat oily fish each week . And Norwegians eat more fish than before. In particular, we eat more fish because more outside Japan - have discovered that raw fish is good, healthy and cool. And we eat a lot of salmon. But VG Monday said Norwegian doctors and professors that especially pregnant women and children should not eat farmed salmon. Experts warn because they believe it is uncertain how much toxins salmon fed with fish farms and their impact.

Alexandra Morton: “So... with the heated debate whether toxins in Norwegian farm salmon is a threat to unborn babies, warnings hidden by government for 7 years as sushi consumption sky-rocketed, four of Norway’s largest markets threaten to stop selling farm salmon until it lowers the toxins, Russia is questioning importing it anymore and French article suggests the Norwegian government will do anything to protect the industry....Norway offers to boost its ownership of Cermaq (farming here as Mainstream) to help the struggling farm salmon multinational to keep producing farm salmon. What IS IT about this industry!”

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! Consultant Anne-Lise Birch Monsen at Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen and senior consultant and professor Bjørn Bolann says to VG that they are critical of pollutants in Norwegian farmed salmon. No new discussion But the discussion about how safe or unsafe it is to eat farmed salmon is not new. 2010: Mijøvernforbundet (Kurt Oddekalv) and a French TV show accused Norwegian farmed salmon to be poison bombs. The industry rejected this. Oddekalv claimed that Norwegian authorities tried to conceal the truth, and pointed out that the fisheries minister (Labour) have strong interests in aquaculture. Read also - Children should not eat farmed salmon Women, children and adolescents should avoid eating farmed salmon, according to several Norwegian doctors. Fisheries Minister Lisbeth Berg-Hansen went out and guaranteed his French counterpart that the Norwegian farmed salmon is safe to eat. FSA should have posted information in English about the farmed fish from Norway does not contain toxins. 2006: Russia created bruduljer when the country from 1 January 2006 introduced the import of fresh fish from Norway. The Russians claimed then that Norwegian farmed salmon had overly high levels of lead and cadmium.FSA rejected this. Researcher violation That same year, claimed senior Claudette Bethune at the National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES) the FSA minimize the risks of eating farmed salmon. She told the media that the Food Safety Authority recommendations on how much salmon is safe to eat, exceeds the World Health Organisation has set for poison ingestion. This led to NIFES, her employer took significant distance from her in a press release that is on NIFES website: "NIFES strongly opposes the content of Claudette Bethunes rumblings in the media, in which she speaks of matters she is not an expert or have responsibility. The researcher does not represent NIFES 'scientific view of the matter. Claudette Bethunes initiatives is why her private opinion. NIFES do not know why the case is made that way, or why Norwegian food authorities being unfairly tarnished in this way. " Decreases dødsriskiko Professor of Biology at the University of Oslo, John S. Gray, pointed out in an article in Aftenposten in January 2006 that there are advantages and disadvantages of eating Norwegian salmon. He noted that a research group in the United States had published articles about how dangerous it was to eat Norwegian jumper. Gray wrote: "The truth is that in sum decreases the risk of dying by 300 times if you eat Norwegian salmon despite the very small amounts of toxins compared to not eat salmon." 2000: A Swedish TV report on Norwegian farmed salmon got the government to put the fish bones in the neck. It was claimed that the Norwegian salmon is full of dangerous chemicals. The program created strong reactions and was among other things referred to as biased.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Norway recognizes that its salmon can be hazardous to health June 19, 2013 Pregnant women and young, do not eat salmon more than twice a week. This is the new recommendation from the Norwegian government, forced to recognize - belatedly - that oily fish is also full of toxic chemicals. The government is particularly interested that the new does not cross the border. Consider: in 2012 Norway was the cause of 60% of the world production of Atlantic salmon, the country produced nearly 1, 2 million tons of this fish. And 29 billion dollars annually from exports of this key sector of the economy could be affected. FRANCE A French consume about 2.3 pounds of Norwegian salmon on average per year. France imported in 2012, some 161 175 tonnes of Norwegian salmon, about 15% of the production of the Nordic countries. This is the first export market, followed by Russia. In 2011, Rue89 alerted you on this subject and found it surprising that the Department of Health recommends eating fatty fish two to three times per week on behalf of its many virtues supposed health (they are good for the heart, movement and the fight against certain inflammatory diseases, even against some cancers). Is it reasonable to eat as much meat and bone meal fed, antibiotic and pesticide same fish? The pharmacologist Claudette Bethune , who worked for the Norwegian food safety body (the NIFES ), had clearly decided: "The presence of pollutants such as dioxins and PCBs in salmon generates a risk of cancer, which, for young people, exceeds the expected salmon health benefits. " POPs in salmon It was only after a big media pressure that health authorities have come to recognize that they too pushed for consumption. The alert launched by the VG newspaper is very clear: "The doctors call not to eat farmed salmon. " The newspaper about an independent team of biochemistry laboratory Bergen, who believes that this fish is simply dangerous for young children, adolescents and pregnant women because of persistent organic pollutants it contains. Under the precautionary principle, these groups of people should not consume. Dr. Anne-Lise Bjorke Monsen, a member of the lab, said: "The pollutants found in farmed salmon have a bad influence on the development of the brain and are associated with autism, hyperactivity and lower IQ.

Legacy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Year of the Wild Salmon! We also know that they can have a negative effect on the immune system, the endocrine system and metabolism. They can also be transmitted through breastfeeding. If you need Omega-3 from fish, mackerel and herring are very good. " In addition, the toxicologist Jerome Ruzzin had established a link in mice between an exclusive food to farmed salmon for eight weeks and the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Opinions not listen THE RECOMMENDATION "It is recommended that young women and pregnant women eat two to three meals of fish per week, half of fatty fish. We note that the consumption of fatty fish, such as salmon, trout, mackerel, herring, should be less than two meals a week, " said the Norwegian government. Faced with these revelations series, the authorities were forced to review their emergency speech. Four days after the items VG , widely reported by the rest of the press, the Minister of Health ordered are reviewed health advice on farmed salmon. It was time. Russia has stopped all imports of Norwegian salmon in 2006 and U.S. researchers had already warned that they should not eat of Norwegian farmed salmon more than three times per year. Norway deplores the newspaper Dagbladet , the Scientific Committee for Food Security in 2006 had recommended to not exceed more than two meals per week containing fatty fish. But the Norwegian Agency for Health had not followed these recommendations. The Norwegians could avoid being watered during the years of the wrong message at all: "You have to eat at least two meals a week containing fatty fish." And exports? If the new could not cross borders, it would business authorities. The promotion agency Seafood Norway has not communicated the change of recommendation. In an article entitled "Sells Norwegian salmon as if nothing had happened," Dagbladet revealed that the center of seafood from Norway, and the Minister of Fisheries did not include informing consumers abroad. "These are the recommendations for each country that matter," says Christian Chramer, communications director of the organization. The French site of Seafood from Norway recently joined the new recommendation of consumption. But, joined by Rue89, director of the Centre of seafood from Norway to France completely minimizes the change of recommendation: "The previous recommendation is ultimately the same as today, the updated version is more accurate only on young women and pregnant women. The Norwegian Directorate of Health said in the same publication as the most important challenge is the fact that the population, including young women and pregnant women do not consume enough fish. It is also made clear that for pregnant women, vitamin D, vitamin B12, omega-3, iodine and selenium content in fatty fish are particularly beneficial. " The salmon industry and governments have decidedly difficult to challenge and will do anything to protect their business as long as possible.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Farm Raised Fish vs. Wild Caught Watch video here

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Eating Organic is Like Giving Monsanto the Finger

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Marine Harvest Canada first in BC to achieve three-star salmon certification July 4, 2013 Campbell River, BC - Marine Harvest Canada is the first farm-raised salmon producer in British Columbia to achieve three-star Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification. The premier status was attained on July 3rd, 2013, when the company’s Port Hardy Processing facility was certified to the BAP Seafood Processing standard. The new certification complements the Salmon Farm and Feed Mill certification that Marine Harvest Canada (MHC) and its fish feed manufacturer, Skretting Canada, received in 2012 which "guarantees our customers a continuous supply of BAP three-star certified product" states MHC Sustainability Programs Director, Clare Backman.

Sabra Woodworth: "...the third-party audited BAP Seafood Processing standard meets Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) requirements" ... What possible FOOD SAFETY "standards" could NOT include independent testing of fish for a dozen specific viruses and frequently reported contaminants? Derek Spragg: Hmmm .... and smoking didn't cause cancer either ... right? Same tactic, different industry!

"Since the third-party audited BAP Seafood Processing standard meets Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) requirements, MHC customers are assured that product meets high food safety and quality standards," Backman says, "and because all BAP standards encompass social and environmental aspects, customers know that the salmon they receive is produced in a responsible and sustainable manner." MHC's Port Hardy Processing Plant is located on the northern tip of Vancouver Island. This state-ofthe-art facility processes more than 35,000 tonnes of high quality Atlantic farm-raised salmon products annually. Built in 2003, the plant is the newest fish processing facility in British Columbia. The plant is one of Port Hardy's largest employers, providing jobs for about 80 people. The final four-star status will become available to Marine Harvest Canada when the Hatchery standard is completed by BAP. The standard is expected to be available for salmon farmers in 2014. MHC’s future plans include certification of its Kitasoo processing facility located in Klemtu, BC. The Global Aquaculture Alliance, the leading standards-setting organization for aquaculture seafood, is an international, non-profit trade association whose Best Aquaculture Practices program provides a comprehensive, metrics-based, third party certification for aquaculture facilities -- including farms, hatcheries, feed mills and processing plants. www.gaalliance.org. Marine Harvest Canada is Canada's leading supplier of Atlantic farm-raised salmon. Its' processing plants, marine and land based operations are located on and around northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. www.marineharvestcanada.com Media contact: Ian Roberts, Communications Manager - 250-850-3276 (7256)

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

Impacts of open pen salmon feedlots

 Norwegian virus devastating to farmed salmon spreads to Canada and Chile: paper published July 16, 2013 Piscine reovirus previously reported only in the Atlantic Ocean Watch PRV Video Here

Read PRV Report Here

(Sointula, BC) The first scientific publication on the occurrence of piscine reovirus outside of Norway was published on July 11 in Virology Journal. The report, Whole-genome analysis of piscine reovirus (PRV) shows PRV represents a new genus in family Reoviridae and its genome segment S1 sequences group it into two separate sub-genotypes, was co-published by researchers from the Atlantic Veterinary College at the University of Prince Edward Island, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Aplicadas in Chile, and the Raincoast Research Society in British Columbia. Piscine reovirus (PRV) was identified in 2010 as the causative agent of heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI) in Norway. This disease, first recognized in Atlantic salmon farms in Norway in 1999, is a condition that weakens salmon, making it difficult for their hearts to pump blood. HSMI is spreading rapidly in Norway. Marine Harvest, who grows one-fifth of the world's farm-raised salmon, lists HSMI as the second largest cause of death of their fish in their 2012 Annual General Report. In this paper, the co-authors show that piscine reovirus is in British Columbia and it came from Norway. The process of tracing viruses is similar to matching fingerprints. Scientists around the world enter viral sequence data into GenBank so matches can be run. The piscine reovirus found in British Columbia is most similar to a Norwegian PRV sequence from Atlantic farmed salmon suffering from HSMI in the Lofoten Archipelago in northern Norway. The paper also reports PRV is now in Chile and it most closely matched a Norwegian PRV sequence from the Trondheim region. The newly published paper reports piscine reovirus entered British Columbia from Norway in 2007 ± 1 year and Chile in 2008 ± 1 year. The piscine reovirus sequences included in the paper were from farmed Atlantic salmon bought in Vancouver supermarkets, wild cutthroat trout from Cultus Lake, chum salmon from near Campbell River, farmed steelhead from Lois Lake and farmed Atlantic salmon morts from the central coast of British Columbia. The Chilean samples were all Atlantic farmed salmon.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! Experts in Norway continue to publish papers on the relationship between PRV and the disease HSMI. With over 400 Norwegian salmon farms now infected with PRV there are warnings in their papers: “measures must be taken to control PRV not only because it threatens domestic salmon production but also due to the potential for transmission to wild salmon populations.” (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2901333) In ongoing work, Morton and Kibenge have found PRV in nearly 97% of the farmed salmon tested from B.C. supermarkets. The Province of British Columbia does not accept that PRV causes HSMI. There is no published research supporting the province's theory. "The evidence suggests PRV recently arrived from Norway, which means we have not experienced its full potential to kill B.C. wild salmon yet," says co-author Alexandra Morton, "but when the experts warn us that PRV should not be allowed to spread because of its threat to wild salmon, I don’t know why we would ignore them. This research has shown most farmed Atlantic salmon in B.C. supermarkets are infected with PRV. This suggests the millions of farm salmon still out in the net pens are also infected, which means the wild salmon swimming home this summer will be exposed to this Norwegian virus. It is extremely poor management to allow a Norwegian salmon virus to infect our wild salmon." The only containment of PRV possible would be to cull infected farmed salmon and to end the practice of using net pens to raise Atlantic salmon on wild salmon migration routes. This would be a significant risk to the viability of the 98% Norwegian-owned industry operating in British Columbia. The co-authors recommend that PRV-HSMI be treated as an emerging disease. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) do not test for PRV. Norwegian scientist, Dr. Are Nylund, University of Bergen, recommends measures to remove PRVpositive Atlantic salmon from net pens in the ocean to prevent spread of this Atlantic virus into the Pacific. "The viability of wild salmon has been put at risk in favor of the viability of farmed salmon," notes Morton. Last month the World Health Organization for Animal Health (OIE) stripped the Kibenge Lab of its international authority as a reference lab for a different European virus, called ISAv. They have declined to give a reason. Morton has taken the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Harvest to court with the assistance of Ecojustice. Morton seeks to have the Fisheries Act upheld and not allow transfer of salmon into net pens carrying known disease agents into B.C. marine waters.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Fish farms blamed for wild salmon decline July 16, 2013

Wild salmon in Norway is having a tough summer, with stocks down by 60 percent in some parts of the country compared to figures last year. Some fishermen are blaming industrial salmon farmers for the decline. A survey of by the association Norwegian River Salmon, which represents about 7,000 licenced salmon fishers, said the worst affected rivers are found in Nord-troms, Nordmore and around the Trondheim Fjord. In the rivers Gaula, Orkla and Stjørdals, members report that salmon stocks are 30 to 60 percent lower than in a normal year. "When fish stocks are down 60 percent in a year, we're on the brink. It's very serious," said association chairman Torfinn Evensen. He told the Dagbladet newspaper that Norway should consider introducing stricter regulations on fishing salmon this season, and said he believed industrial salmon farmers could be to blame for the decline. If farmers do not properly delouse salmon in the farms, river salmon risk catching lice larvae on their way out to sea, where they then perish, he said. Fishery and Aquaculture Industry Association spokeswoman Are Kviststad did not agree with Evensen's conclusion. "There are low numbers of lice in the farms," Kviststad said. "There can be several reasons that salmon fishing is weaker, such as poor access to food in the ocean."

Legacy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Year of the Wild Salmon!

ď ś Scientists'

dire warning: GM salmon will breed with trout and permanently harm the ecosystem June 11, 2013

Remember all those industry claims that genetically-modified (GM) AquAdvantage salmon would not be harmful to the environment in any way, and would not breed with other fish because it is inherently sterile? These are both lies, according to a new study out of Canada, which found that "Frankensalmon" is fully capable of breeding with other salmon, as well as other fish species such as trout. This same study also found that the resulting hybrid fish can persist in the wild, permanently damaging entire ecosystems. Researchers from McGill University in Quebec, Canada, arrived at this dire conclusion after conducting their own independent experiments on what would happen if GM salmon escaped from their fish pens into the wild. In a simulation that looked at how GM salmon would behave in a simple stream environment, it became apparent that Frankenfish are not sterile, and that they reproduced with other fish. The Frankenfish also "out competed" wild fish in the study, proving that they can very easily become a dominant and invasive species. Published in the journal Proceedings of The Royal Society B, the findings basically contradict everything that AquaBounty, creator of AquAdvantage GM salmon, has ever alleged concerning the "safety" of its Frankensalmon. The modified fish, which supposedly grows twice as fast as natural salmon, is a serious threat to the environment at large, and if it were to ever escape into the wild the consequences would be disastrous and irreversible. "To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating transmission and ecological consequences from interspecific hybridization between a GM animal and a naturally hybridizing species," says Dr. Krista Oke, who led the study. "Ultimately, hybridization of transgenic fishes with closely related species represents potential ecological risks for wild populations." GM hybrid fish found to reverse 'benefits' of original GM salmon by stunting their growth Specifically, the data shows that GM hybrid salmon have a significantly increased advantage over wild salmon in terms of their ability to scavenge food. Worse, these same hybrids were also shown to affect the overall size of native fish species - GM hybrid salmon effectively reduced the overall growth of GM salmon by 82 percent, and non-GM salmon by 54 percent, which completely reverses any alleged benefit of GM salmon in the first place. "Although transgenic hybrids would likely be rarer in the wild than in our experiment, our results indicate that transgenic hybrids have a competitive advantage over salmon in at least some semi-natural conditions," adds Dr. Oke. "If this advantage is maintained in the wild, transgenic hybrids could detrimentally affect wild salmon populations." Since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to welcome GM salmon into the transgenic fold with open arms, it is crucial that vigilant citizens continue to push back against this latest GMO abomination. Though the official public comment period has ended, you can still contact the FDA and urge the agency to block approval for AquAdvantage, or any other GM fish species for that matter. Contact information for the FDA can be found here: http://www.fda.gov

Legacy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Year of the Wild Salmon!

ď ś A Global Assessment of Salmon Aquaculture Impacts on Wild Salmonids Abstract Since the late 1980s, wild salmon catch and abundance have declined dramatically in the North Atlantic and in much of the northeastern Pacific south of Alaska. In these areas, there has been a concomitant increase in the production of farmed salmon. Previous studies have shown negative impacts on wild salmonids, but these results have been difficult to translate into predictions of change in wild population survival and abundance. We compared marine survival of salmonids in areas with salmon farming to adjacent areas without farms in Scotland, Ireland, Atlantic Canada, and Pacific Canada to estimate changes in marine survival concurrent with the growth of salmon aquaculture. Through a meta-analysis of existing data, we show a reduction in survival or abundance of Atlantic salmon; sea trout; and pink, chum, and coho salmon in association with increased production of farmed salmon. In many cases, these reductions in survival or abundance are greater than 50%. Meta-analytic estimates of the mean effect are significant and negative, suggesting that salmon farming has reduced survival of wild salmon and trout in many populations and countries. Author Summary The impact of salmon farming on wild salmon and trout is a hotly debated issue in all countries where salmon farms and wild salmon coexist. Studies have clearly shown that escaped farm salmon breed with wild populations to the detriment of the wild stocks, and that diseases and parasites are passed from farm to wild salmon. An understanding of the importance of these impacts at the population level, however, has been lacking. In this study, we used existing data on salmon populations to compare survival of salmon and trout that swim past salmon farms early in their life cycle with the survival of nearby populations that are not exposed to salmon farms. We have detected a significant decline in survival of populations that are exposed to salmon farms, correlated with the increase in farmed salmon production in five regions. Combining the regional estimates statistically, we find a reduction in survival or abundance of wild populations of more than 50% per generation on average, associated with salmon farming. Many of the salmon populations we investigated are at dramatically reduced abundance, and reducing threats to them is necessary for their survival. Reducing impacts of salmon farming on wild salmon should be a high priority.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Svar til lakselobbyen Claudette Bethune: Morten Strøksnes "Reply to salmon lobby": BT 12 July 2013 (my translation, excerpt):

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! Kviststad claims that the waste from the net pens do not pose a problem. Environment Directorate reports say, however, that the consequences from sea lice treatments can cause serious environmental effects. They break down the shells of shellfish. Half of the juveniles die. Crab near farms are often inedible because they are full of the carcinogenic heavy metal cadmium, which is also found in salmon feed. Wild fish that are infected are also detectable. It is naive to believe that there is unknown environmental impacts of poison use. Terje E. Martinussen, CEO of Norwegian Seafood Council, is the next man up. But Martinussen clarification in BT on Wed is very unclear. Let me ask very specifically: Who authored the salmon recommendation which was printed in English and French on the official websites of the Ministry of Health and the Norwegian embassy in Paris? Was the Health Council or salmon lobby in Norwegian Seafood Council? Door not of freshness Director writes that the Seafood Council no longer considers scientists that come with negative news on Norwegian salmon that fifth columnists. So I hope we get more research on environmental damage and health risks posed by toxic use. Mice develop diabetes and other disorders from eating salmon. Around 50 million salmon die annually in cages. They do not die of freshness. Russian boycott Saturday sent the rest of the Russian authorities issued a press release. They have found parasites and bacteria in Norwegian farmed salmon threatens boycott if controls are not is better. The Norwegian authorities are not taking this seriously, which may have something to do with the fact that the salmon lobby has taken top positions in state organizations should be independent. The Fisheries Minister Berg-Hansen's dual roles begin with the last name, and it is difficult to see how they stop. http://www.bt.no/meninger/debatt/Svar-til-lakselobbyen--2930426.html#.UeDYrT5AR_R Finally, I wish Martinussen fine fishing in Vesterålen this summer. Maybe we'll see you in the waters outside Hovden or Fløholman and can share a meal provided by the large, natural fish farm called the ocean." George Quocksister Jr.: “I am a commercial fisherman - have been for a number of years. First of all i would like to give very big thank you to Dr. Alexander Morton and crew and followers for all the years of hard work trying to protect all our BC salmon runs plus all other fish. I am from the Ahwahoo Tribe Campbell River Reservation. Me and my brother, Russelle did a marched here 10 years ago or so against Farmed Fish. Looking back 20 plus years ago things started changing for the commercial fleet. We used to have 500 plus commercial seine boats that fished 2 days every week of August and allowed a lot of fish to the rivers. The past number of years we are lucky if we get 1 or 2 days a season or don’t even get to fish at all so we as fisherman understand the problem full well. At Albernie Inlet the big fleet fished year after year - there were no problems – then all of sudden no big numbers of fish.”

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Local orca numbers lowest in 10 years June 20, 2013

Two female killer whales from the endangered southern residents have been confirmed dead by the Center for Whale Research. The deaths of 52-year-old L2, who had not been seen since last December, and 57-year-old L26, who had not been seen since March, when she was in poor condition, brings the number of whales in the three pods to 82 animals, the lowest in more than a decade. It is gloomy news, especially as no calves have yet been born this year, said Ken Balcomb, the executive director of the centre in Friday Harbor, Wash.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! “It’s not looking great in the reproduction department,” he said. Usually, at least a couple of calves have been born by this time of the year. The deaths are not unusual, but there is little room for population reductions, Balcomb said. “We have estimated that females live an average of 54 years and males for 29 to 30 years, so both of these are in the ballpark and both are past their baby-rearing years, but this wipes out two matrilines,” he said. There is also concern about 20-year-old L88, the only surviving son of L2, who is left without a mother or grandmother. Adult male orcas appear to need a female to look after them, Balcomb said. “The males are a bit helpless.” Balcomb would like to see the population grow to about 120. Historically, before whaling and the capture of orcas for aquariums, there were about 200 southern residents. The population shrank to 67 animals in 1971 after live captures and deaths during the captures removed almost 50 whales. By 2003, the numbers had rebounded to 83. They have hovered in the mid-80s since. Studies in Canada and the U.S. have identified lack of chinook salmon — the preferred food of resident orcas — noise and pollution as major threats to the whales. “I have been concerned for a number of years that, unless we solve the fish problem, we are in trouble,” Balcomb said.

“Sooner or later, these politicians have to bite the bullet and get rid of fish farms because they are killing wild fish. Your country and the

province have to take some really bold steps.” There are 26 whales in J Pod, 19 in K Pod and 37 in L Pod. The three pods spend much of their time around Juan de Fuca Strait and off the west coast of Vancouver Island.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 ISA Outbreak Confirmed in Norway June 28, 2013

NORWAY - An outbreak of Infectious Salmon Anaemia (ISA) has been confirmed in Vesterålen, Bø, Nordland. The outbreak was reported by Dr Keren Bar-Yaacov, Chief Veterinary Officer, Legislation, Norwegian Food Safety Authority to the OIE. From an epidemiological point of view, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (NFSA) at present considers the ISA outbreak in Vesteralen likely to be a first occurrence in this geographical area. Infectious salmon anaemia (ISA) was already present in Nordland in February and April 2013. However, at that time the disease did not affect the same area in which this notified outbreak has occurred. Therefore the NFSA assumes the currently reported outbreak is not a reoccurrence of ISA disease. The previous occurrences of ISA outbreaks took place in a quite different area within Nordland, the current outbreak occurs at a distance of more than 110 km from other ISA-outbreaks. In total, there are 1,236,000 susceptible salmon, with 3,000 confirmed cases, resulting in 540 deaths. The cause of the outbreak remains unknown.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Fish-farm parasites eating Wester Ross trout alive

A LEADING Scottish anglers organisation today claimed that wild sea trout are being “eaten alive” by fish-farm parasites in a sea loch in Wester Ross. The Salmon and Trout Association Scotland (STAS) has revealed that samples of trout recovered from Little Loch Broom, near Ullapool, show that some fish are infested with “huge and probably lethal” numbers of the parasitic sea lice Lepeophtheirus salmonis.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! And the association has blamed the high infestation levels on the failure of a fish farm to control lice numbers on farmed salmon An STAS spokesman said: “Forty-six juvenile sea trout were monitored over six days. The average number of sea lice per fish was 133 with many carrying over 200 and two over 500. A burden in excess of 13 pre-adult sea lice is known to compromise severely the survival of juvenile sea trout.” He blamed the infestation on the failure of a fish farm to control lice numbers on farmed salmon. But he admitted that the source of the infestation could not be positively identified. The spokesman said: “Little Loch Broom is part of the Kennart to Gruinard area within which in both February and March this year the average number of adult female sea lice on farmed salmon at the seven fish-farms in the area was nine times over the threshold set under the salmon farming industry’s own Code of Good Practice (CoGP). “These numbers, based on data supplied by the farms themselves, have just been published by the Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation (SSPO) in the first in a series of Fish Health Management reports which provide area, but not farm-specific, sea lice count data. The first report recorded that in the Kennart to Gruinard area, which includes Little Loch Broom, on average each farmed salmon was carrying 4.61 adult female sea lice in February and 4.57 in March. Figures for subsequent months have yet to be published.” Hughie Campbell Adamson, chairman of the STAS, claimed: “There can be no doubt that the appalling sea lice infestations now being seen on wild sea trout in Little Loch Broom are related to the fact that the numbers of adult sea lice per fish on the hundreds of thousands of farmed salmon in the vicinity earlier this year were in effect out of control. Such a reservoir of adult breeding female lice will have produced literally billions of juvenile sea lice to populate the local marine environment. Inevitably wild sea trout, migrating from local rivers, are being infested with devastating consequences.” He said: “Lice feed by grazing on the surface of the fish and eating the mucous and skin. Large numbers of lice on fragile small sea trout soon cause the loss of fins, severe scarring, secondary infections and, in time, death. Quite literally, these young fish, which do not usually experience such heavy lice burdens, are being eaten alive – a direct consequence of the failure by salmon farms to keep on-farm sea lice numbers in check.” Mr Campbell Adamson continued: “Juvenile sea trout remain in local waters and accordingly can be monitored. Juvenile salmon however, which also leave the rivers in spring and must pass through the same lice-infested coastal waters before heading out to sea, are virtually impossible to monitor. “If they pick up similar numbers of sea lice as the juvenile sea trout, then their prospects of marine survival will be similarly bleak. The chances of many of those young salmon which left Little Loch Broom this spring, given the lice burdens they would have picked up, actually surviving to return in the future are poor.” Guy Linley-Adams, solicitor to the association’s Aquaculture Campaign, said: “The current problems in Little Loch Broom underline just why we need publicly available weekly sea lice data on an individual farm basis - so that individual farms cannot hide behind averages - and why Scottish Ministers were so wrong to prevent such a measure being included in the recently passed Aquaculture and Fisheries Bill. “Furthermore, we need to know why, given that there were clearly massive breaches of the industry’s CoGP for sea lice earlier this year, no salmon farm company been held to account either by statutory agencies or by the SSPO.” The spokesman for the STAS said: “The Wester Ross District Salmon Fishery Board formally reported the situation in Little Loch Broom to the Fish Health Inspectorate on 14 June, asking them to investigate. To date there has been no response.”

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Sea bottom still toxic in Shelburne, says marine scientist July 8, 2013 One year after salmon were harvested and the lease surrendered, a study has found that the sea bottom under an open net pen fish farm at Sandy Point in Shelburne Harbour is still toxic and marine life still has not recovered. The former fish farm is the site of a multi-year study examining the recovery of the sea bottom. Inka Milewski, the study’s principal investigator and science advisor for the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, will be in Shelburne on Tuesday, July 16 at 7:00pm at Shelburne Regional High to present her most recent findings. According to Milewski, copper levels in the sediments exceed levels known to have negative effects on marine organisms and are at levels that prevent biological recovery from occurring.

Inka Milewski

“Federal and provincial regulators are under the mistaken assumption that it takes just a few months to a year for the sea bottom to recover from the effects of massive waste loading, said Milewski. “As these results demonstrate, this is simply not true.” Milewski says that the high levels of copper around fish farms are the result of the anti-foulants used in nets, excretion of more concentrated copper in the fish feces and the accumulation and breakdown of uneaten feed. “The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment have set guidelines for copper levels in marine sediments but there is no enforcement of these guidelines,” said Milewski. According to the study’s results, sediment copper levels around the former fish farm are up to 10 times higher than other areas within inner Shelburne Harbour and up to 40 times higher than areas in outer Shelburne Harbour. The Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture granted three new leases to Kelly Cove Salmon, a division of Cooke Aquaculture, in the inner Shelburne Harbour area. All new leases are approximately 100 metres from former farm sites that had poor environmental performance records. Stocking of all salmon farm sites in Shelburne Harbour was put on hold because a highly contagious virus ISA (infectious salmon anemia) was found on a farm site in outer Shelburne Harbour in February 2012. Milewski says she is disturbed and alarmed that the provincial government has granted a license for the massive fish farm next door in Jordan Bay. “Why would federal and provincial regulators allow such a large fish farms to operate in such shallow waters when they know what the experience has been in Shelburne Harbour, also a shallow-water site” she asked. “It will be the local fisherman and taxpayers that will be on the hook when, not if, environmental quality begins to deteriorate.”

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Finn

én feil: Fiskeriminister Lisbeth Berg-Hansen og storinvestorene blir styrtrike. Miljøet og alle vi andre betaler prisen. July 5, 2013 A very well written article from Morten Strøksnes yesterday in Norway (my translation): Dr. Claudette Bethune

"Fisheries Minister Lisbeth BergHansen and big investors are wealthy. The environment and all of us are paying the price."

Dr. Claudette Bethune

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! A full blown state of confusion around the question of how much salmon we should eat has erupted. Experts gave clear advice about eating just small amounts of salmon and other fatty fish had mysteriously disappeared from the government's dietary advice. Minister Lisbeth Berg-Hansen's individual recommendations were left of "Eat more salmon. It is good for your health" (and her own wallet, but it has apparently nothing to do with it). Tabloid newspapers forced the government to retreat last month. Directorate of Health now warns young women and pregnant women against eating salmon more than twice a week. This news was rendered in France, perhaps the most important market for Norwegian salmon. The salmon lobby from Norway, which is well organized and crammed with money, mobilized communications advisers to counterattack. Their supreme leader has the biggest office in the Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs and is for Lisbeth Berg-Hansen. Today, the industry is dominated by global corporations such as Marine Harvest, where tax refugee and billionaire John Fredriksen's monkfish. He now wants to become even bigger, something his PR agents were portraying as happy news for many Norwegian newspapers. Lisbeth Berg-Hansen is doing well. Shares in the ministers own fish farm, Sinkaberg-Hansen, gives her between 10 and 22 million in annual dividends. A SMALL WEALTHY GROUP thus serves themselves to exploit our natural resources. Despite the heavy use of medication, 50 million salmon died of disease in net pens last year. Although it is revealed there is rampant underreporting, there came denial that millions of farmed salmon have actually escaped from cages in recent years. If anyone had done this practice in the same way for farms on land, they would be arrested on the spot. Already, endangered wild salmon are infected by their genetically weak and sick farmed cousins. Environmental toxins bioaccumulate, also in the other seafood we eat. Sea lice, which perhaps should have been chosen as our new national animal, is only one problem. Near the fisheries minister own farms, crabs are full of black slime and a lot of the heavy metal cadmium, which also happens to be found in salmon feed. Svein Berg Export Council for Fish in Norway believes that scientists such as Claudette Bethune who speak negatively about Norwegian salmon are "fifth columnists" - ie traitors. Apparently he believes that Norway is a kind of salmon-exporting sect. Berg can safely interpret this message as a notification of withdrawal from my side: Attention, les Français! Le ver Anisakis simplex a été DECEL dans le Saumon norvégien! (Listen to the French, it is discovered nematodes in Norwegian salmon!). The news came last year, but never reached our export markets. Nematodes are parasites that burrow into the intestinal walls, and at worst can kill people. The risk of becoming infected is by far the largest of consuming raw fish, sushi Thus, where there are sloppy with freezing. In the meantime, is there someone out there who know how to translate nematodes warning to correct Japanese?"

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Dr. Alexandra Morton Talks: Video series

Dr. Alexandra Morton - Marine Biologist

Alex Talks 1

Alex Talks 4

Alex Talks 2

Alex Talks 5

Alex Talks 3

Alex Talks 6 (June 11, 2013)

Watch “Salmon Confidential” Here http://salmonconfidential.ca/

Alex Talks 7 (June 18, 2013)

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Letter: Net pens may harm local salmon June 19, 2013 The public should be aware of the stance of the new Jefferson County Republican chair regarding salmon net pens. When I and many others testified at the recent hearing in support of our commissioners for their position against these dangerous, polluting feed-lot pens, only two spoke in favor of the pens. One was the aforementioned Republican chair. Upon entering the courthouse for the hearing, I was handed a newsletter published by the Olympic Stewardship Foundation, a property rights organization. I was taken aback by a “Special points of interest” sidebar on the first page, which stated, “28 percent of our seafood is grown somewhere in the world – allowing net pens reduces pressure on wild stocks from the open seas as consumption increases.” Seafood is farmed worldwide, much of it not finfish. The rationale implied above should not become an anything-for-commerce argument for allowing dangerous aquaculture to be expanded in our regional waters, where it may decimate local salmon runs and, consequently, our commercial, tribal and recreational fisheries or the ecological systems dependent on our native fish. The showing of the documentary “Salmon: Confidential” at the Rose is sold out. There may be standby tickets. DAVE WOODRUFF Port Townsend The Leader asked Gene Farr to respond: “Although I am the chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party, when I spoke at the county commissioners meeting on net pens, I spoke as a private citizen. My testimony then, and now, does not specifically represent the position of the Republican Party. I gave basically known facts, which came from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (U.N. FAO yearbook, Fishery and Aquaculture Statistics, 2010). In 2000, 25 percent of our aquatic food came from “farms.” By 2010, the report shows it was up to 40 percent and, contrary to statements made by fish-pen opponents, two-thirds is finned fish. Humans have been farming since the dawn of civilization. Because there have been quality, health, safety and environmental concerns, we have the USDA, U.S. FDA and EPA, along with local heath departments. If we look at this realistically, we need more aquaculture to ensure sufficient food for an increasing world population, whose intake of aquatic food per capita is increasing at 6 percent a year. To support this, without decimating the natural aquatic populations, we must figure out how to achieve this with minimal adverse effects. We must not outlaw this form of food production.”

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Sea lice from open pen salmon feedlots on Finnock (sea trout)

NSFAS No Salmon Farms At Sea: “The shocking image below was sent to us today and it really calls into question the Irish governments so called monitoring regime carried out by the Marine Institute and protocols which are proclaimed to be more advanced than any other jurisdiction. This Finnock was caught in the Kylemore River today, the 21st June 2013. The number of sea lice on this fish are way above trigger levels. This did not happen overnight. To the best of our knowledge, there are two salmon farm sites in operation in Ballinakill Bay at Froachoileann which are operated by Bifand Ltd. This particular company has a history of problems with controlling numbers of sea lice, in fact it was instructed to de-stock back in March 2012 by order from the Marine Institute. There is obviously a major sea lice problem yet again in Ballinakill Bay and the Marine Institute must investigate this potentially disastrous situation for our wild stocks. NSFAS do not have any faith in the present monitoring process or the agency tasked with carrying out the inspections as they are not effective. We are calling on the government, the guardians of this state and its natural resources, to review the current sea lice inspection process. The inspection process, as it is currently carried out, makes a mockery of the claims by Minister Coveney that the controls in place “are generally regarded as representing best practice internationally”. It is not in anyone’s interest to have a situation whereby the operators of salmon farms are notified days in advance of any inspection. A completely independent agency, such as the EPA, need to be appointed as the monitors of the aquaculture industry in order for the policing of the industry to be carried out in a transparent and effective manner.”

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Cooke Aquaculture's Atlantic salmon "From egg to plate medicate" Watch Video Here

Alexandra Morton: “When a salmon feedlot set up in front of Ron and Kathaleen's house, they began filming it, and submitting requests for information on this operation. This film reveals a shocking amount of drugs going into the fish (yellow feedbags) and into the waters of the Nova Scotia. These operations are in public waters, and the public does have the right to know what they are doing. Thank you Ron and Kathaleen for using that right.”

Legacy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Year of the Wild Salmon!

ď ś Salmon at risk? July 11, 2013 Virus threatening B.C. fish, but Newfoundland prepared for hazards Aquaculture is big on both coasts, but it appears some wild salmon in British Columbia and a number of farmed Atlantic salmon are testing positive for a lethal virus, according to a professor at the Atlantic Veterinary College in Prince Edward Island. Beginning in October 2011, Dr. Fred Kibenge's lab found that some wild British Columbia salmon and a number of Atlantic farm salmon are testing positive for segments of the Infectious Salmon Anemia virus (ISAv), a lethal salmon virus associated with salmon farming worldwide. Despite Dr. Kibenge's findings, federal and provincial government officials reported that they could not detect the virus in B.C., and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) ordered an audit of Dr. Kibenge's lab. The CIFA later suspended the lab's status. The virus is still a potential issue, according to the Atlantic Salmon Federation. "It's been a problem on the east coast for sure," said the ASF's Sue Scott. "It has certainly been around for a long time, and has devastated the industry in New Brunswick in 1996, and has followed the industry in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland," she said. The problem is overcrowding in salmon cages, she added. "Wherever the ISA comes from, it is exasperated in the cages, like flu spreading in a classroom." There is a better way of growing salmon that's within closed containers, said Scott. There are entrepreneurs that are switching to closed containment for salmon, but she said the method isn't in Newfoundland yet. (ISAv) is a naturally occurring virus that is sometimes found at salmon aquaculture sites throughout the world, and has been found in some Newfoundland and Labrador sites in the past. But the risk of ISAv is mitigated by using biosecurity measures, according to a spokesperson for the provincial Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture. The department stated ISAv is not harmful to humans. According to department officials, there is no risk to human health through consumption or contact with the fish. When aquaculture operators identify a potential fish health issue, added the spokesperson, they work with their veterinarian to conduct further research and address the situation. There is a publicly-funded centre at St. Alban's, the $8-million Centre for Aquaculture Health and Development, which focuses on animal health, testing and monitoring.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Our Beef With Aquaculture June 7, 2013

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! Aquaculture has been active in Canada since the 1980s. There are now several species of fish and shellfish currently being raised for consumption across Canada, but Atlantic salmon is by far the largest produced and the greatest value. The vast majority of these salmon are raised in the ocean waters of British Columbia (where it is not a native species), New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia. Atlantic salmon are held and grown in cages that float in the ocean (essentially they’re open-pens). These are usually located in areas where they are protected from storms but have good water flow. As a result they are often placed in sheltered bays or near the mouths of rivers. In Poor Health As with large-scale farming practices of any animal, salmon aquaculture (often called finfish aquaculture) requires maintaining animals in large densities, providing them with food, and treating them with pharmaceuticals to maintain their health under these unnatural conditions. Unlike landbased farming practices however, diseases, parasites, and food and pharmaceutical waste from finfish aquaculture operations freely flow from the open-pens into the surrounding marine environment. The various effects of aquaculture on the environment are a large concern, particularly the potential negative effects on nearby populations of wild salmon. Many populations of Atlantic salmon in NB and NS and several Pacific salmon species are at risk of extinction according to the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), so the risks from open-pen salmon aquaculture are especially important. Cracking the Books Open To ensure we are evaluating aquaculture with substantiated knowledge, CWF did a detailed examination of the scientific literature on the environmental effects of salmon aquaculture. Some studies showed no significant environmental effect, while other did. The logical conclusion is that we can reject the assumption that open-pen finfish aquaculture has no effect on the environment; clearly, it does under some (even well-managed) conditions and in some locations. If this is incorrect, then at best, we have failed to show adequately that finfish aquaculture does not harm wild salmon populations. But, at worst, aquaculture may be destroying our wild salmon populations without our knowledge. In this state of ignorance, it is safe to conclude that we are not acting precautious by allowing this industry to develop and to expand. Ending the Trend Thus, recognizing the economic benefits of finfish aquaculture, the Canadian Wildlife Federation and its Board of Directors, wants to end to open-pen finfish aquaculture on both coasts of Canada in the next 10 years and, in the meantime, a moratorium on new finfish aquaculture operations. This position is in alignment with the conclusions of many other agencies concerned with the state of wildlife in Canada including Atlantic Salmon Federation, the Royal Society of Canada, and the federally appointed Commission of Inquiry into the Decline of Sockeye Salmon in the Fraser River (i.e. the Cohen Commission).

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Triploid escapees potential hazard to steelhead August 7, 2011 The Fish and Wildlife press release sounded a bit desperate. "A 17-mile stretch of the Columbia River between Bridgeport and Brewster, Washington, is about to become a hotspot for triploid trout fishing." Anglers will have through Aug. 31 to catch and keep triploid rainbow trout in the Columbia River from the Highway 173 Bridge in Brewster to the Highway 17 Bridge in Bridgeport. Fish and Wildlife issued a new regulation to allow the fishery because a large number of triploid trout that escaped from a net-pen facility on Rufus Woods Reservoir, which is above Chief Joseph Dam, in June have made it to the Wells Dam pool below Chief Joseph Dam. The fish have made it past the dam because of the large amount of water going over and through the dam. Pacific Seafoods, the owner of the net-pen facility, estimates that 117,500 triploids escaped in June through a breach in a net-pen. The fish are in the 4- to 5pound range, some are larger. "Anglers have been catching those fish in Rufus Woods Reservoir for the past couple of months, which is great," Fish and Wildlife Fish Biologist Jeff Korth said. "But we do have some concerns about the growing number of triploids turning up below Chief Joseph Dam, because they could interfere with juvenile steelhead downstream." Triploids are gluttonous eaters and could pose a threat to juvenile steelhead, some of which are listed for protection under the federal Endangered Species Act. Under the new rule, the daily limit in the Wells Pool will be four triploid rainbow trout, with a minimum size 12 inches. All steelhead must be released, and must not be completely removed from the water. Although most of the steelhead do not start arriving in the area until September, anglers should be aware of the differences between a steelhead and a triploid rainbow trout. Signs will be posted at all boat launches that list distinguishing features of the two types of fish. The fishery will be heavily monitored. "The differences are pretty obvious," Korth said. "Triploids are big and fat, while steelhead are long and skinny. But if there's any doubt, anglers should release the fish back into the water." So what should an angler use to catch them? "Anything 3-inches long and black, such as a black leech pattern," he said. Bob Fately, who owns the Triangle Exxon Food Mart in Brewster, said anglers drifting through the steelhead areas are catching them with steelhead gear. A slip bobber and PowerBait is also working and so is a worm harness. "Dennis, these fish are hitting anything," Fately said. "They are weighing in the 2- to 5-pound range." The season will close on Aug. 31, because the steelhead fishing is expected to pick up. Korth expects to reopen the triploid season next year, perhaps in July with a season extending through August, but at this time the 2012 season is just a vision. "Triploids live for a long time and grow to a large size," Korth said. "We don't want them to affect the steelhead. People should catch and keep these fish." Above Chief Joseph Dam Triploids are still being caught above Chief Joseph Dam, but remember, the limit there is two fish per day. The fish, according to angler Ed Gorrell, are averaging 8 pounds and a limit is coming in short order, whatever short order means.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Skuna Bay Salmon Processor Attains BAP Certification July 9, 2013 CANADA - Walcan Seafood Ltd has achieved Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification. Walcan Seafood is the exclusive processor of Skuna Bay Vancouver Island Craft Raised Salmon. Walcan Seafood’s processing plant on Quadra Island, British Columbia, earned BAP certification on July 2, joining the BAP-certified farms that produce Skuna Bay Salmon, which are owned and operated by Grieg Seafood BC Ltd. The first four farms that produce Skuna Bay Salmon earned BAP certification in December 2011. “We have always said that we are committed to meeting and upholding the Best Aquaculture Practices standards in all Skuna Bay Salmon,” said Dave Mergle, director of Skuna Bay Salmon. “Having our processor join us in this accomplishment by becoming BAP certified is remarkable and demonstrates our commitment to the highest standards.” “We saw the Global Aquaculture Alliance and Best Aquaculture Practices certification as a natural fit for Skuna Bay. We share the same values and passion for farming and sharing healthful, sustainable salmon,” added Mergle. Skuna Bay raises its salmon in Nootka Sound off the coast of Vancouver Island. Patented innovations in packaging and an exclusive method of inspecting, selecting, hand cleaning and packing the fish ensure the salmon’s freshness is preserved as it is delivered from the ocean to kitchens across North America. Established in 1974 as herring bait processor, Walcan Seafood is now the exclusive processor of all of Grieg Seafood BC and Skuna Bay Salmon. In addition to custom processing for other seafood companies, Walcan Seafood processes its own mussels, oysters, clams, scallops, herring, sardines, spot prawns, roe, wild salmon and canned seafood products. The company employs 100 to 150 people, depending on the season. Alexandra Morton: “The industry is free to dress itself up in all kinds of certifications, but they can never cover up the naked facts that this industry is dangerous to the environment, human health and local food security and economies. The news out of Norway over the last month makes it clear Norway is reaching deep into the structures built to protect our health and oceans and they are manipulating the system to keep the billions of dollars following into their greedy nation. I thought Norway was a different place, but imagine a country lobbying the EU to increase levels of chemicals that damage the brains of the unborn and firing the scientists that tried to warn Norway. This is sick, depraved, immoral, and the BAP crowd have grossly underestimated the intelligence that the public still possess despite the chemical exposure!”

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

Climate Change

 Salmon and Streams to Benefit from New 'Climate Action Plan' Freshwater fish and habitat will benefit from new Climate Action Plan, says the Atlantic Salmon Federation, through actions that promote switching fuel sources from coal to natural gas and renewables. June 28, 2013 St. Andrews, NB Conservation groups concerned with the preservation and restoration of wild Atlantic salmon in both Canada and the United States can breathe a little easier this week, following President Obama’s announcement on Tuesday that he will unveil a new Climate Action Plan to reduce carbon emissions. The Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) says that the newly unveiled strategy comes at a critical time, since many populations of Atlantic salmon have declined to historically low levels across their North American range. The Climate Action Plan primarily targets greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide, that contribute to global warming. While a warming global climate may have its own implications for the health of aquatic ecosystems, a key benefit to species like Atlantic salmon comes indirectly, through actions that promote switching fuel sources from coal to natural gas and renewables. The fact that burning coal is about twice as carbon-intensive as natural gas has fueled the incentive to phase out older coal technologies, that for decades, emitted greenhouse gasses as well as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, the primary ingredients of acid rain. ‘Acid rain’ became an environmental buzz word in the 1980’s, once scientists and policy makers realized that the acidification of lakes, rivers and streams had been silently killing an extraordinary number of fish down-wind of major coal powered electrical facilities.

President Barak Obama United Sates of America

Editorial Comment: The Pacific Ocean, North America and others downstream from Asia’s coal-burning facilities suffer significantly from their impacts – this will only worsen as Asia burns more dirty, “cheap” imported coal.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! Changes made by the U.S. Congress to the Clean Air Act in 1990 reduced the deposition of acid rain by as much as 40%, and so the problem was largely thought to be resolved. In some parts of North America, however, the legacy of acid rain and its continued deposition- albeit less severe- continues to suppress natural productivity in freshwater ecosystems. Lewis Hinks, ASF’s Director of Programs in Nova Scotia, Canada, has worked with government, scientists, and local communities for over two decades, in some of the areas most affected by acid rain in North America. For Mr. Hinks, Obama’s promise of clean air is good news for fresh water. “If you thought the days of acid rain were over,” says Mr. Hinks, “visit the southern uplands region of Nova Scotia. We are still struggling with high acidity levels here, because our granite rock geology is very slow to repair the soils needed to neutralize acidic water.” Nova Scotia, though thousands of miles away from the power plants targeted by the Climate Action Plan, falls downwind of acid rain pollution coming from the American Midwest, especially the Ohio Valley. No less than 50 of Nova Scotia’s rivers have been impacted by acid rain, 14 of which have had their wild Atlantic salmon populations completely wiped out. Salmon populations on other rivers exist only on life-support, through the ongoing use of a sophisticated liming program to neutralize acidity. “Through liming, we have been able to reduce acid-related mortality of wild Atlantic salmon to nearly zero, and juvenile salmon (smolt) production has significantly increased in limed sections of the rivers,” says Mr. Hinks. “But we can’t keep doing this forever. In order for fish communities to persist, the conditions in our rivers need to be restored naturally, through the elimination of acid rain”. Mr. Hinks is cautiously optimistic that the shift away from coal-based electrical power, as outlined in the new Climate Action Plan, will contribute to the recovery of wild salmon and other fish populations across the Eastern United States and Atlantic Canada. Under Obama’s new plan, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will issue a proposal by late September to regulate greenhouse gases from new power plants. By next June, EPA will propose guidelines for states to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants. Once implemented, these new regulations could bring an end to the era of ‘dirty’ coal technologies, and provide some much-needed relief to aquatic communities that continue to be affected by acid rain today. The Atlantic Salmon Federation is dedicated to the conservation, protection and restoration of wild Atlantic salmon and the ecosystems on which their well-being and survival depend. ASF has a network of seven regional councils (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Maine and Western New England). The regional councils cover the freshwater range of the Atlantic salmon in Canada and the United States.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Walmart Farmed Salmon Boycott – Watch video HERE July 10, 2013

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

Chilliwack, B.C. – “Wild Salmon forever, wild salmon forever, wild salmon forever,” that was the chant heard outside of the Eagle Landing Walmart Wednesday afternoon. The chants were out of protest from the Chilliwack chapter of the Salmon Feedlot Boycott for Walmart’s across Canada to stop stocking their shelves with farmed Atlantic salmon and for those shopping in the stores to not purchase it. Members of the Feedlot Boycott were armed with educational materials regarding the harmful effects of the feedlots set in our B.C. coastal waters, among other places across Canada and the world. This isn’t the first time the Feedlot Boycott has found themselves outside of the Chilliwack Walmart, having staged a gathering on February 1st of this year. Since then, Chilliwack chapter organizer, Eddie Gardner, has been able to make contact with corporate Walmart Canada. “I’m in direct contact with John Lawrence, he’s the Director of Social Responsibility,” Gardner says. “He made a commitment to me that the new information that I have generated focusing on the health to human beings will be shared with his team.” From there, Lawrence has told Gardner and the Feedlot Boycott the team will take in the information and come to a decision thereafter. Gardner is hopeful that the on-going policy review regarding feedlot farmed salmon will end in an eventual boycott. Unfortunately, those who can help, including the Canadian Federal Government seem to be stuck and aimed at keeping the feedlots and their billion dollar industry alive and well in the Canadian waters. “The federal government has not responded very well,” Gardner says. “They continue to be at a conflict of interest.” “They’re allocating scarce resources to support this industry to the tune of $50-million dollars.” The Harper government has also gutted the Fisheries act with omnibus bills, which has tied him and his government in with this industry that it would be difficult to see them doing anything about the feedlot issue. Premier Christy Clark has made some movement in aiding the issue by not renewing feedlot licenses for more than one year; however, the Feedlot Boycott is imploring the Premier to let those licenses completely run out and not renew them ever again. The Chilliwack chapter of the Feedlot Boycott will continue its cause, revisiting the Canadian Superstore in August.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Obama surprises on Keystone in second-term climate speech June 25, 2013 President Obama said Tuesday he will approve the Keystone XL pipeline only if it does not substantially increase greenhouse gas emissions — a surprise announcement ambiguous enough to leave both sides in the fight thinking they’d heard good news. “Our national interest will be served only if this project doesn’t significantly exacerbate the problem of carbon pollution,” Obama said in speech laying out his second-term climate agenda, including greenhouse gas emissions for power plants. “The net effects of the pipeline’s impact on our climate will be absolutely critical to determining whether this project can go forward.” Republicans backing TransCanada Corp.’s pipeline, which would bring oil sands crude from Alberta to Gulf Coast refineries, pointed to a draft State Department analysis in March that concluded the project would have little effect on how quickly oil sands production increases. “The standard the president set today should lead to speedy approval of the Keystone pipeline,” said Brendan Buck, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). The consulting firm ClearView Energy Partners, in a note, said Obama “left the door open to a final approval.” “The State Department could determine on its own that GHG [greenhouse gas] impacts do not ‘significantly’ exacerbate the nation’s GHG emissions levels or are sufficiently modest relative to other reductions,” ClearView wrote. “Attaining the vague notion of insignificance might require action from project sponsors — voluntary or otherwise — but seems well within the realm of reason given the State Department starting point,” the company said. Keystone’s foes said they were heartened because they do not believe there is any way the pipeline will pass Obama’s test. Environmentalists argue that the expansion of carbon-intensive oil sands development is heavily dependent on major additions to pipeline capacity. “The only way this project passes the president’s test is to claim that just as much tar sands crude would be produced without the pipeline, that there might be some other way to ship it out of Canada. That can’t happen as more and more evidence affirms,” said Susan Casey-Lefkowitz of the Natural Resources Defense Council. “The president is saying what the science has always demanded. It’s encouraging news for certain,” said Bill McKibben, founder of the group 350.org. The studied ambiguity in Obama’s remarks was reminiscent of his recently announced policy on drones, which also left people guessing what the White House would do and offered the president significant flexibility.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! Obama delivered the remarks at Georgetown University on a sweltering summer day, which he used to highlight the need for action on climate change. The wide-ranging speech made the case for actions that don’t need approval in Congress and underlined Obama’s determination to tackle the issue during the rest of his term on his own. Central to Obama’s plan is a directive for the Environmental Protection Agency to craft carbon regulations for existing power plants, which create about a third of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, largely due to coal. The agenda also requires the EPA to complete planned carbon rules for new plants. Republicans have long argued Obama is waging a war against coal, and they received an unexpected assist Tuesday from a member of an outside panel advising the White House on science. Harvard professor Daniel P. Schrag told The New York Times that “a war on coal is exactly what’s needed,” but Obama would never say so publicly because of politics. Republicans seized on the remarks, while coal-country Democrats pounced on Obama’s proposals. “It’s clear now that the president has declared a war on coal,” Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) told reporters. “It’s simply unacceptable that one of the key elements of his climate change proposal places regulations on coal that are completely impossible to meet with existing technology.” Manchin said the president’s plan would have “disastrous consequences” for the economy. “These policies punish American businesses by putting them at a competitive disadvantage with our global competitors,” Manchin said. “And those competitors burn seven-eighths of the world’s coal, and they’re not going to stop using coal any time soon.” Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) warned Republicans would force a vote on Obama’s climate plan to put Senate Democrats on the record. “We will attach an opportunity to have every senator on the record to some bill moving through the Senate, either in the form of an amendment, a sense of the Senate [resolution], to see if Democrats are going to stand by the people in their home states who want affordable energy and jobs, or if they will stand by a president who doesn’t seem to care that much about affordable energy and jobs,” said Barrasso, a member of the GOP’s leadership team. Beyond the EPA, Obama’s plan includes a new round of fuel economy standards for heavy trucks, an expanded Interior Department commitment to develop renewable energy on federal lands, and making billions of dollars of Energy Department loan guarantees available for low-emissions coal projects. Environmental activists were effusive in praising Obama’s speech, in which the president also aggressively attacked skeptics of climate change. “We don’t have time for a meeting of The Flat Earth Society,” Obama said. “Sticking your head in the sand might make you feel safer, but it’s not going to protect you from the coming storm.” Writing on his blog, former Vice President Al Gore called it “historic” and “the best address on climate by any president ever.” League of Conservation Voters President Gene Karpinski called it “the most comprehensive and ambitious administrative plan proposed by any president.”

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

Energy production and wild game fish: Oil, Coal, Hydropower, Wind, Natural Gas

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

Oil – Drilled, Tar Sands

 Casualties feared after derailment sparks explosions, fire in Quebec town July 6, 2013

A massive fire sparked by the derailment of a train carrying crude oil is still burning in the eastern Quebec town of Lac-Megantic. Some people in the town were reported missing, but officials have been unable to get close enough to the fire to determine if there have been any fatalities following the early-morning derailment.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! “Unfortunately, we do fear that there are going to be casualties,” Quebec provincial police Sgt. Gregory Gomez del Prado told CTV News Channel on Saturday. At least 1,000 residents have been evacuated from their homes in Lac-Megantic, which is located about 250 kilometres east of Montreal. A Facebook group was quickly set up to help people track down loved ones who couldn't be reached by phone. A number of the train’s 73 cars exploded shortly after 1 a.m., causing a fire that spread to several of buildings in the community. “There were 73 wagons in that train last night, and almost all of them are on fire right now,” Quebec provincial police Lt. Michel Brunet said. Brunet said approximately 120 firefighters remain at the scene Saturday morning while about 30 buildings in downtown Lac-Megantic have been affected by the fire. “It’s a major blast and of course there are some stores and some residences that were in the trajectory of the fire and those are the main buildings that are affected,” Gomez del Prado said. The train belongs to Montreal Maine & Atlantic. According to the company’s website, it serves Maine, Vermont, Quebec and New Brunswick and owns more than 800 kilometres of rail tracks. Lac-Megantic resident Claude Bedard told The Canadian Press that the town has never seen anything like the fire. “It’s terrible,” he said. “The Metro store, Dollarama, everything that was there is gone.” A number of neighbouring communities, including Sherbrooke and Saint-Georges-de-Beauce, were asked to help Lac-Megantic deal with the fire. “Firefighters are working hard to extinguish that fire, but it’s burning hard because of the crude oil,” Gomez del Prado said. “So we’re trying to secure the area for now and after that we’ll try to extinguish the fire as soon as we can, but that’s going to take a while for sure.” The cause of the derailment was not immediately known. Brunet said some crude oil has spilled into the lake and there’s some concern about fumes surrounding the derailment site. “Right now, so far, the smoke is going very high, so there’s no problem for the population so far,” he said.

Legacy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Year of the Wild Salmon!

Searchers dig through the rubble for victims of the inferno in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Monday, July 8, 2013. A runaway train derailed early Saturday igniting tanker cars carrying crude oil.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 One 100-car train of oil rolls on Washington's rails each day July 9, 2013 Editorial Comment:

Trains full of crude oil, like the one that exploded outside Quebec, started rolling through Washington last fall. There's one 100car train each day, and that rate is going to increase as the state's refineries take more and more oil from the Midwest.

• BNSF

rails are often out of commission due to landslides

• BNSF rails will also carry more coal trains • Other freight for export via rail is increasing • One or more stalled trains will be a nightmare

Washington never had to use rail to get its oil because most of our state's crude came from tankers and pipelines, but with the state only getting a quarter of the crude oil from Alaska that it used to get, it had to look for other sources. The biggest new source is the Bakken oil fields in North Dakota. Frank Holmes, who represents the Western States Petroleum Association, said there's only one way to get it here. "There is a lot of oil being produced in North Dakota, and there are no real pipelines the exist that would be able to move that crude oil west into Washington state, so rail is picking up," he said. Tesoro's Anacortes refinery is taking one 100-tanker car train every day now. Two other Northern Washington refineries are building huge rail spurs to handle these trains, and several other oil rail terminals are being planned around the state. "If all this stuff got built to full capacity and operated at full capacity, we'd be looking at about 20 trains a day," said Eric de Place of Seattle's Sightline Institute. The oil trains run on the BNSF lines through the state, and de Place worries about spills and derailments in Seattle, across Puget Sound and along the Columbia River. "That gets to be a big enough figure that we should have a pretty serious conversation about safety measures, about congestion measures, kind of all the stuff that we would need to have in place to make sure that when we're moving that oil through cities and towns along the Northwest that we're not going to have something as awful as that experience in Quebec," he said. The Washington State Department of Ecology just held its first training exercise in May to deal with a potential oil spill from one of these trains, but de Place worries about how other responders along the rail lines would handle a derailment. "If there were just a leak or a spill or a small explosion or stalled train, we want to have contingency plans in place pretty carefully thought out in advance," he said. Holmes said transporting oil, no matter how, carries risks, and he's not sure how many of these long trains will eventually be rolling through Washington. "Depending on what the market looks like in the future, the number of trains will really be driven by that," he said. The second new Washington refinery rail terminal should be up and running by the end of 2013 or early 2014. None of the crude trains that have been traveling through Washington since September have had any issues with leaks or derailments.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Train crash hits close to home The devastating train derailment and fire that destroyed the center of a small town in Quebec early Saturday may hit very close to home for Harborites, as three proposals to ship crude oil by rail through the Port of Grays Harbor continue to work their way through the regulatory process. Port Executive Director Gary Nelson said he and the commissioners will be monitoring the investigation into the 73-car train’s derailment, but declined to comment on any potential impacts on the projects or the Port’s support of them until more facts were available. At about 1:15 Saturday morning, a train operated by short-line carrier Montreal Maine & Atlantic carrying about 2.1 million gallons of crude oil sped down a hill nearly seven miles where it derailed in the heart of Lac-Megantic, a town of about 6,000. At least 13 people were killed and about 50 remained missing as of Monday night. About 2,000 were evacuated after fires from the damaged train destroyed dozens of buildings and left some people literally running for their lives. “I’ve never seen a train moving so fast in my life, and I saw flames,” said Maude Verrault, a waitress at a downtown cafe who was outside smoking when she spotted the blazing train barreling toward her, she told the Associated Press. “… Then someone screamed ‘the train is going to derail!’ and that’s when I ran.” She said she felt the heat scorch her back as she ran from the explosion, but was too terrified to look back. Current Port tenants Westway Terminals and Imperium Renewables already cleared one hurdle in the permitting process when the state Department of Ecology and the City of Hoquiam determined that steps the companies say they would take to minimize their environmental impacts are enough to avoid an in-depth and costly Environmental Impact Statement. Westway has also been granted a shorelines permit from Hoquiam, but both the permit and the environmental finding are being contested. Robbie Johnson, Westway’s vice-president of operations and engineering, called the Quebec derailment “a tragic situation.” Asked about potential impacts to Westway’s crude oil project, Johnson said, “I’m not sure if or how much that will affect us, because we’ve got a very, very strong safety record that we’re very proud of. … We’re part of the Grays Harbor community, and we’re certainly going to take all the steps necessary to make sure our neighbors remain safe.” Calls to representatives of Imperium were not returned as of press time.

READ ENTIRE DAILY WORLD ARTICLE HERE

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Oil

trains -- pipelines on wheels -- headed to Northwest terminals and refineries from North Dakota fracking

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Rare Whale Sighted Off British Columbia Coast June 19, 2013

NANAIMO, British Columbia – For the first time in over 60 years, a North Pacific right whale has been spotted in British Columbia waters. Fisheries and Oceans Canada biologist James Pilkington made the discovery while surveying for whales off the west coast of Haida Gwaii aboard the CCGS Arrow Post, a Canadian Coast Guard vessel, on June 9, 2013.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! Pilkington and fellow Fisheries and Oceans Canada whale biologists John Ford and Graeme Ellis observed the whale for a total of 17 hours over the next few days as it foraged on zooplankton at the surface. Sightings of these whales are extremely rare – there are only six records of the species in Canadian waters over the past century, and all were killed by whalers; the last in 1951. Fewer than 50 individuals are thought to currently exist in the eastern North Pacific Ocean. North Pacific right whales are listed as Endangered in Canada. “When we realized what we were looking at, we were in a state of disbelief” said Pilkington. “I never thought I’d see a North Pacific right whale in my lifetime, let alone have the opportunity to study it over several days. I was ecstatic!” North Pacific right whales are large baleen whales that were once commonly found in British Columbia waters, most likely for feeding on their preferred prey, tiny copepods (zooplankton). They were abundant from the British Columbia coast north to the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea before being decimated by whaling. Nineteenth-century whalers preferred this species because they were large, slow swimming, and floated when killed. They were hunted to near extinction before 1900. Most remaining individuals were killed by illegal whaling in the 1960s. Today, the North Pacific right whale is one of the most critically endangered whale species in the world. It is estimated that there may only be a few hundred alive today, mostly in the western North Pacific.

Editorial Comment: The sighting of this iconic North Pacific right whale provides further justification for: • A strong Canadian Coast Guard presence to protect British Columbia’s magnificent marine mammals and their fragile ecosystems • Minimizing the environmental and economic impacts associated with exporting Alberta bitumen and British Columbia Liquefied Natural Gas via super tankers. • Retaining credible scientists at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to ensure marine mammals and their habitats are protected.

“This is a very exciting discovery. Our research group has conducted over 50,000 km of whale surveys off the BC coast over the past 10 years and have sighted thousands of whales, but this is the first North Pacific right whale. It was wonderful to see it and to confirm that the species still exists in Canadian waters” said Dr. John Ford, head of the Cetacean Research Program at DFO’s Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo, BC. The North Pacific right whale is protected by the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA). It is also protected under the Marine Mammals Regulations, which fall under the Fisheries Act. A Recovery Strategy for the North Pacific right whale was prepared by DFO in 2011, and an Action Plan to implement the recommendations in the Recovery Strategy is currently in preparation.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 First Nations don't have right to direct tankers, Northern Gateway lawyer says June 24, 2013

TERRACE, B.C. - The proposed Northern Gateway project reached a major milestone on Monday with the end of public hearings on the pipeline, and now the company will focus on resolving lingering questions, says president John Carruthers.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! Carruthers said the focus that has been on the joint review process for several years will now move to building public support and working with the British Columbia government, aboriginal groups and others who brought their concerns to the panel. "It's a milestone. Everyone's been able to submit their evidence, submit their questions and make their voices heard," he said. "It is good to get through this milestone and look forward to a recommendation at the end of the year." Carruthers said Northern Gateway wants to build support for the $6-billion project. "In cases where there were still concerns, we'll try and work directly with those people — the province of British Columbia, or aboriginal groups or others — to see if better discussion might address their concerns. That will be ongoing," Carruthers said from Terrace, B.C. On the final day of arguments, the lawyer for Calgary-based Enbridge (TSX:ENB) told the panel that B.C. First Nations don't have an aboriginal right to direct oil tanker traffic. Richard Neufeld said that fears expressed by the Haida and other First Nations about possible damage to the herring spawning bed were "a probability of a probability of a probability." For their part, environmental and aboriginal groups spent the day urging the panel to give no weight to news releases or promises of a "world-class" tanker safety system. Christopher Jones, a lawyer representing the province of British Columbia, echoed those thoughts on tanker safety, and urged the panel to base its decision "on evidence and not anything else." Evidence is now closed, and no new agreements or legislative changes will factor into the panel's report to the federal government, due by the end of the year. The province has told the panel that the project should not go ahead as proposed. No definitive meeting dates have been set, but Carruthers said discussions with the province will take place now that the hearings are over. Carruthers also addressed a 10-per cent equity offer made to First Nations. A legal assessment for one of the bands compiled in 2011 and obtained by The Canadian Press said the anticipated annual average net income would be $70,500 a year. He said that while some groups outside of a 160-kilometre corridor might stand to receive as little as that amount, the majority of groups which are inside that zone stand to collect more. The offer amounts to an average of $7 million over 30 years — $280 million in total for all bands—in net benefits, Carruthers said. Individual negotiations are ongoing, and the company has denied requests for a list of participating bands and the final sums involved, but said it would put an average of about $230,000 a year into First Nations' coffers. A legal assessment of the offer also obtained by The Canadian Press said the bands would have to borrow money to buy into the agreement from the company, but an Enbridge spokesman said the

Legacy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Year of the Wild Salmon! loan offer was made at the request of aboriginal groups, which might not be able to obtain as favourable a rate of interest as the pipeline company. The federal review panel was told by the Haida Nation that 26 of the 45 bands offered equity in B.C. and Alberta had signed on. The hearings that had become a Canadian battleground for the international fight over global warming ended with little fanfare in the northern city of Terrace, far from the urban centres that hosted the most raucous protests against the pipeline. Like the Keystone XL line proposed into the United States, the project has been the target of an environmental movement determined to challenge the greenhouse-gas emitting oil industry and the planned expansion of the Alberta oil sands. But on the final day, only nine of 60 interveners chose to participate and most of the chairs in the room sat empty. At about the same time as the hearings came to a quiet close, far from the hotel basement where the panel heard parting words, the project proponent, Enbridge Inc., announced it had shut down pipelines in northern Alberta as a result of a weekend spill of synthetic crude. The spill from Line 37, about 70 kilometres southeast of Fort McMurray, Alta., caused Enbridge to close its Athabasca and Waupisoo pipelines serving Alberta's oilsands. The company estimates between 500 and 750 barrels of oil had spilled.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 The Salish Sea: In Danger

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 High-Tech Solutions? Not For Keystone Pipeline June 18, 2013

TransCanada Corp. (TRP), which says Keystone XL will be the safest pipeline ever built, isn’t planning to use infrared sensors or fiber-optic cables to detect spills along the system’s 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) path to Texas refineries from fields in Alberta.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! Pipeline companies have been slow to adopt new leak detection technology, including infrared equipment on helicopters flying 80 miles an hour or acoustic sensors that can identify the sound of oil seeping from a pinhole-sized opening. Instead of tools that can find even the smallest leaks, TransCanada will search for spills using software-based methods and traditional flyovers and surveys. As pipelines multiply across North America to carry booming supplies of oil and natural gas, a series of recent spills and explosions are raising concerns about the safety of the conduits, including Keystone XL, which is awaiting U.S. government approval. “There are lots of things engineering-wise that are possible, that the industry doesn’t do,” said Carl Weimer, executive director of Pipeline Safety Trust, a fuel-transportation safety advocacy group in Bellingham, Washington. As pipeline executives say they’re changing their industry’s culture to tolerate zero incidents, companies aren’t spending on technology to catch even pinhole-sized leaks that can turn into bigger problems, Weimer said. Though the so-called external leak detection tools have been recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline, the Calgary-based company says they’re impractical for the entire project. At the EPA’s request, TransCanada is studying whether to add the systems in sensitive environmental areas, Grady Semmens, a company spokesman, said in an e-mail. Studying Leaks Keystone XL is part of an additional 4.7 million barrels a day of new U.S. oil pipeline capacity expected to be built during the next two years, according to the Association of Oil Pipe Lines, a Washington-based industry group. About 19.2 million barrels of crude are transported each day in the U.S. Pipelines spilled an average of 112,569 barrels per year in the U.S. from 2007 to 2012, a 3.5 percent increase from the previous five-year period, according to U.S. Transportation Department figures compiled by Bloomberg. The department is studying leak detection as it considers new rules to improve safety. Equipment available to spot spills more quickly would have cut 75 percent off the estimated $1.7 billion toll in property damage caused by major incidents on oil lines from 2001 to 2011, consultants said in a December report prepared for the department. Internal Detection The figure doesn’t include cleanup costs in environmentally sensitive areas, fines, lost life and the potentially much bigger financial impact to operators related to investor concerns. Leak-detection technology consists of internal and external systems. Much of the newest technology tends to be for external monitors that look for leaks outside the pipeline, such as the infrared sensors and fiber-optic cables.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! Internal systems, most often employed by operators, rely on computer-based tools to remotely analyze flow data transmitted every few seconds by sensors along the conduit. Operators using software-based systems are alerted if pressure drops, indicating a possible leak. Keystone XL would have to be spilling more than 12,000 barrels a day — or 1.5 percent of its 830,000 barrel capacity – - before its currently planned internal spill-detection systems would trigger an alarm, according to the U.S. State Department, which is reviewing the proposal. In comparison, BP Plc (BP/)’s Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico was leaking at an estimated rate of about 53,000 barrels a day, according to a U.S. Interior Department report. Leak Threshold “You’re talking about a system that isn’t going to be able to detect a leak that’s greater than half a million gallons a day,” said Anthony Swift, a lawyer at the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group in Washington. The company’s leak detection specialist would be able to spot leaks “well below” the 1.5 percent threshold by analyzing trends in data collected over a period in time, said Vern Meier, vice president of pipeline safety and compliance at the company. TransCanada is seeking U.S. approval for Keystone XL amid heightened regulatory scrutiny following spills such as the 5,000 barrels leaked in March by Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM)’s Pegasus line in Arkansas, and the 2010 rupture of an Enbridge Inc. (ENB) line in Marshall, Michigan. Enbridge, which spilled more than 20,000 barrels of heavy oil from Canada into a branch of the Kalamazoo River, boosted its estimate of cleanup costs to nearly $1 billion earlier this year, a figure that doesn’t include fines. Adding Cable Keystone XL would carry crude from the oil sands to supply U.S. Gulf Coast refineries. TransCanada requires a presidential permit to build the $5.3 billion northern portion of the line because it crosses an international border. It would cost TransCanada an additional $705,000 to add a fiber-optic cable to the parts of Keystone XL that may affect ecologically sensitive areas, drinking water, or populated regions, according to figures compiled by Bloomberg. The line has 141 miles in high consequence areas, according to the State Department, and the cable costs about $5,000 a mile, the December Transportation Department report estimates.

Editorial Comment: It’s truly hard to believe that a pipeline of some 2,000 miles would cross only 141 miles in “High Consequence Areas” / Ecologically Sensitive Areas”.

“This will be the safest pipeline that has ever been built in the United States,” Russ Girling, TransCanada’s CEO, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television that aired June 2. Among sensitive new technologies to test for leaks is a 200-pound (90-kilogram) device the size of a garbage can that’s mounted on the outside of a helicopter. The sensor, made by Synodon Inc. (SYD) in Edmonton, Canada, detects oil vapors in the infrared rays of sunlight to find leaks flowing at rates below 10 barrels a day, according to the company.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

Coal

 Army Corps deals blow to greens on coal exports June 19, 2013

The Army Corps of Engineers dealt a major blow to greens’ fight against coal exports Tuesday, telling lawmakers it won’t consider the climate change impacts of burning coal overseas as part of its environmental reviews of three proposed coal export terminals in the Pacific Northwest. The decision is another setback to environmentalists courtesy of the Obama administration, which is showing a reluctance to plug the flow of fossil fuels across U.S. borders as a way to stymie greenhouse gas emissions.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! Like the pending Keystone XL project, environmentalists and some lawmakers have latched on to proposed coal export terminals as a new front in the fight against climate change. Green groups, governors and a slew of lawmakers have pushed the Corps to review the three proposed port projects together and look at their cumulative impact rather than evaluate each individually and to take into account the end use of the coal, which will be burned overseas for power. But that’s not going to happen, Corps acting regulatory chief Jennifer Moyer said Tuesday, slipping the news into her testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Energy and Power Subcommittee’s hearing on the regulatory barriers faced by fossil fuel exports. The Corps is tasked with reviewing the environmental impacts of the three proposed export terminals in Oregon and Washington. Many “of the activities of concern to the public, such as rail traffic, coal mining, shipping coal outside of U.S. territory and the ultimate burning of coal overseas, are outside the Corps’ control and responsibility for the permit applications related to the proposed projects,” Moyer said in her testimony. “They’re not part of our framework; they’re not part of our analysis.” The coal that would travel through the proposed ports would come from the Powder River Basin, which has been shipping supplies by rail to different destinations for years, she said. “The potential change in rail traffic patterns is beyond the control and expertise of the Corps and requires no involvement from the Corps,” Moyer said. The decision thrilled some lawmakers and many in the coal industry who see escalating exports as a way forward for an industry hampered at home by increasingly stringent environmental regulations and competition from natural gas supplies. “If we don’t export coal, do we really think the other nations are not going to find coal somewhere else?” asked Rep. David McKinley (R-W.Va.). “This isn’t a fight about exports — this is a fight about coal. The war on coal continues here in Washington.” Environmental groups are hoping to block the projects, but that would hurt efforts to develop technologies that may be able to burn coal cleanly, according to Ross Eisenberg, the National Association of Manufacturers’ vice president of energy and resources policy. . “If we just say no, then we are foreclosing our ability to own whatever that breakthrough technology’s going to be that solves all of this,” he said. Addressing climate change and greenhouse gas emissions will come from “post-combustion technology. It’s not about keeping resources in the ground,” Eisenberg said. Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.) said project opponents were using the climate change argument to seek to kill the international market demand for the “bounty” of U.S. coal.

READ ENTIRE POLITICO ARTICLE HERE

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Even without terminals, coal trains will cross WA The Seattle company that wants to build a coal train terminal in Bellingham says the trains will still pass through Washington on their way to Canada even if three proposed Washington coal terminals are not built.

Sabra Woodworth: “Metro Vancouver has said NO to a new Fraser River coalshipping port in Surrey to move "up to 8 million tonnes of American coal annually" through our residential communities (that Washington & Oregon have refused to ship). Why is Port Metro Vancouver so slow to see the light? Delta, Surrey, White Rock: many say NO…”

EVERETT, Wash. — The Seattle company that wants to build a coal train terminal in Bellingham says the trains will still pass through Washington on their way to Canada even if three proposed Washington coal terminals are not built. Coal from Montana and Wyoming is already being shipped to British Columbia, and terminals there are expanding, The Herald ( http://is.gd/hPPzFU) reported in Sunday's newspaper. Opponents of building coal export terminals in Washington and Oregon say they would bring traffic congestion from the number of trains, and generate coal dust and greenhouse gases. Supporters say Cherry Point near Bellingham, another terminal at Longview and a third at the Port of Morrow, Ore., will create jobs - 4,400 temporary, construction-related jobs and 1,200 long-term positions - said SSA Marine spokesman Craig Cole, from the Seattle company that wants it built.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! "We do know there's demand (for coal in Asia) and port operators will seek to service that demand, whether they're in the United States or British Columbia," Cole said. On average, about four coal trains per day pass through Snohomish County on their way to Canada, according to BNSF Railway. The Cherry Point terminal could ship an estimated 60 million tons per year of coal, grain, potash and scrap wood for biofuels to Asia. Coal would make up the bulk of the shipments, according to the state Department of Ecology, which is handling the environmental review for the project. That review is expected to take at least a couple more years. The Millennium terminal proposed for Longview, Wash., would have a coal capacity of about 48 million tons, according to the ecology department. Trains to this port would travel across the state but not north to Seattle and beyond. Another smaller terminal targeted for Boardman, Ore., on the Columbia River could handle just under 9 million tons. Together, these ports could ship 117 million tons per year. Possible expansions at the five ports in British Columbia could add 55 million tons per year to their current capacity, according to numbers compiled by SSA Marine. If all of the B.C. expansions come to pass, they would roughly equal the output of Gateway Pacific. "There will be additional coal that will be going to British Columbia, and we will be working hard to increase the percentage," said Jim Orchard, senior vice president of marketing and government affairs for Cloud Peak Energy, a coal-mining company based in Denver. At the same time, it won't equal what could be shipped through the U.S. terminals, he said. Cloud Peak operates two mines in Wyoming and one in southeastern Montana, in the area known as the Powder River Basin, Orchard said. The greater the shipping capacity, the faster the coal can be mined without piling up, he said. Without the U.S. terminals, "the timing with which we get to new reserves, it just would take longer," Orchard said. Courtney Wallace, a spokeswoman for BNSF Railway, said freight rail traffic will increase through Washington with or without coal export from the state. "Washington state's economy is built on trade and ports and demand is increasing domestically for all goods as the population grows," she said. "That's a good thing, especially for a state like Washington that is heavily dependent on trade."

Editorial Comments: 1. Asian demand for American coal is declining 2. Asians are experiencing significant health impacts due to coal pollution 3. Asians are relying more on local coal 4. Canadians are opposing expansion of their ports to export American coal 5. American coal exported via Canadian ports will not travel via western Washington rails – not cost effective.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Vancouver City Council set to symbolically ban coal industry within city limits July 9, 2013 Vancouver city council is set to ban the handling, storage and trans-shipment of coal at its marine terminals and berths, though there are no existing coal facilities and it has no jurisdiction over Port Metro Vancouver, the No. 2 exporter of coal in North America. Council will debate the zoning and development bylaw amendment Tuesday night that a staff report said was in line with Vancouver’s Greenest City 2020 Plan, which aimed to curb greenhouse gas emissions and set the air quality target to “breath the cleanest air of any major city in the world.” Kevin Washbrook, director of Voters Taking Action on Climate Change, has marshaled people to come to council to voice their support for the motion, which he said was part of a growing call for the port to consult with the citizens of Metro Vancouver before expanding any coal exports. “It may be symbolic because there’s no coal ports here right now, but the pressure to export this American coal out of every nook and cranny and port is high so I wouldn’t be surprised if there were plans out there to do this,” Washbrook said. “We’ve had municipal governments, regional governments, MLAs, MPs and health authorities all calling on the port to slow down and conduct more regionalized consultation and do the comprehensive health assessment and they’ve so far ignored those calls. “So I think it’s appropriate for the city to use every tool it has at its disposal to protect its citizens if the port is not going to cooperate and consult with the region.” In June, Metro Vancouver with the support of Vancouver, Burnaby and the City of North Vancouver, passed a resolution opposing new coal shipments from the Fraser River estuary, citing local airshed and global climate change concerns. Environmental groups want to stop the proposed $15-million coal-handling facility on the Fraser River in Surrey, which would ship thermal coal from the Powder River Basin in Wyoming. Fernie’s Mayor Mary Guiliano sent a letter to council opposing the amendment, saying that the economic impact to her community and the entire Elk Valley “would be enormous.” “The coal mines in this Valley support over 4,000 direct employees as well as many supporting contractors,” Giuliano’s letter said. “The ripple effect of such a zoning bylaw amendment would negatively impact the entire province as it would not only affect employees and their families but also cause a possible loss of tax revenues to the potential decrease to coal shipments.” Conservative MLA David Wilkes of Kootenay-Columbia flew in for the council meeting and was expected to speak against the amendment. There are no fewer than 10 coal mines in B.C., with at least another nine proposed. The existing coal industry provides 26,000 direct and spinoff jobs and a $3.2-billion boost to the province’s economy in 2011, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers report commissioned by the Canadian Coal Association. The jobs pay well, too; the average coal-mining wage was $97,000 in 2011. More to come ...

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

Hydropower and water retention

 Fish,

Frogs, and People to Benefit from Biggest Dam-Removal Project in California History

June 21, 2013

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! San Clemente Dam in California, now coming down. Photo via sanclementedamremoval.org Today marks a historic event for California rivers: the launch of the biggest dam removal project in state history. Over the next 28 months, the beautiful Carmel River will be set free to flow more naturally for 70 percent of its length as the 106-foot (32.3 meter) San Clemente Dam is dismantled. Downstream of the dam, threatened fish and frogs will get a new lease on life as critical habitats open up. And some 1,500 households will enjoy greater safety as the dam’s risk of failure during a major earthquake or flood event disappears. Built in 1921 to store drinking water for the burgeoning population of Monterey County, the San Clemente Dam is a concrete arch structure located 18.5 miles (29.8 kilometers) upstream from the Pacific Ocean. While built for a good cause, the dam’s reservoir has lost 95 percent of its original water storage capacity due to the build-up of silt and sediment carried in by the Carmel River. Historically, the river carried that sediment load downstream, keeping its channel functioning well and replenishing coastal beaches. But the dam trapped the sediment in the reservoir, causing it to fill – a common problem with dams worldwide. The Monterey Peninsula now relies primarily on groundwater for its drinking water supply. Meanwhile, the dam became a safety hazard as its risk of failure increased. After the state of California’s division on dam safety declared San Clemente “seismically unsafe,” California American Water, the public utility that owns the dam, assessed its options for reducing the dam’s threats. Taking into account cost, environmental benefits and other factors, the idea of tearing the dam down rose to the top of the list.

San Clemente Creek, where the Carmel River will be routed while the dam is taken out. Photo via sanclementedamremoval.org The project will open up 25 contiguous miles of unimpaired spawning and rearing habitat for a threatened run of steelhead trout. Like salmon, steelhead spend most of their lives in the ocean but move upstream to spawn and grow in coastal rivers and streams. Big dams like San Clemente block their migration and destroy their habitats. Over the decades, the combination of dams, diversions, and urban development has caused the population of steelhead to plummet. In 1997, federal officials listed the fish as threatened.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! For steelhead on the central California coast, “removing this dam is the single best thing you can do for their recovery,” says Samuel P. Schuchat, Executive Officer of the California State Coastal Conservancy. The dam removal will also restore the natural movement of sediment downstream toward the sea, replenish sand on Carmel Beach, and improve habitat for the California Red-Legged frog, the largest native frog in the western United States and now federally listed as threatened, as well. The Carmel too will enjoy a revival. In a gentle ode to the river, John Steinbeck wrote in his classic 1945 work, Cannery Row: “The Carmel is a lovely little river. It isn’t very long but in its course it has everything a river should have.” Indeed, over its 36-mile run from the Santa Lucia Mountains to the sea, the Carmel flows through a diverse array of habitats, from mixed evergreen forests and montane chaparral to coastal prairie and sand dunes. The first stage of the project involves some innovative engineering to re-route the Carmel River into San Clemente Creek so that the sediment behind the dam can be stabilized to remain safely in place. The re-routing will allow the river to resume its more natural, pre-dam flow to the sea. Once the river is diverted away from the sediment-filled reservoir, dismantling of the dam will begin. The $83 million project has garnered a wide range of support, including that of the conservation groups American Rivers, the Carmel River Watershed Conservancy, the Nature Conservancy, and Trout Unlimited, as well as the federal Bureau of Reclamation and Fish & Wildlife Service, among others. California American Water, the dam owner, will pay $49 million of the total cost; the California State Coastal Conservancy and the National Marine Fisheries Service will raise the additional $34 million through public and private sources. The Nature Conservancy is contributing $1 million to the project. In addition, California American Water is donating 928 acres (375 hectares) of property around the dam to the federal Bureau of Land Management, which in turn is working with the Monterey parks district to develop recreational trails for use by the public.

San Clemente Dam under construction in 1921. Photo via sanclementedamremoval.org If all goes according to plan, both the project’s ecological engineering features as well as its publicprivate partnership may serve as a model for other river restoration efforts across the state and nation. “This is an opportunity to essentially restore an entire river system from top to bottom,” says Schuchat of the state coastal conservancy. “You take the dam out and suddenly you’ve got a natural free-flowing river again – and that’s just really exciting. “

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Feds Say Bonneville Dam Improvements Helping Salmon July 12, 2013

The federal agencies responsible for making Columbia Basin hydroelectric dams safer for salmon say they’re doing a good job, helping more young fish survive their migration downstream, and producing higher returns among threatened and endangered runs.

Editorial Comment:

Little meaningful benefit to wild salmonids will be achieved until the four lower Snake River dams are breached

The Bonneville Power Administration, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation released a draft evaluation Thursday of their efforts since 2008 to implement the improvements laid out by the NOAA Fisheries Service. But conservation groups say despite spending $600 million a year, the agencies are no closer to getting 13 runs of salmon and steelhead off the threatened and endangered species lists. The groups Save our Wild Salmon and Earthjustice say the single most effective measure is spilling more water over dams, rather than running it through turbines. They contend that’s not being done enough.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Orchard Park dam classified as a ‘high hazard’ July 6, 2013 If the Green Lake dam in Orchard Park were to fail, it could result in “widespread or serious damage” to the area, and loss of human life or widespread substantial economic loss is likely, according to a designation by the state. The century-old earthen dam has been reclassified by the state Department of Environmental Conservation from an intermediate hazard to a high hazard, town Councilman Eugene Majchrzak said. That doesn’t mean the dam is in danger of failing but is an indication of what could happen if it did fail, according to the state. The town has discussed repairing or replacing the dam for years, and one of the drawbacks is the cost. The estimated cost of reconstructing the dam is approximately $1.8 million, Majchrzak said. “Key problems relate to the emergency spillway, steep slopes on the upstream and downstream sides and the growth of large trees, which, if toppled by a storm, could displace enough earth to cause failure,” he said. But Orchard Park is hopeful it could receive state assistance. Majchrzak and Town Engineer Wayne Bieler recently went to Albany to meet with State Sen. Mark Grisanti, R-Buffalo, chairman of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, Assemblyman Michael P. Kearns, D-Buffalo, and others. “Our purpose was to see if we could get some state help financially on this project,” Majchrzak said. “We do have a commitment. It’s a verbal right now. We’re waiting for a letter.” He said the town is hoping to receive something in writing in the next month. “Eventually we are going to have to address the dam. It’s better that we do it sooner than later from a cost standpoint,” he said.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Most run-of-river power projects fail to meet monitoring requirements Only seven of province’s 22 projects documented what they should, says federal fisheries report June 17, 2013

Private run-of-river hydro facilities are falling short of meeting both the specific monitoring requirements for their projects as well as general industry guidelines, a consultant's report commissioned by the federal fisheries department concludes. The Hatfield Consultants report, obtained by The Vancouver Sun following a federal access-toinformation request, conducted a review of the habitat monitoring performance of 22 independent power projects in the Pacific region. The report looked at how well the 22 complied with specific monitoring requirements as set forth in approvals for the individual projects as well as industry protocols adopted in 2012 for long-term aquatic monitoring for new and upgraded projects. Delivered in 2013, the 101-page report noted that a "major limitation" encountered was "a lack of available information that could be used to document compliance/conformance." Only seven of the 22 projects documented all monitoring activities stipulated in their authorizations. Many of the authorizations required monitoring reports pertaining to water quality, fisheries and before-after photographs to be provided within 60 days of completion of construction. "These reports were rarely submitted on time, and generally lacked some or all of the required information," the report said. "Overall, 32 per cent of projects were fully conformant with this monitoring criterion." Only three projects were "fully aligned" with the long-term monitoring protocols, the report found. Hatfield Consultants noted that long-term monitoring protocols are not written requirements of regulatory approval documents and that projects adhered to them less strictly. The 22 projects in the study were authorized before the protocols being adopted in 2012.

Legacy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Year of the Wild Salmon!

Paul Kariya, executive director of the Clean Energy Association of B.C., representing the majority of independent power producers, said Monday that none of the 22 projects "had been required to meet" the protocols and that the Hatfield report sought to determine how much industry effort would be needed to align with this new standard. He noted that the industry "is working hard to improve and develop new monitoring and reporting protocols that work for government." The association has hired the Pacific Salmon Foundation to conduct a study on the industry's impact on salmonids and make recommendations for improvements as necessary. The study is expected to be concluded this fall. In terms of the protocols, the report found that: - Frequency of sampling was generally not consistent with the recommended four times per year for two years. - The largest gap in information for the industry as a whole was the lack of ramping rate study reports following commissioning tests. (Ramping is typically associated with the shutdown of a power plant for maintenance or an unanticipated failure and must be done gradually to avoid stranding young fish downstream.) - There were general inconsistencies in habitat compensation monitoring and, in many cases, the status of completion and/or monitoring was unknown. - Only a few projects provided reports detailing assessments for species at risk, such as tailed frogs, northern goshawks, spotted owls and grizzly bears. The report recommends: a web-based compliance monitoring system to track compliance with approval requirements, a system to automatically notify the proponent and appropriate agency when specified submission dates or project milestones are forthcoming, an industry standardized noncompliance reporting format, and a generic set of authorization conditions related to monitoring to provide continuity in standards across the industry. "Page after page, what you read is 'not consistent, not achieved, not provided, missing information, inconsistent, inadequate, failed to follow' ...," Gwen Barlee of the Wilderness Committee said of the Hatfield report. She said it is consistent with earlier freedom-of-information documents showing widespread provincial concerns about non-compliance of run-of-river projects. "This is another red flag on an industry already heavy with red flags." The Sun reported in January that a Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations staff report said there were 749 non-compliance incidents from a total of 16 hydro plants in southwest B.C. in 2010. They included 313 incidents related to ramping, 292 of not notifying government officials of problems, 101 of not fulfilling mitigation requirements, and 43 of not maintaining in-stream flow rates. Kariya has stated that companies involved in non-compliance issues have reviewed their operating procedures and that "in many cases the non compliances are minimal and technical in nature."

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 LMT Guest Opinion: If you do the math, dams don't add up

June 2, 2013 Ed Chaney has been correct all along. So has my Columbia classmate, Pat Ford. From their first appearances before the Northwest Power Planning Council in 1981, through all the intervening years in interviews, articles, lawsuits and speeches, each has consistently said the best science says and will always say that the only real solution to restoring native salmon and steelhead runs to their former

Legacy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Year of the Wild Salmon! state, as required by the Northwest Power Planning Act, is to breach the four lower Snake River dams. Supporters of the status quo and of leaving the dams in place like to point out that in terms of sheer numbers of the various runs of returning salmon and steelhead, the count is up and still rising. This is of course due to the large amount of supplementing the runs with hatchery-raised fingerlings and smolts. Chaney points out that one should only examine the numbers of wild fish, which continue to steadily decline. Chaney and Ford believe the law, as reflected by and through the Northwest Power Planning Act and the Endangered Species Act, requires the restoration of the wild runs of salmon and steelhead. They insist these runs represent a distinct and separate gene pool that is declining. On the face of it, their contention the dams continue to damage and facilitate decline appears incontestable. Courts appear also to agree with them as they have successfully petitioned to have most of the so-called "Bi-ops" developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of Environmental Quality, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the NOAA and Bonneville Power Administration invalidated. Breaching the dams is therefore the only measure not tried yet to restore and enhance the runs. What seals the deal, however, are the economic arguments for breaching the dams. There are 31 federal dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers, which produce 60 percent of the region's hydroelectricity. The power produced by the four lower Snake dams is about 1 percent of the overall production. BPA of course sells and distributes this power. Due to the several laws guiding BPA's management of this "federal base system," the agency also funds and manages a fishery enhancement program whose goal is, as the law requires, protecting, mitigating and enhancing the runs. In March, I asked the agency's public communications office to provide me with an estimate of how much money they have expended to meet the law's requirement for the 11-year period of 2002 through 2012. The total number is a staggering $7.35 billion, or an average of $677 million a year, with little, if any, progress being made in enhancing and protecting the wild runs. Subtract the breaching costs from that figure and cease funding all of the fruitless efforts under way and the region's ratepayers would be billions ahead shortly. The next unsound economical entity is the Port of Lewiston itself. Sold by its boosters it was going to be the catalyst of an economic rebirth for Lewiston, it has been nothing of the sort. Boosters of the port sold Nez Perce County voters a bill of goods, saying that a local option sales tax would be shortlived and retired. Fifty years later, the tax is still on the books. Face it - the Port of Lewiston is a heavily subsidized operation that will never pay for itself. The citizens of Lewiston and Nez Perce County would be far better off shutting it down and supporting dam breaching as their preferred path back to real prosperity. Another reason that should galvanize support for dam breaching is the likelihood of a 10year flood event inundating Lewiston's downtown core.

Legacy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Year of the Wild Salmon! In large part due to the rapid buildup of silt in and around the confluence of the Clearwater and Snake rivers, water is already well above the street level in the downtown. The levees constructed by the Army Corps were designed (there's that engineering word again) to have a 7- to 8-foot margin above the anticipated highest level of the water. Today it is much closer to a 2- to 3-foot margin. Meteorologists and other government agency forecasters, when pressed, will admit a 10-year flood event, such as heavy snow in the mountains followed by a surge in temperature with a commensurate heavy rain could bring most of the mountain moisture cascading down the Clearwater could easily inundate the city. Lewiston city officials will also concede their ability to remove that amount of water is virtually nonexistent. For all practical purposes, the water would be trapped on the inside and it might take weeks to remove it by various siphoning methods. The damages would be in the hundreds of millions of dollars and insurance would not begin to cover the rebuilding cost. This is not a case of if; it is rather a matter of when. The corps' response is to propose a massive dredging program for the next 50 years. By law the corps is required to maintain a channel behind Lower Granite dam, just downstream from the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater rivers, that is 14-feet deep and 250-feet wide to facilitate barge access to the Port of Lewiston. It's not happening, folks. Needless to say, the rapid accumulation of river-borne sediment will significantly add to the cost and the subsidies necessary to keep the port open and to operate the dams. Kooskia resident and environmental activist Linwood Laughy estimates the 10-year cost of the taxpayer subsidy necessary to keep the port of Lewiston open would be $39 million - and the sedimentation accumulation would still continue. He believes each fully loaded barge leaving the infrequently used Port of Lewiston leaves with a taxpayer subsidy of $19,000, reflecting the dredging and sediment management activities. Virtually the only option left to comply with the Northwest Power Planning Act and the Endangered Species Act appears to be breaching, and it is just a matter of time - unless of course those who want to save the dams can muster the political support to amend the Power Act and the ESA law. Such a prospect is highly unlikely. So as a region, let's face up to the inevitable and get on with breaching the four dams. A pure guess is the breaching of the four lower Snake River dams would be somewhere between $500 million and $1.5 billion. This is a huge chunk of change, but still represents less than 20 percent of the costs incurred by BPA during the first decade of this century trying to enhance the native salmon and steelhead runs. In this period of diminishing federal resources, as the nation tries to get a handle on its deficit spending challenge, the cost benefits derived from adopting the last, best chance for real fishery enhancement are, however, overwhelmingly compelling. Add to that the cost avoidance of the flooding out of Lewiston and the elimination of shipping subsidies and breaching is a no-brainer.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Legislature awards $28.2 million in flood relief funding July 6, 2013 The Washington State Legislature over the weekend passed and delivered to Gov. Jay Inslee for signature a State Capital Budget that includes $28.2 million for catastrophic flood relief in the Chehalis Basin. The Legislature’s award matches the full request made in November by the Chehalis Work Group, a policy-making body that acts as a liaison to Olympia. With the state funding, the Chehalis Work Group and the Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority will be able to continue their work, including long-term and short-term projects to mitigate damage and provide relief from flooding for communities throughout the basin. Rep. Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis, and Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia — Lewis County lawmakers who were instrumental in garnering support for flood relief at the state level — on Saturday applauded the Legislature’s decision.

Editorial Comment: Wild Game Fish Conservation International and our associates around planet earth continue to oppose further, irresponsible spending of tax payer funds associated with the proposed, multi-purpose dam on the Chehalis River:

• • • •

Unnecessary risk to human health Irresponsible spending of taxpayer dollars Adverse impact to federally-protected fish and wildlife species Adverse impact to relatively healthy populations of unique fish and wildlife species

WGFCI proposed alternatives:

• •

Moratorium on steep slope logging Moratorium on floodplain development

“Lewis County has been devastated by floods twice in the past decade,” Braun said in a release. “Today we took a meaningful step forward toward our goal of flood protection for the communities in the Chehalis River Valley.” “Too often in government we see partisan fighting instead of problem solving,” DeBolt said. “On this issue all 12 legislators whose districts the Chehalis River runs through came together with a unified voice to get this done.”

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! Centralia Flood Authority Representative Ron Averill said he was pleased but not surprised; a confident position he’s maintained over the last seven months. “We basically had assurances all along it was coming,” Averill said. “We’ve had a couple threats to lower the amount. I was a little bit concerned about that, and you never know until it’s finally done, so this is good.” Edna Fund, the Lewis County representative to the Flood Authority, said she was thrilled by the positive development. “I’m very excited,” she said. “It’s been an amazing ride.” Fund has been optimistic, she said, since hearing Chehalis Tribe Chairman David Burnett tell lawmakers that an effective dam and high quality fishing could exist in congruence — a watershed moment, according to Fund. The state’s allocation was a near perfect match to the Chehalis Work Group’s November request: $9.2 million for the study and design of a dam and other long-term projects to improve Interstate 5; $10.7 million for local flood protection projects; $4.4 million for projects that reduce flooding while benefitting fish; $1.75 million for reducing damage to residences and other structures in the floodplain; $1.2 million for operation of the basin program and for project management; and $950,000 for state agency technical assistance and project permitting. Former governor Chris Gregoire included full funding in her 2013-2015 Outgoing Capital Budget. Members of the Work Group include: Vickie Raines, the Flood Authority chairwoman; Karen Valenzuela, the vice chair of the Flood Authority; J. Vander Stoep, an alternate to the Flood Authority; David Burnett, the chair of the Chehalis Tribe; Jay Gordon, the head of the Washington Dairy Farmers Association; and Keith Phillips, an adviser to the governor.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

Natural Gas, Fracking

 Water Contamination from Fracking: Jessica Ernst Releases Groundbreaking Report June 20, 2013 Jessica Ernst, a high-profile, Alberta-based environmental consultant, has released a comprehensive summary of science, facts and documents relating to groundwater contamination from the controversial practice of natural gas hydraulic fracturing (fracking). The culmination of ten years of research, the 93-page report is sure to cause a stir with the energy sector and its critics. Groundwater contamination has been a key concern surrounding the booming fracking industry. “Jessica Ernst has made a strong case,” says Will Koop, BC Tapwater Alliance Coordinator. “Her collection provides excellent and technically friendly working tools, enabling the public to draw their own conclusions from the critical information. This is not just an invaluable document for North Americans, but for the world.” Having consulted for the oil and gas industry for thirty years, Ernst became concerned about its impacts when they began to hit home - "living with dangerous contamination after EnCana hydraulically fractured my community's drinking water aquifers." Ernst's battle with Encana prompted her to bring a landmark lawsuit against the company in Alberta last year. Ernst cites the industry's propensity for secrecy and covering up impacts from its operations as a key motivation for compiling this broad spectrum of evidence. In the preface to her report, she quotes renowned energy journalist Andrew Nikiforuk: "As somebody who has reported for 20 years on this industry in [Alberta], I can tell you I've met hundreds of people in this province who have signed confidentiality agreements once their water was blown, once their livestock was killed, once a member of their family were injured, once they lost most of their grass or their trees as a result of fouling events, contamination events, air pollution, you name it." With this compendium of scientific data, correspondence with regulators, internal government and industry communications, transcripts from news reports, and links to a wide array of journalistic and academic references on the subject, Ernst aims to bring these issues into the light. Ernst has gathered - in an unprecedented way - a large body of evidence which should raise serious questions for the public, regulators and policy makers about the environmental and human health impacts of fracking, particularly as we discuss a massive global expansion of the industry. Download the full report here

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Exxon joins LNG race in B.C. World’s largest energy company pitches plan to export 30 million tonnes of LNG annually June 20, 2013

ed. Hundreds of ships annually like these above and their support vessels will attempt to navigate the often treacherous and environmentally sensitive Douglas Channel if plans proceed to export Alberta bitumen and BC liquefied natural gas from Kitimat, BC to Asian markets. A disaster in the making.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! The world’s largest energy company is joining the race to export liquefied natural gas from B.C. with a monster proposal that would process the equivalent of nearly one-third of Canada’s current daily production. Exxon Mobil Corp. revealed its plans — which include a capacity to export up to 30 million tonnes of LNG a year — in an export application made this week to the National Energy Board. BG Group, whose LNG plans for B.C. have already been publicized, also made an NEB application this week to export up to 21.6 million tonnes of LNG annually. Premier Christy Clark welcomed the news of the two most recent LNG export applications. “Once again we see companies wanting to take advantage of B.C.’s LNG potential and this move today highlights industry’s continued interest in its potential,” she said Thursday in a statement. Clark touts LNG as a future saviour of B.C.’s economy, generating between $4.3 billion and $8.7 billion in government revenues a year once the industry is running full steam by about 2020. Exxon and its Canadian subsidiary, Imperial Oil, propose to develop their LNG project under a venture known as WCC LNG Ltd. The liquefaction component of the LNG terminal could require up to six processing units near Kitimat or Prince Rupert. Imperial Oil representative Pius Rolheiser said it’s too early to determine an approximate cost for the project. “We’re a fair ways away from an investment decision,” he said. “We’ll make that decision after we get government regulatory approvals and determine contracts and relationships with customers and suppliers and a variety of other factors. “ ... This (application) isn’t a commitment to build a facility but it is a necessary and important step.” “Obviously not all of these will get built,” added Brian Youngberg, an analyst who follows Exxon at Edward Jones & Co. in St. Louis. “Right now it’s a race to get buyer agreements and permits. With some of the others probably a bit further along in the process, Exxon is playing catch-up here.” Exxon has been expanding its LNG portfolio worldwide with investments from Qatar to Australia amid rising orders from Asian economies where domestic gas is non-existent or too scarce to meet demand. The company entered negotiations last month with InterOil Corp. to develop gas discoveries in Papua New Guinea that could be routed to a $19 billion LNG complex Exxon is building on the country’s coast. Exxon and Imperial Oil plan to supply the B.C. plant with gas from fields in Western Canada, according to the filing. Between them, Exxon and Imperial hold gas exploration rights to a large chunk of the Horn River Basin in B.C.’s far northeast, a play that was bolstered by their $3.1 billion purchase of Calgary’s Celtic Exploration Ltd. in late 2012, which gave them additional gas resources in the Montney region in B.C. and Duvernay formation in northwest Alberta.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! A dozen LNG export terminal projects are under consideration along the B.C. coast, with the province’s vast and largely untapped shale gas fields attracting interest from global operators including Apache, Chevron, Shell, PetroChina, British Gas, and Petronas. Three projects already have export permits from the National Energy Board, and four are under review by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency. A partnership between Malaysian energy giant Petronas and Canadian natural gas company Progress Energy proposes to build two liquefaction plants, each capable of producing up to 3.8 million tonnes of LNG a year. Bill Gwozd, senior vice-president for energy services with Ziff Energy Group, expects that 11 billion cubic feet of LNG per day will flow from Canada by 2025. That means four to six facilities should be built in B.C. to accommodate that level of production, Gwozd said. “Projects that have pushers (producers with supply) and pullers (buyers in Asia that need gas) are ideal,” he said. “The B.C. government is very nicely positioned here, as large portions of the gas supply will come from northeast B.C. The issue here is orderly development, and ensuring only necessary upstream infrastructure is built.” Michael Reike, editor of Platt’s LNG Daily, based in Houston, shares that caution. He said the challenge for B.C. producers won’t be finding a market, it will be starting up a new enterprise from scratch. Senior energy sector analyst Peter Tertzakian, the chief economist at ARC Financial Corp. in Calgary, said recently at an Enbridge event in Richmond that of B.C.’s 12 proposals, just four are “really serious at the moment.” Tertzakian listed the small-scale Douglas Channel Energy Partnership project near Kitimat, Kitimat LNG, LNG Canada (involving Shell Canada, Korea Gas Corp., Mitsubishi Corp. and PetroChina), and the Petronas-Japex Pacific Northwest LNG project. As of mid-2013, there was roughly 138 billion cubic meters per year of new LNG capacity under construction, the International Energy Agency said in a medium-term gas market report published Thursday. International trade in the liquid fuel is poised to jump 31 per cent by 2018 from 2012 as the new supplies come online, the IEA said. But the business is shifting quickly. “There are many uncertainties about medium-term trends on the global LNG market,” it said, including the direction of top importer Japan’s nuclear policies, China’s shale gas ambitions, significant cost overruns in Australia and the fate of U.S. export approvals. “Given these uncertainties, LNG buyers are changing their procurement strategy towards the introduction of new price mechanisms and away from the traditional oil price linkage, in addition to espousing stable supplies and reducing procurement costs,” the IEA said. The magnitude of Exxon’s proposal for Canada’s West Coast requires firm, long-term sales agreements, the company also said in its filing.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

Wind

 Washington Governor Inslee – “well-positioned to lead the nation…”

Governor Inslee: “Meeting with business leaders today at Palouse Wind Farm in Whitman County to congratulate their expansion of wind energy. Washington state is well-positioned to lead the nation in the production of clean, renewable energy providing jobs for local communities.”

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

Forest Management and Wild Game Fish

 Herrera Beutler seeks solutions for Skamania Co. timber woes National forest tightens belts, cuts less timber than it could, which crimps county July 2, 2013

STEVENSON -- A clear consensus emerged in the room: Federal forest management needs to change, and the communities tied to those lands need to see better results. For many, that means larger timber harvests. That's easier said than done. During a Tuesday roundtable discussion led by U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Camas, and U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell, a collection of leaders described the plight of rural areas hit hard by a sharp decline in timber sales over the past two decades. Few places have been hit harder than Skamania County, roughly 80 percent of which is covered by the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

Legacy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Year of the Wild Salmon! "It is amazing, the economic impact this community has felt," Herrera Beutler said during the gathering in Stevenson. Much of the conversation focused on the 1994 Northwest Forest Plan. Along with spotted owl habitat designation and other environmental rules, the plan transformed forest management and curtailed logging on federal lands, including the Gifford Pinchot forest. Large swaths of land became off-limits. In 1990, the 1.3-million-acre Gifford Pinchot forest generated about 689 million board-feet of timber sales. In 2012, it was down to 33 million board-feet. Skamania County commissioners have asked federal leaders, including Herrera Beutler, to help tip the balance in their favor, in part by requiring the forest service to harvest more of its timber, thereby generating more tax revenue for the county. Recent timber sales from the Gifford Pinchot forest are actually far below what's allowed under the Northwest Forest Plan. Tidwell said the forest service recognizes it needs to do more work on its lands. But he noted a hard reality: His agency's budget is stretched thin, and the forest service simply doesn't have the resources to carry out all of the work it wants to. And that problem is not unique to the Northwest, Tidwell said. In just the past decade, the forest service has steered an additional $500 million toward wildfire suppression, Tidwell said. Meanwhile, its overall budget has remained flat. As a result, other forest service programs have been reduced or cut, he said. Though not everyone in the room agreed, Tidwell said the Northwest Forest Plan is working, even if it's not working as well as many would like. Taking on a rewrite or revision of the plan would drain additional forest service resources, and likely result in a lengthy review or litigation, he said. But some leaders, already facing huge service cuts under the plan, indicated they don't feel like they have much left to lose. The plan hasn't delivered the results it promised, they said. "The Northwest Forest Plan was developed out of political necessity, not out of science," said Paul Pearce of the National Forest Counties and Schools Coalition. "It was very much a political document." "Honestly, I would set fire to it and start over," said Pearce, a former Skamania County commissioner. After the meeting, Herrera Beutler joined a group on a tour of the Gifford Pinchot forest for an upclose look at various forest practices. At the first stop, the group parked in a decades-old stand of trees. One side of the road had been thinned; the other hadn't. Herrera Beutler earlier raised the possibility of pursuing demonstration projects in the forest as a way to affirm new practices to improve forest health and economic productivity. Even if the Northwest Forest Plan remains unchanged, the congresswoman said, she'd like to see active management and harvests approach the levels allowed under the law and ease the hardship of the people who depend on them. "It's not just a policy decision," Herrera Beutler said. "It's a humanitarian decision. It's a social justice decision."

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 100-plus businesses, CEOs support Wild Olympics campaign July 13, 2013 QUILCENE — More than 100 Olympic Peninsula and South Puget Sound CEOs and local businesses have announced support for the Wild Olympics Campaign, according to a statement released last week. The statement was released by Roy Nott — president and CEO of Paneltech, based in Aberdeen — and Connie Gallant of Quilcene, chairwoman of the Wild Olympic Campaign. Nott and Gallant said that nine CEOs and nearly 100 new business endorsers from the Olympic Peninsula and South Puget Sound Region have urged permanent protection of Olympic National Forest's backcountry and waterways in letters to congressional members. A letter to Sen. Patty Murray, D-Bothell, and Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, who represents the 6th Congressional District — which includes the North Olympic Peninsula — asks that lawmakers quickly reintroduce The Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, Nott and Gallant said. Murray and retired Congressman Norm Dicks introduced the Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act on June 21, 2012. Awaits reintroduction The proposed acts await reintroduction in this Congress. “The legislation would protect the first new wilderness on Olympic National Forest in nearly 30 years and mark the first-ever Wild and Scenic River designations on the Peninsula,” Nott and Gallant said. In the letter, they said, the CEOs describe the area's world-class outdoor recreation, clean water and the area's high quality of living as giving “us a competitive edge over other regions in attracting and retaining the talented people our companies require,” and that protection of wilderness and rivers would also protect “the 500-plus local jobs that depend on our ability to compete for talent against other regions” and “enhance our recruitment efforts to grow our businesses in the future.” The two said that among those signing the letter were the heads of HOPE Roofing & Construction of Port Townsend; The Holiday Inn Express and Conference Center of Sequim; Pasha Shipping of Aberdeen; Paladin Data Systems and Grounds for Change of Poulsbo; Rice Fergus Miller Inc. of Bremerton; SAGE Fly Rods and Green Mountain Technologies of Bainbridge Island; and Taylor Shellfish of Shelton.

READ ENTIRE PENINSULA DAILY NEWS ARTICLE HERE

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

Government action/inaction and wild game fish

 I Don’t Pay Attention to Politics…

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Keystone XL Environmental Consultant ‘Lied’ About TransCanada Ties WASHINGTON, DC, July 11, 2013 (ENS) – The latest environmental assessment of the controversial TransCanada Keystone XL tar sands pipeline is flawed because the contractor hired by the U.S. State Department to write the review “lied” on its conflict of interest disclosure form about its past work for TransCanada, finds research released Wednesday by two environmental groups. The international consultancy Environmental Resources Management was hired by the U.S. State Department in 2012 to write a supplemental assessment of the environmental impact of TransCanada’s proposed Keystone XL pipeline. In their research report, Friends of the Earth and the Checks & Balances Project cite the publiclyavailable conflict of interest disclosure form signed by ERM Senior Associate Partner Steve Koster, PE, which states, “ERM has no business relationship with TransCanada or its affiliates, and in the attached is certifying that no conflict of interest exists for working on this Project.”

Keystone pipeline construction in Yankton, South Dakota

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! But Friends of the Earth’s review of Environmental Resources Management’s business connections found that, in fact, ERM and TransCanada have worked together at least since 2011 on another pipeline – the Alaska Pipeline Project, a partnership between ExxonMobil and TransCanada designed to connect Alaska’s North Slope natural gas resources to new markets. “ERM lied again when it said it had no relationship with any business that would be affected by construction of the Keystone XL, which would carry tar sands oil from northern Alberta to refineries on the Gulf Coast,” Friends of the Earth states in the research report. “In fact, ERM’s own publicly available documents show that the firm has business with over a dozen companies with operating stakes in the Alberta tar sands.” Environmental Resources Management, Inc., based in London, UK with 140 offices in 39 countries and territories, was contracted to write the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, SEIS, for TransCanada’s proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. The new 875-mile pipeline would allow delivery of up to 830,000 barrels per day of diluted crude oil from the tar sands of Alberta and the Bakken Shale Formation in Montana and North Dakota to Nebraska for onward delivery to Gulf Coast refineries. TransCanada has applied for a Presidential Permit which, if granted, would authorize the proposed pipeline to cross the Canada-U.S. border. The SEIS was required because the State Department’s Final Environmental Impact Statement, FEIS, written by contract consultant Cardno Enterix and issued in August 2011, did not cover a change to the route through Nebraska to avoid the environmentally sensitive Sand Hills region over the Oglalla Aquifer. In February 2012, this FEIS was criticized for conflict of interest in a report by the State Department’s own Inspector General. “From the beginning, the State Department’s review of Keystone has been plagued by influence peddling and conflicts of interest,” said Ross Hammond, senior campaigner for Friends of the Earth. “This is more serious. If ERM lied about its relationship with TransCanada, how can Secretary Kerry, President Obama or the American people believe anything the company says about the pipeline’s environmental impact?” said Hammond. Hammond said ERM’s lies call into question the entire Keystone XL environmental review process. Friends of the Earth and The Checks & Balances Project have called for an investigation by the State Department’s Inspector General into how ERM was hired given these conflicts of interest. In the wake of the new evidence that ERM lied on State Department disclosure forms, the groups are asking Secretary of State John Kerry to throw out the ERM study and not allow it to determine the Obama Administration’s decision on whether to issue a pipeline permit. In papers filed with the State Department in June 2012, ERM certified that it had “no existing contract or working relationship with TransCanada” for at least three years. But public records show that TransCanada, ERM and an ERM subsidiary, Oasis Environmental, have worked together at least since 2011 on the Alaska pipeline project.

READ ENTIRE ENS-NEWSWIRE ARTICLE HERE

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Norwegian

Salmon May Be Banned From Its Biggest Market, Russia, Over Concerns About Larvae And Parasites In The Fish

The Norwegian salmon industry risks a ban in Russia after authorities there said the fish contains high levels of parasites. The Barents Observer reported Monday that Russian trade officials threaten the boycott of Norwegian salmon if tighter restrictions aren't implemented by Norway’s fish industry. Russian inspectors this week surveyed several Norwegian fish farms and claimed they found bacteria in some parts of the Norwegian-farmed salmon. In April, the Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance conducted laboratory tests on the imported Norwegian fish and said that they contained living roundworm larvae. In response to the Russian claims, the Norwegian Food and Safety Authority expressed surprise at the charges. “Norway exports salmon to 120 different markets, and it is only the Russian market which presents this kind of characteristics of the Norwegian fish,” the Norwegian authorities said. Russia is Norway’s biggest seafood export market and the threat of a boycott isn't new. In 2005-2006, Russia implemented a full import ban on Norwegian frozen fish.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Canadian Food Inspection Agency strips Dr. Kibenge’s lab on Prince Edward Island of its ISA reporting authority.

Editorial Comment: As predicted during the December 2011 Cohen Commission hearings in British Columbia, the Canadian government stripped Dr. Kibenge’s lab of its authority to report his recent positive test results for Infectious Salmon Anemia detected in British Columbia feedlot salmon and wild in Pacific salmon. This irresponsible action by Canada’s elected officials puts all of North America’s wild salmon, their ecosystems, cultures, communities and economies in harm’s way. Unfortunately, unless the public demands otherwise, these sub-par, diseased, chemically-treated feedlot salmon will be exported to unknowing consumers around the planet. To learn more about this import health and environmental issue, we at Wild Game Fish Conservation International urge you and your family to watch the 70-minute documentary, “Salmon Confidential”.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 The

CFIA's PR War On Salmon: Internationally Renowned Canadian OIE Research Lab Loses The Battle They Shouldn't Have to Fight July 7, 2013

"Nobody knows what happens when you introduce a virus into a population that hasn't been exposed to it before. It might be totally benign or it might have a devastating impact like smallpox on the Aboriginal populations in North America." Early detection of a lethal virus in salmon won’t win you any gratitude in Canada, but it could get you internationally discredited. That’s what happened Dr. Frederick Kibenge and associates at his lab at the Atlantic Veterinary College of Prince Edward Island when he positively identified the presence of the Infectious Salmon Anemia Virus (ISAv) in samples taken from B.C. fish.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

Dr. Kibenge, internationally renowned expert on the ISA, runs one of only two independent research labs recognized by World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). His lab is responsible for diagnosing Chile’s fish farms with the ISA in 2007. The virus was tracked back to eggs originating in Norway. When he detected the ISA virus in B.C. salmon, he found that he was up against more than just a lethal epidemic—he had to fear for his scientific credibility. Because of his findings, “Dr. Kibenge was subpoenaed to testify at the Cohen Commission. In December 2011, he told he Commission about the positive test results for ISA virus sequences he obtained from Rivers Inlet Fraser River Salmon.” The CFIA claimed that because his lab could not recreate the original results, his international certification ought to be revoked. Simon Fraser University's Dr. Rick Rouledge, Professor and Fisheries Statistician started the ball rolling in 2011 when he noticed that the River's Inlet Sockeye populations were very low. He suspected something like a virus and sent some samples in for testing. The tests came back positive for the ISA virus. In order to be absolutely certain, he and his colleague, biologist Alexandra Morton, sent the samples away to the two most credible research labs in the world for ISA virus testing—Dr. Kibenge's lab in PEI and Dr. Are Nylund's lab in Norway. Once the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), a governing body responsible for public food safety, got wind of the announcement that the lab found ISA in B.C. fish, they rushed to the scene to conduct their own tests. The tests the CFIA ran found no trace of the virus. However, according to Morton, the tests they used “[have] never worked to identify ISA.” In her documentary, Salmon Confidential, she maintains that the technique “virus isolation” is only useful if the virus is found alive and is cultured. Samples would have to be from an active disease outbreak “on a farm where the fresh sample of a farmed salmon could be rushed to a lab very quickly.” Of all of the labs that conducted tests on the fish samples, the government tests were the only ones to come back entirely negative. Because the virus that Dr. Kibenge identified is a precursor to the full-fledged outbreak of ISA, his results are not evidence of the virus in the eyes of the CFIA. His lab found pieces of the virus in the Fraser River samples, which indicates that the fish are carriers for the virus. Unless an outbreak is identified through virus isolation, “Canada does not even see these samples as suspect,” Morton said in a recent blog post. The CFIA decided to audit the lab after the findings were made public at an SFU press conference in October 2011. The lab was audited again in August by a government appointed independent panel and the OIE. The Globe and Mail reported that CFIA requested that the OIE “place the reference laboratory status at the Atlantic Veterinary College in abeyance.” Dr. Kibenge stands by his research, however, and feels that he is being penalized for producing inconvenient results. “What they are doing here is essentially punishing me for having testified at the Cohen Commission and trying to suppress the findings that we’ve been finding. It’s an attack on my credibility,” he said. “There is nothing here that I can see that I’ve done wrong.”

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! This early detection could prevent a major ecological disaster, but it won’t protect the salmon feedlot industry from trade disruption. British Columbia is known for salmon. The Fisheries Statistics for 2008 estimate that salmon had a total farmgate value of about $428 million per year. It's well known that international trade of this product would be shut down by documentation of ISA in farmed and wild BC salmon. The US and China are massive markets for B.C. Salmon and these countries explicitly reject the importation of diseased animals. It's clear that industry is the main consideration. The CFIA's, Kim Klotins' Cohen Commission testimony sheds light on the agency's primary concerns and what they think their "role" is. “So if, lets say, we do find ISA in B.C.," she said. "And all of a sudden markets are closed, our role is to try to renegotiate market access to those countries. If we can’t meet [their requirements] then there will be no trade basically.” During the Cohen Commission, an internal email revealing the PR intentions of the CFIA was leaked. The email clearly states that once Kibenge’s lab lost its OIE credibility the agents responsible were self-congratulatory. The email reads: “One battle is won, now we have to nail the surveillance piece and we win the war, also.”

Dr. Kibenge and Alexandra Morton didn’t know that they had taken up the pursuit of a war, but it appears they aren't the only opposition in a war that had been waged against science. “Three Canadian government labs: Ms. Nelle Gagne, DFO’s lab at Moncton, N.B.; Dr. Kyle Garver and Dr. Kristi Miller, DFO lab in Nanaimo; and Dr. Are Nylund at the University of Bergen in Norway have also reported finding ISA virus sequences in B.C. salmon during the Cohen Commission.” These scientists’ findings were also disregarded. An outbreak of ISA in B.C. could hurt more than just our pocketbooks. Unlike Chile, which suffered a primary financial crisis due to the ISA virus, salmon is a large part of the local ecological food chain in B.C. A threat to the viability of the fish puts many other species at risk. Dr. Routledge, for one, is fearful of what this virus will do to the unique local ecology.

Legacy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Year of the Wild Salmon!

ď ś Scientists concerned over chill in reporting of salmon virus after lab delisted July 7, 2013 Scientists fear there could be a reluctance to report a deadly fish virus after the first lab in Canada to say it was detected in British Columbia salmon was stripped of a special reference status by an international agency. Marine researchers say they were stunned to hear that the World Organization for Animal Health, or OIE, recently suspended the reference status from a research laboratory at the Atlantic Veterinary College in Prince Edward Island. Run by Fred Kibenge, who is considered one of the world's leading authorities on infectious salmon anemia, it was one of only two labs in the world recognized by the group for the testing of the virus. Kibenge's work came under scrutiny in 2011 after he said he found evidence of the virulent disease in wild B.C. sockeye salmon, challenging the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's position that the virus is not present in the province. His findings led the inspection agency to conduct an audit and send their findings to the OIE, which did its own audit and announced last month that it was delisting Kibenge's lab in a move that some say could discourage reporting of infectious salmon anemia. "This is creating a very chilly environment for people to investigate the presence of this virus in the Pacific Ocean," said Rick Routledge, a professor at Simon Fraser University who gave Kibenge the salmon samples that tested positive. "It's a very distressing situation." Routledge, who has studied juvenile sockeye salmon migrations for 10 years in B.C., said he wanted to understand why the population was declining and used Kibenge's lab to examine possible causes. The findings caused the Cohen Commission, a federal inquiry looking into the decline of sockeye salmon in B.C., to extend its hearings so Kibenge and others could testify about the possible presence of the virus. Other labs said they recorded positive test results, but some were later deemed to be false positives.

Legacy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Year of the Wild Salmon! The influenza-type virus devastated farmed salmon stocks in Chile in 2007 and has been found in salmon aquaculture operations in Atlantic Canada, leading to culls and quarantines. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says it can kill up to 90 per cent of infected salmon, but does not pose a risk to human health. Critics have said the federal agency went after Kibenge's lab to suppress the findings and protect B.C.'s lucrative salmon export market, which could be hit with trade restrictions if the virus is detected. A spokeswoman with the CFIA declined an interview request but said in an email that it was obligated to confirm the test results at another lab, which did not corroborate Kibenge's results and led to the two audits. "The evaluation ... identified concerns, which may have led to the questionable ISA test results," said Elena Koutsavakis, without elaborating on the concerns. "The OIE audit, performed by an international panel of scientific experts, found a series of weaknesses affecting the quality of diagnoses performed at the Atlantic Veterinary College laboratory." An official with the college said Kibenge did not want to comment, but the school's dean said he didn't see the CFIA's actions as punitive and that he would comply with it. Don Reynolds said he thought Kibenge ran his lab appropriately and will continue to test for the virus. But, he concedes that it's not clear how the loss of status will affect the school. "Our reputation is not just based on one situation, so I think time will tell," he said. "We'll just let that play out." Bernard Vallat, director general at the OIE in Paris, dismissed claims that the organization was pressured by Canadian officials to find fault with Kibenge's work and strip the lab of the status. Vallat said it was delisted because of "inadequate features" regarding methodology that he would not elaborate on because they have not been made public. "I understand there is a lot of controversy, but our experts are independent, they are trusted by all our members and they did their job," he said. "So from my point of view, we did not use politics to do that." Alexandra Morton, a fish researcher and activist in B.C., has no doubt the virus is in the province but says the CFIA is not doing proper testing to detect it. She says other labs have found evidence of the virus in farmed fish, which are penned in areas along the migration route of wild salmon â&#x20AC;&#x201D; raising concerns that it could spread among the wild fish. "The experiment is underway in British Columbia and we'll just see what happens next," she said. "Either the industry recognizes they have it and get those infected fish out or we just play Russian roulette like we are now and eventually it will go virulent."

Legacy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Year of the Wild Salmon!

ď ś Norwegian fisheries prevents objective research (via Google translate) Norwegian research in fisheries is bought and paid for by the fishing industry. May 31, 2006 It may undoubtedly encounter a dilemma for both the researcher and the research institution if an employer pays an institute to study the question, and the results speak to the client's disadvantage. If the results are not as expected, the contractor may, depending on the agreement made in advance, refuse publication of these. The one principal, however, cannot, is to control the methodology and work. This is the theoretical side of it. But as more and more research on fish financed by the industry, the industry has full control of the results release. The industry manages research Erik Slinde, PhD and senior researcher at the Institute of Marine Research, argued in Aftenposten in January this year that the research institutes are forced to conduct research in the areas that the political environment and for academic desires. They are not necessarily the research. New ideas and thoughts are difficult to finance. The problem with contract research is that the client wants a certain result that speaks to the industry's advantage. If the results are not, however, speak to the industry's advantage, it is obviously not in the industry's interest that this be known.

Erik Slinde

Norway's right, everyone else has errors Before Christmas last year Russia stopped imports of Norwegian salmon. The reason was that they had found high levels of heavy metal cadmium. Both industry and government were quick on the scene and dismissed the charges. In the first week the American scientists that one should not eat Norwegian farmed salmon more than three times a year, because it has a high content of PCBs and dioxins. The report was published in the "Journal of Nutrition".

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

It is astonishing how quickly both communities and the government rejected these accusations. National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES) was high on the pitch and dismissed all claims. Since the industry fear that it can be hold in the claims that Norwegian salmon contains high levels of cadmium, PCBs and dioxins, no one will fund this research. Instead dismissed all allegations as nonsense. Ridicule of research In an interview on 17 January says senior researcher Claudette Bethune that Norwegian food authorities advise people to salmon intake that causes them more dioxins than the WHO recommends. The researcher believes that it is probable that the alleged kadmiumforgiftede Norwegian farmed salmon found in Russia may have originated in contaminated fish feed in Norway. Subsequent says Øyvind Lie, director of NIFES, the following:

Claudette Bethune

"NIFES strongly opposes the content of Claudette Bethunes rumblings in the media, in which she speaks of matters she is not an expert or have responsibility. The researcher does not represent NIFES 'scientific view of the matter. Claudette Bethunes initiatives is why her private opinion. " The academic debate in the wake of these allegations were conspicuously absent. Instead Bethune in March pressured to quit. The relationship with her statements that the Russians might be right, could not have been clearer. We are talking about the same lady who in August 2003 was brought to NIFES because she is an expert on risk assessment of seafood. Even in retrospect, it encountered some debate on Norwegian salmon can actually be thought to contain toxins. The industry's own view has been standing as the official, is not only highly regrettable, but also alarming. Financial interests behind We all remember the case where a prominent researcher and physician at the cancer ward at the Norwegian Radium Hospital in January was taken to have fabricated research data. But it is hard to see that the suppression NIFES, Øyvind Lie and the rest of Fisheries Norway doing, not adjacent to the manipulation of research data. It is clear industrial policy and economic interests that are the cause of this. Exports of Norwegian seafood was of 31.7 billion in 2005. Exports of salmon and trout have never been higher and amounted to NOK 14.8 billion in 2005, 2.3 billion over 2004. If Norway were granted in the Russian and American scientists concluded it would have had enormous economic consequences, not only for the fishing industry, but for Norway as a whole.

Legacy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Year of the Wild Salmon! We obviously cannot rely on research when there are strong commercial interests involved. Critical scholars are muzzled The aforementioned researcher Erik Slinde, formerly criticized hygiene of Norwegian fishermen. He felt like Claudette Bethune that the employer repudiated his statements. Controversial researchers need protection from sanctions and invisibility in academia. - Ireland has found a brilliant solution, said Professor Johan Giertsen at the University of Bergen Research Forum # 4 2006. According to legal experts is Ireland Universities Act 1997 a possible model for the Norwegian legislators. Text of the Act provides protection against formal and informal sanctions from the university if you use their academic freedom to challenge established truths or express controversial opinions. - With such a law can include intervene against employers' put on the sidelines-actions "against researchers, so that one can speak and write freely, says Johan Giertsen UiB to Forskerforum. Called fish scientists fifth column Svein Berg Export Council (NSEC) calls scientists who speak negatively about Norwegian salmon of "fifth column". The words from the boss in NSEC fell in front of a full house under the Fishery and Aquaculture Industry Association's annual meeting. In the post about the reputation of Norwegian salmon that has had to endure many a punch in the winter, he said that some researchers aggravates the situation by "acting as fifth columnistsâ&#x20AC;?.

Svein Berg

He confirmed that he also thinking of Claudette Bethune in National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES) and her statements in several newspapers, including that the Russians might be right in their accusations of high levels of cadmium in Norwegian salmon. It Svein Berg really mean is that truth is secondary. Most importantly Norwegian salmon their reputation and thus sales. His task is to ensure that Norwegian salmon sells best. For as they say themselves: "Emergency preparedness and crisis communication is a priority at EFF - to ensure the positive reputation of the industry and the Norwegian Seafood is very important."

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! Concealment and sacrifice The discussion about toxins in salmon has been remarkably absent. One would think that it would be interesting to examine the Russian and U.S. allegations further, but instead rejected categorically. This rejection is seldom founded on evidence but due undoubtedly economic policy and economic interests. The problem is threefold: 

industry controls research

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obtain funds for independent research

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researchers are forced into silence

And neither EFF, Svein Berg, Øyvind Lie or sit on NIFES truth. Yes, even the fishing industry. The truth is the only free research as you can recall. Claudette Bethune was simply sacrificed because Norway cannot afford the truth.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Deadly Fish Virus No Threat to Pacific Salmon Summer 2013 Recent tests of salmon from Washington’s waters show no signs of a fish virus that can be deadly to farm raised Atlantic salmon. Infectious Salmon Anemia Virus (ISAV) was not detected in tissue samples taken from more than 900 wild and hatchery-produced Pacific chinook, coho, sockeye, chum and steelhead, as well as farm-raised Atlantic salmon. ISAV is not harmful to people. Specific strains of the virus have caused a deadly disease in farm raised Atlantic salmon. Outbreaks with significant losses have occurred in farmed Atlantic salmon in Maine, Eastern Canada, Chile and several European countries. ISAV has not been documented in farmed, wild or hatchery salmon in Washington. John Kerwin, fish health program manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), said concerns about the possibility of the virus occurring in Washington’s salmon prompted the recent tests, which are part of a two-year monitoring program specifically designed to detect ISAV. “Our traditional testing protocols would have detected most – but not all – of the disease-causing strains of ISAV virus,” Kerwin said. “So we expanded our program to better detect whether any strain is present in a variety of fish species in Washington. The good news is all the samples came back negative for the virus.” Elsewhere on the west coast, there have been no confirmed reports of ISAV in wild, hatchery or farmed salmon. In 2011, a Canadian researcher reported detecting the virus in some British Columbia Pacific salmon. However, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the federal agency with authority for fish health in Canada, tested fish tissue samples and found no ISAV present. Bruce Stewart, fish health program manager for the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, said the sampling and monitoring program is a great example of tribal, state and federal managers working together to address concerns about the health of salmon and steelhead stocks in Washington. “While this first year’s results are encouraging, we hope to increase our level of confidence that the virus is not present in Washington by continuing our efforts and including testing of pink salmon,” Stewart said, noting that most pink salmon return to Washington’s waters only in odd-numbered years. Andy Goodwin, fish health program manager for Region 1 of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said the ISAV surveillance program is an important addition to an already comprehensive fish health monitoring effort by the agencies. “Protecting the health of Pacific salmon populations is a high priority for us,” Goodwin said. “This ISAV surveillance collaboration has really complemented the regular testing that we do on many thousands of fish every year.” The tissue samples taken for the ISAV monitoring program were analyzed at the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Pullman and at a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service laboratory in Idaho. More information on the species and stock of salmon sampled is available on WDFW’s website at go.nwifc.org/isavwdfw. – T. Meyer

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Budget funds pre-design work for proposed state office building Old facility would be demolished to make way for new State Patrol home July 2, 2013 Editorial Comment: We have removed much of this article as several sections do not pertain to wild game fish conservation. The entire article is available by clicking on the article title above. Gov. Jay Inslee signed the budget bill with millions of dollars for projects throughout the South Sound on Monday, the first day of the new budget cycle. 

The biggest single outlay in the capital budget is $97 million for the purchase of more than 50,000 acres of habitat in the upper Teanaway River, located just north of Cle Elum in Central Washington. That is the major chunk of the roughly $135 million Honeyford said is in the budget for the ongoing Yakima River basin water project.

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The budget also has about $30 million for a new clean-technology lab at Washington State University and, of importance to South Sound, about $28.2 million for flood-control efforts along the Chehalis River. House Capital Budget chair Hans Dunshee, D-Snohomish, said the floodcontrol money is for projects, including a weir on the river’s headwaters, and some home buyouts. Rep. Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis, and Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, said the funding comes out of a recommendation by a governor’s work group that represented the Thurston, Lewis and Grays Harbor counties, and Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis. It had endorsement of all members of the Chehalis Basin Flood Authority.

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$7.3 million for a Deschutes watershed center at Pioneer Park in Tumwater, which is the first step toward building a hatchery above the falls that have barred passage for natural fish runs.

Editorial Comment: For more than three years WGFCI, other conservation minded organizations and individuals have opposed efforts associated with building a $1 billion, multi-purpose dam in the headwaters of the uniquely-productive Chehalis River. We fully expect that this project will never be constructed, yet tens of millions of tax payer dollars are spent every year studying its feasibility, costs and benefits. Unfortunately, the inept Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority will be funded two more years.

This one year, ad hoc committee is now funded for its 6th and 7th years.

Editorial comment: This community-driven project will benefit the local ecosystem while providing educational opportunities throughout the region.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 BC Salmon Farmers Sign Transfer Agreement for Genome BC Study July 16, 2013 The BC Salmon Farmers Association has reached a materials transfer agreement with DFO for a new study, co-funded by Genome BC, focusing on virus and pathogen detection in BC fish. As part of phase 2 of this project, samples are being collected from our farms as part of a broader sampling program of farmed fish, wild salmon and hatchery salmon to determine what diseases, viruses and pathogens are present and in what locations on the BC Coast. BC salmon farmers are voluntarily providing these samples of healthy fish to supplement the mortality and audit samples already provided to DFO through ongoing fish health management. “Due to the rigorous testing at our farm sites, we know our fish are healthy,” said Mary Ellen Walling, Executive Director of the BC Salmon Farmers Association. “But there’s still a lot we don’t know about what is present naturally in BC waters. It would not be surprising if new strains or variations of existing pathogens were detected. When you look for things that you’ve never looked for before, it’s not unexpected that you will find something new.” This long-term study will use high level science and the research leads will be in charge of evaluating and reporting out on the findings. As well, a team of fish health specialists and veterinarians will participate in the project. “When dealing with this kind of science, it is important to allow the scientists to do their work,” said Walling. “They are the experts. It’s possible that someone without that experience and expertise would misinterpret the data and come to incorrect conclusions.” Phase 2 is expected to be completed in April 2015. Phase 3 will focus on learning more about the microbes that may be of significance to salmon with the goal of providing a better understanding of disease processes in wild fish. Phase 4 will include reporting of research outcomes. The culmination of the project is expected in 2017.

Don Staniford: “Aha - the cunning plan is to take so long as to be complete when all BC's wild salmon are infected: "The culmination of the project is expected in 2017"”

For more information on the study: http://www.genomebc.ca/portfolio/projects/fisheries-projects/salmon-health-initiative/ The BCSFA represents salmon farm companies and those who supply services and supplies to the industry. Salmon-farming provides for 6,000 direct and indirect jobs while contributing $800-million to the provincial economy each year. For more information visit www.salmonfarmers.org

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Govt to allocate 45 'green' aquaculture licenses

100 % P u re NORWAY Bovine July 2, 2013 Excrement Norwegian Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs Lisbeth Berg-Hansen has announced the government’s decision to allocate 45 new "technology oriented" licenses for salmon!and trout farming in 2013. They are meant to help develop new technologies and refine traditional production methods. At a ministers' meeting, Berg-Hansen stated she recently sent a White Paper to the Norwegian Parliament with goals for the future development of the seafood industry in Norway. Norway is currently one of the world’s biggest exporters of seafood and has become the number one seafood nation, the country must ensure that the harvest of the sea and aquaculture is adapted to the marine environment, Berg-Hansen explained. “It is therefore my opinion that we should enable growth and competitiveness, within environmentally sustainable frameworks,” the minister stated. In 2009, the government launched a Strategy for an Environmentally Sustainable Norwegian Aquaculture Industry focusing on five areas where aquaculture may be harmful to the environment: genetic interaction and escapees, pollution and effluents, diseases including sea lice, the use of coastal areas and feed and feed resources. The Strategy offers an overview of crucial environmental issues and sets goals to be achieved in each of the areas, while describing which measures should be taken to combat each issue. Under this framework and so as to further fortify aquaculture development, the government has decided to allocate 45 new technology oriented licenses for salmon and trout through the implementation of technologies that may reduce the environmental impact from escapees and sea lice. However, Berg-Hansen pointed out, the government will not make requirements for a specific technology as long as it limits the environmental impact on wild salmon. “It is our intention that this will contribute to commercialising new and more sustainable technology,” she added. To reinforce the Strategy even further, the government has begun developing and implementing indicators that can measure the effect of escapees and sea lice on wild stocks. These indicators will help more precisely manage the aquaculture industry, and ensure its sustainability, the minister stated. Moreover, the Norwegian Parliament recently made changes in the Environmental Chapter in the Aquaculture Act. “There will be a shared industry responsibility for expenses by removing escaped fish, and we are also providing a legal basis for requiring the use of sterile fish and individual tagging of farmed fish. There will also be stricter fees for violation of the law and regulations,” Berg-Hansen noted.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Fish farm rejected by Nova Scotia government, risk to wild salmon cited March 13, 2013 The Nova Scotia government is turning its back on rural communities and throwing away dozens of jobs by rejecting an application for a fish farm in Shoal Bay, aquaculture company Snow Island Salmon said Wednesday. Shane Borthwick, vice-president of operations, said it was a “terrible day” for the company, adding that the decision has jeopardized the firm’s future. “We’ve brought money and talent to this province, provided a strong, sustainable sea farming model, and are now facing the most serious threat to the viability of our business at the hands of the government that invited us here in the first place,” he said in a statement. The province’s Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Sterling Belliveau, said Fisheries and Oceans Canada expressed concern about the salmon farm’s impact on wild salmon in the bay near Sheet Harbour during the 22-month review process. The federal department said the site would represent a moderate risk to wild salmon. The province said it is the first time Fisheries and Oceans has described a proposed fish farm as representing a moderate risk to wild salmon. Belliveau said the province’s decision is not a sign that the government is changing its support for fish farms, which was part of its aquaculture strategy released last year. He said the government believes the aquaculture industry can help rural Nova Scotia’s economy. “We are growing aquaculture into an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable industry, creating year-round jobs and increased wealth in rural Nova Scotia,” he said in a statement. Snow Island criticized the government’s handling of the application, saying the decision was unexpected and did not appear to be based on science. President Alan Balfour said the firm’s Scottish parent company, Loch Duart, would have to assess whether to maintain operations in the province. There has been opposition to fish farms around Nova Scotia, including proposals by Snow Island Salmon to develop farms in Spry Harbour, Shoal Bay and Beaver Harbour on the province’s Eastern Shore. Several groups have asked for a moratorium until a full environmental assessment can be done on open-pen farming to determine its impact on wild salmon, the lobster fishery and residents.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Norway’s fishermen concerned about fish health, not new quotas June 18, 2013 Feed pellets from salmon farms a concern The president of Norges Kystfiskarlag, the Coastal Fishermen’s Association, is more concerned with the effects of salmon farming on wild fish populations than he is with the new quota recommendations. Arne Pedersen is not too concerned about the new quota recommendations for cod and haddock. It isn’t the quantity of fish that worries him: it’s their health. “This is not natural, this is poison,” Pedersen said, sawing open a frozen haddock to expose the contents of its stomach. The stomach is filled with a brown, fibrous substance that resembles feed pellets, such as those used in the salmon farms near where Pedersen said he caught the fish. He produces another frozen haddock, saws it open as well, and the contents of the stomach are the same. As president of Norges Kystfiskarlag, the Norwegian Coastal Fishermen’s Association, Pedersen represents more than 1,000 fishermen along the coast of Norway from his home in Vestre Jakobselv, in eastern Finnmark. Part and parcel to protecting the livelihoods of coastal fishermen, he said, is to protect the health of the fisheries they rely on. But Pedersen said that he has had no response from authorities when he has brought his complaints to bear. He suspects it has to do with the enormous economic influence of the salmon farming industry in Norway: salmon farming comprises 80 percent of the Norwegian aquaculture industry. More than 95 percent of Norway’s aquaculture production is exported, destined for more than 130 countries. “There’s big money in salmon farms, and they do not speak about this conflict with the coastal fishermen in the areas where they farm,” Pedersen said. “They have a big troop of lobbyists, national and international.” The controversy surrounding the effects of salmon farming on the environment is not a new one. A vast amount of research has been conducted on the issue, which in recent years has reached a national scale in countries such as Chile, Canada, and the United States.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! In Norway and elsewhere, cited impacts include a decrease in wild salmon populations due to the influence of escaped farmed salmon, and the spread of deadly sea lice (“lakselus”, in Norwegian) and diseases throughout local wild fish populations. Further down the coast, researchers from the Norwegian Institute of Nature Studies and the Institute for Marine Research found in a 2010 study that wild fish near salmon farms had high concentrations of organohalogenated contaminants (OCs) in their systems – chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) so toxic that their production was banned by the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants; and polybrominated diphenyl ethers, a type of flame retardant known as PBDEs. A total of 45 percent of the fish nearby salmon farms were found to have feed pellets in their stomachs. The pellets fall through the salmon farm pens and accumulate on the sea floor, and are then consumed by wild fish in the vicinity. The control fish in the study were found to have no salmon pellets in their system, and up to 50 percent less OCs and PBDEs than the fish nearby salmon farms.

Editorial Comment: • Salmon feedlot industry representatives continually tell us that they closely monitor their feed in order to minimize waste • The chemicals in the feed are passed on to humans and to other species that consume them

Although salmon farming companies and feed pellet producers tend not to disclose the precise contents of salmon feed pellets, scientists and advocates report that most pellets in the global salmon farming industry contain chemicals such as those indicated in the study, among others. Pedersen is unaware of any studies that have been conducted within the fjords of Vestre Jakobselv and the surrounding area, but he is eager to see definitive research on what the effects of the chemicals from salmon feed pellets might be on the wild fish. He said that he has strong suspicions that for wild fish nearby the salmon pens, the chemicals are disrupting their reproduction cycles. Indeed, the 2010 study recommends further research into this very issue. But Pedersen is not hopeful this will happen any time soon in his region. “At this moment, the fishermen catching wild fish, we are on the defensive,” he said. “But in the long term, we have to stay focused on this issue.” What the Black-Legged Kittiwake can teach us about mercury A study showing that high levels of mercury might prevent a Svalbard bird from breeding could have rippling implications for other large mammals, including humans, that live in the mercury-rich Arctic. Spilled oil covers tundra rivers Environmentalists say that a state of emergency must be declared after at least 500 tons of oil spilled into local rivers from an oil facility in the Komi Republic. In Barents Cooperation, a question about environment The new Kirkenes Declaration has environment as a top priority. Still, environmental NGOs fear for green cooperation in the Barents Region.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 DFO approve salmon farm expansion before responding to Cohen Report Send an e-mail to Prime Minister Harper to act on Justice Cohen's recommendations. Summer 2013 “DFO should seek to approve the best sites to avoid negative impacts on wild stocks, such as Fraser River sockeye, rather than the best sites to produce farmed salmon.” ~ Justice Bruce Cohen

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! It appears that DFO is pressing forward with salmon farm expansion while dawdling over its response to the Cohen Report and its responsibility to protect wild salmon. Out migrating salmon must pass through a gauntlet of open net-cage salmon farms spread across Queen Charlotte Strait that transmit disease and parasites to the wild juveniles. Click image to launch larger map. In May DFO approved the expansion of two salmon farms in Queen Charlotte Strait which is a key migratory corridor for whales, dolphins, seabirds and fish— especially Fraser River sockeye salmon. The Marsh Bay and Shelter Bay salmon farms have been allowed a 45 percent increase in capacity and together are now licenced to raise 7,000 tonnes of Atlantic salmon. DFO is supposed to be protecting the outmigration route of Cultus Lake sockeye from the Fraser River. Ten years ago this stock was recommended for emergency listing as an endangered population by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). “DFO has not used any of the Cohen Commission recommendations to protect Fraser River sockeye,” said Will Soltau. “Yet they give the go ahead to transfer more farmed salmon production to sites along this important migratory corridor.” The extra production was transferred from three farms where salmon have not been farmed for many years. All three are far from the Fraser River sockeye migration route. DFO has advised Living Oceans by email that we must file an Access to Information request to learn the reasons for their decision. It was the crash of Fraser River sockeye runs that prompted the federal government to convene the Cohen Commission to look into why the fish were in decline. One of the commission’s recommendations was that DFO should explicitly consider proximity to migrating Fraser River sockeye when siting salmon farms. Living Oceans is working to transition the salmon farming industry from open net-pens to closed tanks that would protect the ecosystem.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Harper government announces new pipeline safety measures June 26, 2013 VANCOUVER — Major pipeline companies will have to show federal regulators they have access to $1 billion to cover the costs of an oil or gas spill under new rules aimed at easing public concerns about pipeline safety. Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver said the federal government will also enshrine in law the "polluter pay" principle for oil and gas pipelines to ensure taxpayers are not left on the hook for cleanup costs. "We will ensure that all companies operating pipelines have the capacity to respond to any incident and to remedy damages," Oliver said in Vancouver. The funds can be in the form of insurance, financial assets, third-party guarantees, lines of credit or other assured sources. The new rules will apply initially to new pipelines under federal regulation, but the requirement will eventually expand to existing major oil and gas pipeline companies. Federally regulated pipeline companies will also have to appoint a senior manager, who will be held accountable for ensuring the company is in compliance with regulations. As of July 3, under previously announced revisions to federal regulations, the National Energy Board will have the authority to directly fine companies up to $100,000 a day for infractions and individuals up to $25,000 a day. That is in addition to the ability to pursue criminal charges in cases of negligence, he said. Canada has a robust safety system in place, Oliver said, but changes and improvements are ongoing. He suggested the changes are not in response to the opposition that has greeted several major pipeline projects, from the Keystone XL line that would take Alberta oil sands products south, to the Northern Gateway line that would deliver it to a tanker port on the B.C. coast. But he did reiterate that Canada is losing billions of dollars a year because western Canadian oil is not reaching Asia and other countries.

Legacy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Year of the Wild Salmon! "If Canadians are to benefit fully from this resource potential, we need a safe and reliable transportation infrastructure including pipelines and tankers, so our products can reach Asia, the United States and around the world," the minister said. The announcement comes two days after federal review panel hearings concluded on the controversial Northern Gateway proposal. The panel's report to the minister is due by the end of the year. Evidence is closed, and the panel will not be able to take into account the Wednesday announcement. "We want to continue to improve the safety and security of our pipeline system and our maritime system as well. You can't just snap your fingers and get things done instantly," Oliver said in response to questions about the timing. He rejected the suggestion the changes, coming as they do after the panel has stopped taking evidence, offer a trump card should panel members say no the Northern Gateway project. The B.C. government announced earlier this year that it has commissioned its own study on landbased pipeline spill response. Provincial Environment Minister Mary Polak was not immediately available to comment, but an email response from the ministry said B.C. supports actions to increase safety and oversight. "The federal government's new measures support our call for best practices," said the unattributed email. In April, the federal review panel looking into Northern Gateway released a list of 199 potential conditions the project might face should it be approved, including $950 million to cover clean-up, remediation and any other damage that might result from the project. That would include access to at least $100 million within 10 business days of a large spill to cover immediate costs. Oliver pointed out that last year the number of pipeline inspections conducted by the National Energy Board increased from 100 to 150 and the number of safety audits doubled, from three to six. There has not been any incident in Canada where a company has not paid the cost, Oliver said. Opponents of the Northern Gateway project said the changes are too little, too late. "Enbridge (TSX:ENB) proved in the hearings that they are completely ill-prepared to deal with oil supertankers navigating our coast," said Nikki Skuce, of ForestEthics. "Previous federal cuts to emergency response and the Coast Guard just added to evidence that our coast would be devastated by guaranteed mishaps if this project were to go through."

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Lake Quinault closed to nontribal uses June 26, 2013

ABERDEEN, Wash. – The president of the Quinault Indian Nation says Lake Quinault has been closed to all nontribal uses, including fishing, swimming and boating. Fawn Sharp tells KBKW that the Quinault Business Council approved a June 4 resolution prohibiting swimming and boating on the lake. She says it will be up to the council to decide whether the lake will be reopened to the public. Sharp says the closure decision was made, in her words, "after many years of disregard toward our resources, rights, regulations and policies." Tribal fishing is still allowed.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Quinault property owners wonder about lake closure June 29, 2013

Quinault Indian Nation officials have closed Lake Quinault to most recreational activities for non-tribal members, citing environmental concerns. The bans come just in time for the summer swimming and boating season, and local business owners are beginning to worry about the closure’s affect on summer profits as vacationers start to take their business elsewhere. Many property owners along the lake say they are unsure about why the lake was closed, as the tribe hasn’t offered evidence of significant pollution. The Quinault Business Committee, the tribe’s ruling governmental body, voted June 4 to close the lake to non-tribal swimming, boating and fishing. Property owners are also prohibited from maintaining and building docks, removing plants or wood from the lake and discharging liquid and solid materials into the water. The north side of the lake is bordered by Olympic National Park and the south side by the Olympic National Forest. The Quinault Indian Reservation spreads out in a fan shape from the west end of the lake and the tribe governs the body of water. This June closure vote follows an April decision to close all fishing to non-tribal members. In an April 16 press release, Quinault President Fawn Sharp cited pollution and safety concerns as a reason for the fishing moratorium. “We are very concerned about water quality in the lake,” Sharp said. “We are concerned that nontribal septic systems from the surrounding homes and businesses may have resulted in a severe problem with untreated sewage and caused serious health concerns.”

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! Sharp also cited sewage and safety risks as a reason for the recent recreational closures — although tribal members are still allowed to swim, boat and fish in the lake. “It is important for people to realize the error of treating our lake as a sewer, building unpermitted docks, violating reasonable safety standards, etc. and committing in a formal sense to recognizing the jurisdiction of the Quinault Nation over its lands and waters,” Sharp said in a statement released to The Daily World. Brenda Sansom, who owns and leases out two vacation cottages on the lake, said many of her customers are cancelling reservations or asking for discounted rates when they hear of the lake’s closure. She said she respects the Quinault Indian Nation’s interest in preserving the lake’s health, but she’s confused about why the tribe chose to prohibit swimming for only non-tribal members if the lake is really that unhealthy. “It seems very discriminatory,” Sansom said. “Why can the tribal members swim in the lake if its supposed to be a contamination problem? It just doesn’t make sense.” Sharp didn’t fully explain why members of the Quinault Indian Nation would be allowed to swim and not non-tribal members. When asked whether people swimming in the lake should be worried about their health, she said Quinault officials “are monitoring use by tribal members and will take whatever action is deemed appropriate.” Many guests see an inability to swim — or even wade — in the picturesque lake as a “deal-breaker,” Sansom said. She’s had several regular customers cancel or not make reservations this year. And while the cottage owner hasn’t felt the financial repercussions of the closure yet, she’s worried that she will soon. Her husband has suggested selling the cabins and moving away from Lake Quinault. “I have three jobs just to make ends meet, ”Sansom said. “We rely on our bookings to pay our mortgage.” Chris Iversen, who owns the Lochaerie Resort, said she could live with the fishing restrictions — she sent guests who were interested in fishing to places on the Quinault River. But the ban on swimming and boating is different. She said there’s no reason to visit Lake Quinault with the restrictions in place. “Our customers are unhappy about it and we’re unhappy about it,” Iversen said. “It’s disappointing, especially since there’s not a clear reason why they closed it.” Other businesses in the Lake Quinault area declined comment to The Daily World, saying they feared further closures and retribution from the Quinault Indian Nation. Jeff Nelson, environmental health director for Grays Harbor County, said he’s not aware of any large amounts of sewage leaking into Lake Quinault. Although the county doesn’t govern the lake, Nelson’s office is notified of faulty septic systems. “We’re not aware of any issue up there that would impair water quality to a level where it would be closed,” Nelson said. “But we’re not up there monitoring water quality.” Sharp said the seriousness of the lake pollution “has yet to be determined,” and said “hot spots” have been detected in the lake in recent months. However, Sharp failed to provide any specific information about the pollution such as fecal coliform levels, the amount of fecal bacteria in the water. The Quinault Indian Nation hasn’t said if or when the lake will be re-opened. “Our objective is to protect the lake, related resources, our members and to help members of the nontribal community realize they must respect the property, resources and rights of the Quinault Indian Nation,” Sharp said.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Tribe re-opens Lake Quinault to swimming Editorial Comment: WGFCI applauds the recent actions by the Quinault Indian Nation to protect Lake Quinault and its visitors from the impacts of failing septic systems and invasive plant and animal life. Non-treaty governments and public must learn this valuable lesson of courage and responsibility shown by the natural resources stewards within the Quinault Indian Nation.

Nearly a month after prohibiting all non-tribal use of Lake Quinault, Quinault Indian Nation officials have once again allowed swimming in the lake. However, boating and fishing are still forbidden. The tribe closed the lake to non-tribal fishing in April and prohibited other recreational activities in early June, citing environmental concerns in both cases. Quinault Indian Nation President Fawn Sharp released a statement Tuesday saying that although swimming restrictions had been lifted, lake-goers swim at their own risk. “We remain concerned about the health and safety of those who choose to swim in our lake,” Sharp said. “We cannot recommend it, as we have found water quality problems associated primarily with non-tribal businesses and residences. Our Tribe cannot assume any responsibility of liability for those who choose to swim there.” With the tribe not providing any specific information regarding pollution, some people questioned why the lake was closed — and why members of the Quinault Indian Nation were still allowed to swim, boat and fish. Some business owners on the lake expressed concerns over decreased profits if the lake were to remain closed. Steve Robinson, a spokesman for the tribe, said tribal officials’ decision to re-open the lake to non-tribal swimming came from a debate about fairness. “There have been a lot of discussions and a lot of meetings taking place,” Robinson said. “And the doctrine of fairness was discussed. A lot of people decided that it was only fair that if the native people were allowed to swim, everyone should be.”

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Tribe says Lake Quinault docks must go

As the Quinault Indian Nation continues to assert its authority over Lake Quinault, non-tribal property owners are quickly growing concerned about their rights over land they’ve owned for years — sometimes decades. The nation sent out letters to 58 lakefront property owners at the end of June asking them to remove all docks, bulkheads, pipes and other foreign matter from the lake, stating that the structures had been placed in the lake illegally. The letter asks property owners to apply for permits to remove structures by July 31, and says work must be completed within six months of receiving a permit. “The Nation is embarking on a comprehensive strategy to address water quality issues in Lake Quinault in order to support our efforts to restore habitat for blueback salmon — a run of sockeye unique to the Quinault River system. As part of that effort, we are requesting all landowners remove all unpermitted structures,” the letter reads. Tom Landreth, a long-time Lake Quinault property owner, is one of many who received the letter. He said his wife’s family have owned property on the lake since the 1930s, purchased from a family of homesteaders that acquired the land in the 1860s. So if anyone has rights to the land, it’s his family, he said. Landreth said he’s always gone out of the way to purchase whatever permits the Quinault Indian Nation requires, including an annual fishing license to use the lake. His family’s dock has been in the lake since the 1940s, and Landreth said he sees fish seek shelter in its shade every summer.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! “We’ve been there so long, why would we not want to take care of the lake? Why would we want to contaminate it?” Landreth said. “There has to be another reason why they’re asking us to take the docks out.” The Quinault Indian Nation has a right to govern the lake that dates back to the 1855 Treaty of Olympia and President Ulysses S. Grant’s 1873 executive order regarding the reservation, according to a document compiled by the United States Department of the Interior Office of the Solicitor. Steve Robinson, a spokesman for the Quinault Indian Nation, provided the document to The Daily World. “The Quinault, at the time the reservation was established, depended on fish for their livelihood. President Grant acknowledged this dependence when he set apart reservation land for ‘fish-eating Indians.’ A court would most likely construe the language of the 1885 Treaty in conjunction with the Presidential intent of the 1873 executive order to reserve the bed and waters of Lake Quinault to the Tribe because the lake comprised an essential fishing ground,” the document reads. Quinault Indian Nation President Fawn Sharp said all lakefront property owners can expect the same treatment: all structures in the lake have to go, and there are no circumstances in which docks and other structures will be allowed in the lake. She argues that the docks shouldn’t have been built to begin with. “Noted structures and intrusions shouldn’t have been built in the first place without the permission of the Quinault regulatory authorities,” Sharp said. “They are an illegal encroachment on tribal property and are in violation of the jurisdictional authority of the Quinault government.” The nation hasn’t yet outlined any fines or punishments for property owners who fail to remove their structures within the given time frame, but Sharp said violations will be “enforced to meet our standards of health, safety and sustainability.” The request to remove docks and other structures is the latest in an ever-growing list of bans and restrictions issued by the Quinault Indian Nation in recent months. In April, the nation closed Lake Quinault to all non-tribal fishing, citing water quality concerns. In early June, officials closed the lake to non-tribal swimming and boating, once again citing pollution. But just in time for the Fourth of July, the Quinault Indian Nation opened the lake to all swimming — making sure to note that the lake is still polluted, and swimmers enter the water at their own risk. Sharp frequently references pollution “hot spots” in her press releases, but hasn’t yet provided specific water quality data. She frequently states that it’s the nation’s intent to preserve the lake for future generations. Landreth said he wants the lake to be available to future generations of his family, too. But he’s worried that with the nation’s restrictions on lake use, this might not be an option. “One of the things Quinaults always say they’re concerned with is preserving their heritage,” Landreth said. “But my family also has heritage at the lake. And I want to preserve my heritage, too.”

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

Mining and wild game fish

 The end of sockeye salmon? A massive mine proposal could wipe out half of the world's remaining wild population June 20, 2013 The habitat for half the world supply of wild sockeye salmon — as well as a critical area for other wildlife, tourism and native peoples — is at urgent risk of being filled with pollutants, and sterilized in the name of gold and copper mining. Dillingham is a town of about 2,300 people, perched on an outlet into Bristol Bay, a body of water set between Alaska’s southwest coast and the Aleutian islands. The only way in or out is by boat or airplane. The town’s economy, and that of almost every settlement along the bay, relies on the thriving salmon population that returns each year to source rivers and streams to spawn. Verner Wilson III’s first memory is of trying to save a fish. The Yup’ik Eskimo, who grew up in Dillingham, Alaska, remembers visiting his family’s fishing camp when he was little. “I saw all of these fish wriggling around on the beach,” he says. “I tried to save one, take it and put it back in the water.” His grandmother stopped him, explaining that the fish were the family’s food and livelihood. “I’ve been fishing ever since,” says Wilson, now 27. Now Wilson is trying to save a lot of fish. Representing the World Wildlife Fund, he has been traveling the state and all the way to Washington, D.C., to rally opposition to the mine, while an unlikely coalition of commercial, subsistence and sport fishermen alongside environmentalists and native tribes has mobilized to preserve one of the last great salmon fisheries left in the world. “

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon! Every single piece of the economy here is tied into fishing one way or another,” says Katherine Carscallen, who also grew up in a Dillingham fishing family. “It’s our livelihood and lifestyle that would be completely erased if this mine went through.” Salmon are born in inland rivers and streams, swim out to live their life in the ocean, then return to the same stream they hatched in to spawn and die. Carscallen, Wilson and thousands of other fishermen are preparing their boats now to hit the peak season in late June and early July as the fish cross the bay on the way to their final destinations. A fleet of 32-foot boats staffed with two to four crew members will be on the water around the clock for a month and bring in close to 30 million salmon in a good year, providing half the world market for wild sockeye in addition to other species. Ultimately the fishery produces some $1.5 billion in output each year and employs more than 12,000 people down the supply chain. The impact continues outside Alaska, providing income for a network of shippers, packers, processors, shops and restaurants down the Pacific Northwest and beyond. “Washington receives more economic value from Bristol Bay than Alaska,” says Ben Blakey, a Washington state resident whose family has been traveling north to fish in the bay for 30 years, noting that his state pulls in $580 million and 3,200 jobs from the salmon run, processing the fish on their way to be sold domestically and exported to Europe and Japan. “I grew up fishing,” Blakey says. “I would hope that my children would also grow up fishing.” Their odds aren’t great. If Pebble Mine ever breaks ground, even the best case scenario looks dire. The EPA recently released a draft report that makes the stakes clear: Construction and support of the mine would require an immense amount of infrastructure across land scarcely touched by human hands, from roads to culverts to energy sources to pipelines to a containment dam to hold back toxic mine waste. The development would sit at the headwaters of the Kvichak and Nushagak rivers, damaging two of the nine main feeder sources to Bristol Bay and eliminating at least 90 miles of stream habitat and thousands of acres of protective wetlands. “Salmon depend on this diverse portfolio of habitat,” says Daniel Schindler, a professor of aquatic & fishery sciences at the University of Washington, comparing the ecosystem to an investment portfolio. If one stock has a bad run, the others should balance out the loss. “Over the course of time, different rivers seem to be more productive during different time intervals,” he says. “The aggregate is pretty stable because the risk of a bad year in the ocean and freshwater is spread out across all these different watersheds.” Compromising two rivers and a host of auxiliary habitat in that portfolio, and therefore weakening the overall resilience of the population, is the most favorable possible outcome of the mine’s impact, if nothing goes wrong. Were there to be an accident, the consequences could be truly disastrous. And when it comes to mines, there’s always an accident. Extracting minerals from the earth necessarily leaves behind toxic mine tailings, among them dissolved copper and sulfuric acid, better known as battery acid. Porous gravel stream beds and copious wetlands at the headwaters make it extremely difficult to completely contain the toxins. “We know that acid mine draining will happen at this mine,” says David Chambers, a Ph.D. in physical engineering who works for the Center for Science and Public Participation. “The real issue is can you mitigate it or not.”

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

Copper is notorious for interfering with fish’s sense of smell, which could make it impossible to find their way back to the natal stream, or prevent baby salmon from detecting and avoiding predators. Enough copper, sulphides or other minerals in the water could also kill the fish outright. All that waste would be held back behind an enormous dam in a tectonically active area. Fifty years or more down the road, when the mine is empty of useful minerals and abandoned, the dam will still stand, expected to contain a deadly mix of chemicals in perpetuity, a ticking time bomb in an earthquake-prone area. What’s more, once one mine and its infrastructure is in place, more are sure to follow. “The record of industrializing a salmon drainage is very clear,” Chambers says. “When that happens you end up losing the salmon at some point.” Despite years of exploratory work, Pebble Partnership, the would-be developers, have not yet submitted official plans for the state permitting process. Activists worry that the permit would effectively be a rubber stamp, especially considering a series of pro-development bills that have passed or been introduced in the state Legislature over the past several years. “There is no ‘no’ in the Alaska permitting process,” says Tim Bristol, director of the Alaska chapter of conservation group Trout Unlimited. “Their job is to get to yes for mining development.” That’s why the opposition is turning to the EPA, which has the power to block development through Section 404(c) of the Clean Water Act if the project has “unacceptable adverse effects” on water supplies or fish and wildlife habitat. The agency is collecting public comments on its draft report until the end of June and is expected to issue a final draft in the fall, with a 404(c) decision possible after that. Pebble Partnership has predictably ripped the EPA draft as inaccurate, biased and based on a “hypothetical mine,” since they haven’t finalized their own plans. Curiously, that same hypothetical mine sufficed for Pebble to submit a detailed shareholders report to the SEC, awater rights application to the Alaska DNR and a recently released study promising massive economic benefits to the region and the state. The projections are rosy: According to their report, the mine would produce $500 billion worth of minerals, bring in $136 million to $180 million in annual taxes and royalties, support 15,000 jobs and increase the GDP by $2.4 billion. The mine’s opponents question the accuracy of the economic forecast, and say the destruction of fish, wildlife, tourism, recreation and culture wouldn’t be worth it anyway. Recent polls have found between 51 to 54 percent of Alaskans overall opposed to Pebble Mine, with an overwhelming 82.4 percent of Bristol Bay residents in opposition. The fishing communities have recognized that once a pristine habitat is ruined, it’s gone forever. “We’re spending billions of dollars a year on the Pacific Northwest to try to restore salmon to systems that are beyond help,” says Samuel Snyder, director of the Bristol Bay Fisheries and Watershed Campaign for the Alaska Conservation Fund. “Why would we do that in Bristol Bay? We have the chance to not have to restore. Why can’t we use history as a guide?” Pebble Partnership did not respond to request for comment for this story.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Bristol Bay Ecosystem – Unparalleled Salmon Habitat

Thank you to industry groups and organizations like American Fly Fishing Trade Association, American Rivers, The American Sportfishing Association, Bass Anglers Sportsman Society, Berkley Fishing, Campfire Club of America, Dallas Safari Club, Delta Waterfowl Foundation for writing a strong comment letter to the EPA. The remaining organizations on this letter will be highlighted later today: http://ow.ly/mpRy1 "Sportfishing, hunting, and eco-tourism alone generate more than $160 million in local economic activity, creating nearly 2500 local, sustainable jobs. This economic driver depends on the unparalleled habitat of the Bristol Bay ecosystem, which is jeopardized by large scale mining development." (Photo by Ken Morrish)

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

Wild game fish management

 Nisqually Tribe uses tangle nets, beach seines to reduce impact on chinook The Nisqually Indian Tribe will continue to lower impacts on returning chinook salmon this year. “To make good on our recent gains in habitat restoration in the Nisqually, fishermen need to decrease how many natural origin chinook are caught,” said David Troutt, natural resources director for the tribe. In recent years, the tribe has implemented drastic changes to its fishing regime, including a decrease of 15 fishing days since 2004; reducing the number of nets that can be used by a fisherman from three to two; and having just less than a month of mark-selective fishing with tangle nets and beach seines. This year’s fishing plan will continue implementing mark-selective fishing, but only with beach seines. “A historically large run of pink salmon is forecast to come in alongside chinook and coho this year,” Troutt said. Tangle nets – which ensnare fish by their teeth – would catch an unusually high number of pinks, which tribal fishermen aren’t targeting. “Since 2004, Nisqually tribal fishermen have already cut hundreds of hours off their chinook season,” Troutt said. “Tribal fishermen are bearing the brunt of conservation for these fish so we can help them recover.” In a mark-selective fishery, fishermen release natural origin fish that haven’t had their adipose fin removed in a hatchery. The adipose fin is a soft, fleshy fin found on the back behind the dorsal fin. Its removal does not affect the salmon. “Mark-selective fisheries are a useful tool and the Nisqually is a unique place in western Washington where it could benefit salmon and tribal fisheries,” Troutt said. – E. O’Connell

Benji Kautz, Nisqually Tribe, unloads chinook during the tribe’s fishery last fall.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 USGS Research Says Fish Virus In Washington Coastal Steelhead Originated From Columbia River Basin June 28, 2013 The spread of a highly virulent fish virus in four separate coastal Washington watersheds from 20072011 has been described in a new research paper by the U.S. Geological Survey. The most probable source of the virus was identified as steelhead trout originating from the Columbia River basin. The research, conducted with state, federal, tribal, and University of Washington partners, used genetic testing of the virus to characterize the emergence of Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus, better known as IHNV, in coastal Washington steelhead trout between 2007-2011. During that time, new steelhead-specific strains of the virus spread to seven different salmonid culture facilities in four different coastal watersheds, and caused significant mortality in juvenile steelhead trout, seriously impacting conservation programs. In this work scientists identified the strain types for over 200 coastal virus samples and compared them with IHNV types detected previously throughout the Pacific Northwest. This revealed that there were at least two separate introductions of the steelhead-specific virus into coastal fish populations and that the most probable source of these introductions was the Columbia River Basin. These new data will help resource managers in efforts to prevent further spread of IHNV, and potentially other important fish pathogens, throughout the Pacific Northwest. "Knowing how to detect this virus and how it moves between costal populations is extremely important in designing and implementing preventative measures to protect steelhead populations" said Ray Brunson, recently retired fish health specialist from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who oversaw his agency's role from 2007-2011. Questions remain about how the virus reached coastal fish and why the virus has not been detected in coastal watersheds since late 2011. "This work shows that transmission of IHNV cannot be wholly understood from monitoring individual rivers, so studies such as this one that look at how the virus moves throughout the interconnected Pacific Northwest are essential to support fish health programs." said Rachel Breyta, lead author from the University of Washington, working at the USGS’ Western Fisheries Research Center. The new research will appear in an upcoming volume of the journal 'Diseases of Aquatic Organisms'. Additional information on IHNV genetic typing at the Western Fisheries Research Center is available online. "Emergence of MD type Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus in Washington Coastal Steelhead Trout" published in the journal Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, was co-authored by scientists from the USGS Western Fisheries Research Center, in collaboration with the University of Washington, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

Local Conservation Projects

 Yakama Nation celebrate sockeye return to Cle Elum Lake for the first time in 100 years July 11, 2013 Yakama Nation biologists released thousands of sockeye salmon into a Central Washington lake over the past four summers to restore fish runs that were decimated with the damming of area rivers and streams. Each fall, the just-released fish swam up the Cle Elum River to spawn and die. Their babies, meanwhile, spent a year in the lake before swimming to the ocean to grow into adulthood. Now, four years after the first release in 2009, those adult fish are returning to their birthplace to spawn, and tribal members are celebrating what they hope is the resurrection of a revered species to its native habitat. "You are part of a sacred ceremony to celebrate the return of an important ingredient to our body, our hearts, our life," Yakama elder Russell Jim told the crowd gathered on the shore of Cle Elum Lake.

READ ENTIRE OREGON LIVE ARTICLE HERE

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

Conservation-minded businesses – please support these fine businesses

 Guiding Sportfishing with Gašper Konkolič

“There is no fishing heaven on Earth, there are just heavenly seasons, magical moments on the water.” It is a job of a fishing guide to look for a right moment on the right water. A guide should also know his town, waters, fish, fishing techniques and the whole tourist offer of his town, along with its specialties. As a flyfisherman you really have to love a country like Slovenia. It's a small country, just a little larger than New Jersey, but it has so much to offer. There are not many places where you can fish as good and nice as in Slovenia. Slovenia has a vibrant culture, a lot of rivers and lakes, perfect for fly fishing. Nowhere in the world can you experience so much variety of rivers and fish. In Slovenia we are very proud of the Marble trout (Trota Marmorata), which is the biggest trout and is also the biggest challenge for flyfishermen. We are also proud of Hucho Hucho (Danubian salmon), which is the closest relative to the (Mongolian) Hucho taimen. Marble Trout and Hucho Hucho are rare species, but to those who like great challenges they are a life catch. We are happy to offer you all this and much more, as e.g. fishing for wild fish. I see so many people travelling the globe in search for places with bigger and easier fish to catch. For some it sounds great, but me, I like to spend a lot of time in water, searching for rare fish (Marble trout, Danubian salmon) or wild fish. Sincerely yours, Gašper Konkolič, fishing guide.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Fly Gal Ventures

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Tranquil Charters

For the 2013 season non-residents will be able to keep one halibut per day with a "reserve slot limit" meaning you can keep halibut that are under 45 inches or over68 inches. This translates to being able to keep halibut about 43 pounds or over 160 pounds. There is no annual limit.

Welcome to Tranquil Charters, Where Fishing is Catching!!! Located in Craig, Alaska. Historically a small logging and fishing community, Craig is situated on the west coast of Prince of Wales Island, a location that provides access to one of Alaska's most productive fishing grounds for salmon and halibut. Craig is located 25 miles away from the Pacific Ocean, a distance full of islands, bays, inlets, coves, channels and calm fishable waters on any day of the summer. This diverse geography provides environmental niches where you can drop bait and catch one of four species of salmon (king, silver, chum or pink) as well as several types of bottom feeders (halibut, lingcod, yelloweye and rockfish).

Whether you are an avid fisherman, new to the sport, or are looking for a family trip, Tranquil Charters should be your choice. With a fleet of custom built aluminum boats, world-class fishing grounds and exceptional guides to assist you, your fishing experience will be nothing less than safe, fun, memorable and productive.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Bravo Restaurant and Lounge

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 John Wayne’s Waterfront Resort

Now Under NEW Management! We invite you to visit us for a quiet, relaxing get-away, whether you come to enjoy one of our 8 fully equipped cabins or park your RV in a spacious site with full hook-ups, cable television and Wi-Fi. Rural America at its finest, we are located in the famous dry belt of Sequim, WA near the Northeast entrance of the Olympic National Park, nestled between the majestic Olympic Mountains and the placid waters of Sequim Bay. We are Centrally located in the beautiful Northern part of the Peninsula, many of our guests use our Resort as a home base from which to branch out and visit various other popular tourist destinations on the Peninsula and Victoria BC. The John Wayne Marina is only a short walk away for your boating, fishing and crabbing adventures. You might enjoy a leisurely stroll along the network of sidewalks for access to several picnic areas or simply sit on a bench at the Point to relax and watch the sailboats underway on the Bay. We are just steps away from the Olympic Discovery Trail (ODT) which traverses approximately 130 miles of lowlands, bordered on the south by the Olympic Mountain Range and on the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca ending on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. The trail is a wide, paved pathway designed to multi user standards for bicyclists, hikers, and disabled users.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Vedder River Inn

THE VEDDER RIVER INN CHILLIWACK BC HOTEL Nestled in the scenic Fraser Valley, the Vedder River Inn welcomes you to Chilliwack. Located a few minutes off the Trans Canada Highway, at Vedder Crossing in a central area of town. We offer a variety of modern Chilliwack hotel rooms and suites, with complimentary internet and in room fridges. A multi-purpose room onsite is ideal for a cozy conference or group gathering. We are nearby all Chilliwack has to offer, be it fishing on the famous Vedder River, attending an event at Heritage Park, schooling at the University of the Fraser Valley, or training at Canada Lands Education Park, our friendly staff awaits your visit.

AMENITIES - THE VEDDER RIVER INN CHILLIWACK BC On weekends and holidays we offer a ‘grab and go’ breakfast, of fruit, yogurt, muffins, juices, coffee and tea. Laundry and vending services are available on site. Multi purpose room, can accommodate small conferences and meetings. Our business center is available 24 hours in our front lobby. We are happy to assist you with faxing and photocopying. Postage service available. Complimentary computer work station. Fishing? We can freeze your catch! Nearby numerous restaurants and shops. Walking distance to Cheam Leisure Center with wave pool and fitness center.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Icy Bay Lodge

Our Story During your stay with us you'll experience some of the best salt and freshwater fishing in the world. At the end of each day you'll be able to relax in our comfortable main lodge with the other guests and our guide staff, while our chef prepares a first class meal. You'll sleep in a warm cabin, with electricity and a full bathroom. After a good night’s rest and a hearty breakfast you may decide you'd like to spend the morning viewing one of the several tidewater glaciers in the back of Icy Bay, on our state of the art boat with your family instead. At Icy Bay Lodge, that's ok. Your arms are probably sore from the previous day of fishing anyways. You came here because you are looking for Alaska. Icy Bay Lodge has exclusive access to untouched runs of Coho Salmon, in one of the most beautifully rugged ecosystems in the world. Don't plan on seeing other fishing boats or guide services during your stay with us, because there aren't any. In fact, the closest lodge is 60 miles away, and the nearest town, Yakutat, is 65 miles. 2012-2013 Deals: Call Pete @ 303-807-5657 or Todd @ 303-520-6344 for more info.

Email Us

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Togiak River Lodge

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Three Rivers Lodge

WELCOME Glad you dropped in to our website, and we hope you enjoy looking through a few of our “windows” into the wilds of Labrador. We talk about the ‘wilds” or ‘backcountry’ often on this site because in Labrador we’ve found a true wilderness that forms the perfect backdrop for the angling adventures of our imagination. The boreal forest, the tundra and the seemingly endless waters are pure and unsullied. The cold-water fisheries hold treasures – fish that have disappeared from all but the most native and pristine environments. We sincerely hope that what you see and read here will captivate you as Labrador has captivated us, and will lure you up to our neck of the northern woods.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Urban Angler Miami with Hai Truong

About Me Welcome to Urban Angler Miami, my name is Hai Truong a.k.a. “Hai305” a.k.a. the “Urban Angler Miami”. Follow me as I explore South Florida through the endless miles of canals to back country, skinny waters to the Bay and offshore game. Living in the “Fishing Capital of the World” all my life, over 25 years of which I have been getting lines wet and putting in the time so you don’t have to. This site will focus mostly on our freshwater game fishes here in Miami, Fl. targeting butterfly peacock “bass”, Florida largemouth bass, snakeheads, jaguar guapote, and completing the freshwater slam with snook and/or a tarpon that have been locked in our water systems all over South Florida. Urban Angler Miami was created for all levels of anglers and fishermen alike to enjoy the sublime of the angling worlds, catering to each client and personalizing their time on the waters accordingly. Each and every outing is a new adventure, just waiting to unfold with unclaimed records and heart break as well. My goal is to provide the tools to whomever wishes to learn more about our amazing fishery and to show that quality game fish can be stalked and caught without expensive gear or boats. You will see a saltwater section in the Gallery as I love almost every type of angling and its infinite strategies. I will also be offering inshore and offshore guides and charters in the near future. “Hai305″ is my author name for Tackle Tester.com, “The Latest in Fishing, Tackle, News & Reviews”. I test a wide variety of fishing tackle, gear, rods, reels. I’ve covered boat shows in South Florida and much more. I am also their “Apparels Expert”, according to the Editor and Founder, Josh Eastcott. The web site is based in Perth, Western Australia and has local access to makers from Australia, Europe, Japan and basically the whole other side of the world from Miami, FL. Some products, like most, appear overseas first, then eventually making its way to the States. Check out empirical reviews by real anglers on some of the hottest tickets before they even hit the shelves in the U.S. So be sure to check on our sites and links from time-to-time as something new is always just around the corner. Currently I am on several Pro Staff Teams. A Pro Staffer is one that has acquired the skill, trade or art on a professional level and usually sustains a livelihood from it. I am on the Pro Staff for Columbia Sportswear.com “Trying Stuff Since 1938″, for FINSfishing.com “Situational Braided Spectra Lines”, as seen on Television’s show “Addictive Fishing” with Host Blair “The Mogan Man” Wiggins, and for Marsh Works Of Florida.com, a local Florida company made in the USA. The site will continuously evolve as the industry does, allowing us to stay in touch with the latest in tips, electronics, navigation, tackle, apparels, gear and the list goes on. Catch up on the latest out there through our team of writers on Tackle Tester.com and check out my articles under my author name “Hai305” and look for my article reviews on Columbia Sportswear.com and on the Florida Sportsman Forums.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Rumbo Sur – Fly Fishing

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 BC Outdoors – Your Fishing and Hunting Authority

BC Outdoors exciting & informative departments include: • • • • •

Casting Off Bird’s Nest Weighing In Reel Memories Industry News

Tips & Tech - Garry Elgear Garry has been the owner of Riverside Fly & Tackle for the past six years. He enjoys creating new innovative fly patterns and showing his customers how to tie and fish them. Garry guides on the Pitt, Squamish, Harrison and Fraser River systems. Garry fishes hard and works even harder for his customers. Fly-Tying - Philip Rowley Phil brings 20 years as a professional tier and published author to his column. Every issue Phil looks at innovative tying techniques using today’s newest materials and ideas. Gear Review - editor Mike Mitchell We review the latest and greatest in the outdoor world; fishing rods, reels, lines, nets, outdoor apparel waders, lures, flylines, fly rods, outdoor cooking gear, sunglasses just to name a few. Cooking in the Rough - Linda Gabris Linda brings her years of spending time in the backcountry to offer a fresh perspective when cooking wild fish and wild game. Every issue is a fresh approach on cooking everything from roasts to shore lunches. Backroads – by Murphy Shewchuck Murphy Shewchuck is an award-winning freelance writer/photographer and the author of more than a dozen books, including his latest, Cariboo Trips & Trails. Back Cast – Dave Steele Dave brings years of experience in the fishing industry to his humour column Backcast.

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

Attention Conservation-minded Business Owners Many businesses around planet earth rely on healthy populations of wild game fish. This is true for fishing guide/charter services, resort and hotel owners, fishing tackle and boat retail stores, clothing stores, eco/photo tours, grocery stores, gas stations and many more. In fact, wild game fish are the backbone of a multi-billion dollar per year industry on a global scale. This is why we at Wild Game Fish Conservation International offer complimentary space in each issue of “LEGACY” for business owners who rely on wild game fish populations to sustain your business. An article with one or more photos about your business and how it relies on wild game fish may be submitted for publication to LEGACY PUBLISHER. Please include your business website and contact information to be published with your business article. Selected submissions will be published each month. Healthy wild game fish populations provide family wage jobs and balanced ecosystems while ensuring cultural values. They also provide a unique, natural resourcesbased lifestyle for those fortunate to have these magnificent creatures in our lives. Conservationists working together with the business community effectively protect and restore planet earth’s wild game fish for this and future generations to enjoy and appreciate. This i our LEGACY. WGFCI endorsed conservation organizations:  American Rivers  Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture  LightHawk  Native Fish Society  Salmon Are Sacred  Salmon and Trout Restoration Association of Conception Bay Central, Inc  Save Our Salmon  Sierra Club – Cascade Chapter  Sportsman’s Alliance For Alaska  Steelhead Society of British Columbia  Wild Salmon First  Wild Salmon Forever

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

Featured Artists:

 Ta’Kaiya Blaney – Raising a Generation to Care for the Environment

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Pat Quinn: Listen to “Fish Farm Blues”

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

Featured Fishing Photos:

 Jan Maizler Photos: Peacock Bass

Guide Hai Truong of Urban Angler Miami holds journalist Jan Maizler’s peacock bass. The fish weighed approximately five pounds and was caught (and released back into) a lake in the heart of Miami, Florida. Photo Credit: Jan S. Maizler

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Smiles all around on Charterboat “Slammer” (Westport, Washington)

Charterboat SLAMMER: “Great day! 5 anglers caught 6 Kings and 3 Silvers. Largest was 33 in the round, 29-6 dressed, in the running for July $1000 prize and season lead!”

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!

 Remember When…

Legacy – August 2013 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2013 – Year of the Wild Salmon!