The Leader - September, 2011

THE LEADER Issue 9 Steelhead and Salmon Conservation Society

September 2011

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Steelhead and Salmon Conservation Society, Inc

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Brian O’Keefe Page 1

The Steelhead and Salmon Conservation Society publishes “The Leader” for SSCS members and other conservationists.

September 2011

The Leader focus is on one or more community supported conservation efforts taking place in the historic range of Pacific salmon and steelhead trout.

2011

Issue 9

We encourage SSCS members and nonmembers to contribute photos and articles associated with these conservation projects.

The September 2011 cover photo: This issue of The Leader is dedicated to promoting the November 4, 2011 ―Living with Western Washington Rivers‖ symposium. The topographical map of western Washington was selected as our cover photo to provide an overview of the varied terrain that western Washington rivers occupy as they continue to do their many important jobs day in and day out.

This issue of The Leader includes articles and photos regarding the very important conservation work associated with reforming ongoing salmon farming practices in British Columbia and elsewhere around the world.

Editors’ Note: The September issue of The Leader was distributed early in order to promote the August 22 – September 8 Cohen Commission Hearings in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The Steelhead and Salmon Conservation Society logo was designed and produced by Dr. Alan Steeves (SSCS International Conservation Director) with assistance from Richard Mayer (SSCS Senior Marketing and Communication Advisor)

Steelhead and Salmon Conservation Society, Inc. The Steelhead and Salmon Conservation Society was established April 22, 2010 (Earthday) by dedicated conservationists to protect, conserve and restore our natural resources and outdoor heritage. (Scroll down to view content)

Our Legacy: Web of Life Unique to the Pacific Northwest From the mountaintops to the sea; the diversity of natural environments; the mountains, rain forests, high desert, scrublands, prairies, Puget Sound, San Juan Islands and the Columbia River as it weaves it’s way to the coastal areas, supports an incredible array of plants and animals and the bounty of the magnificent anadromous fishes.

Wild steelhead and salmon are the icons of the way of life stretching back with the native peoples to the times of their ancestors and reaching into the future of our descendants.

Our responsibility is to assure the web of life unique to North America's west coast remains healthy and abundant, for surely our stewardship is the greatest gift we can leave as a Page 2 legacy for future generations

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Issue 9

In This Issue

September 2011

 Living With Western Washington Rivers  Atlantic Salmon Farming – Benefits, Costs, Impacts  Cohen Commission Hearings – August 22 – September 8  Our Readers Write .

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2011 S tors, Adviso2011 rs Issue 9SCS Officers, DirecSeptember Able, Committed, Experie2011 nced (200 years and counting)

Ric Abbett

Bruce Treichler

President and CEO

Joe Durham

Vice-president

Don Schluter

Dr. Alan Steeves

Jim Wilcox

Secretary and Treasurer

Terry Turner

SSCS – Conservation Directors

Dr. Alexandra Morton

Richard Mayer

Senior Communications and Marketing Advisor

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Senior Marine Advisor

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SIssue SCS O dvisors, Sp2011 onors 9fficers, Directors, ASeptember and Community-based Conservation Projects

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SSCS9Facebook Friends (900September and counting2011 ), Issue Conservation Efforts and Fishing 2011 Around Planet Earth

Follow the Steelhead and Salmon Conservation Society Community-based Conservation Project Updates Around Planet Earth via:

e-mail: SteelheadSalmon@yahoo.com Web: Http://NWSSS.blogspot.com Facebook: Steelhead Salmon Skype: Steelhead.Salmon Twitter: Steelhead.Salmon

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September 2011

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Issue Suppor9t Valued SSCS CorpSeptember orate Spon2011 sors 2011

Alpine Experience

101 Multimedia

British Columbia Federation of Fly Fishers

Emerald Water Anglers

Flyfishers’ Arte & Publishing

Natural Settings – Digital

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Imaging and Design

Issue 9The Steelhead anSeptember d Salmon 2011

Conservation Society Presents:

““LLiivviinngg w wiitthh W Weesstteerrnn W Waasshhiinnggttoonn RRiivveerrss”” Friday, November 4, 2011 10:00am – 5:00pm Veterans’ Memorial Museum Chehalis Washington (Exit 77) P Pa an ne ell D Diissc cu ussssiio on nss::  W Wa atte errssh he ed dS Se errvviic ce ess  F Fllo oo od dp plla aiin nD De evve ello op pm me en ntt  T Trra an nssp po orrtta attiio on n  F Fo orre esstt P Prra ac cttiic ce ess  W Wa atte errssh he ed dM Ma an na ag ge em me en ntt

Admission Fee: $25.00 (Includes symposium admission, museum admission, lunch, parking) Send to: Living with Western Washington Rivers Page 3322 104th Avenue SW

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H ealth9 y western WashingSeptember ton rivers 2011 and Issue their watersheds provide varied2011 economic and recreation opportunities.

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Revamp 2011 Issue 9 Congress Votes toSeptember Endangered Species Act ((E Eddiittoorriiaall B Booaarrdd -- C Chhrroonnlliinnee..ccoom m)) Retired Congressman Brian Baird was a popular politician in the 3rd District, which includes all of Lewis County, in large part because he was not a political party follower.

Despite being lodged squarely in the Democratic party, he had a deep independent streak. He made decisions on what he believed was best for the United States and Southwest Washington, not his particular party or to solidify his chances for reelection.

Baird caused a lot of commotion, no more so than when he supported President George W. Bush‘s troop surge into Iraq in 2007. In hindsight Baird and Bush were on the right side of that decision. At the time Baird‘s support caused a major rift between him and Democratic party leadership in Washington, D.C. Other examples of Baird‘s independent thinking: Against environmentalists, Baird supported the expansion of the White Pass Ski Resort; he stood up to his party with strong concerns about Obamacare health system reform.

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The 3rd District of Washington state — which includes Lewis, Clark, Cowlitz, Pacific, Wahkiakum and most of Thurston and Skamania counties — is considered a swing district. It has gone from Democrat Jolene Unsoeld to Republican Linda Smith to Democrat Baird and now to Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler. That pattern holds up on the presidential level, with voters from the 3rd District in the past three elections supporting President Bush in 2000 and 2004, followed by support of President Barack Obama over Sen. John McCain in 2010.

The point? To adequately represent the 3rd District, one has to have the independent nature that Baird displayed.

On Wednesday, Herrera Beutler, along with 36 other House Republicans, joined up with Democrats and passed funding that will allow the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list new threatened and endangered species. The amendment was co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Belfair. It passed 224-202. Specifically the amendment struck out language in a bill that would have pulled all the funding for the Fish and Wildlife Service for protecting new animal and plant listings under the Endangered Species Act, but would have kept money for the agency to delist species.

In defense of her vote, Herrera Beutler said, ―The Endangered Species Act needs to be reviewed by Congress to make sure federal agencies are using the best science in their species listing decisions, but completely prohibiting the listing of new species as endangered was not the right approach. Congress must make balanced decisions to protect species from irreversible extinction.‖ Herrera Beutler and the other House Republicans that supported the amendment were lauded by environmentalists.

Our Congresswoman, in that one vote, revealed she isn‘t a party hack, but a thoughtful representative of the 3rd District.

In defense of her vote, Herrera Beutler said, ―The Endangered Species Act needs to be reviewed by Congress to make sure federal agencies are using the best science in their species listing decisions, but completely prohibiting the listing of new species as endangered was not the right approach. Congress must make balanced decisions to protect species from irreversible extinction.‖ Herrera Beutler and the other House Republicans that supported the amendment were lauded by environmentalists.

Our Congresswoman, in that one vote, revealed she isn‘t a party hack, but a thoughtful representative of the 3rd District.

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U.S. Rep. Herrera Beutler is following in Baird‘s footsteps.

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Issue 9

September 2011 2011

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Featured Guest Photograph: Fishing for steelhead trout in Southwest Washington’s Cowlitz River: Submitted by Dave McCoy, Owner and head guide, Emerald Water Anglers, Seattle, Washington

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Wester9 n Washington’s healthy September rivers begin as cool, Issue 2011 clear, forest-covered, spring-fed mountain streams

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Western Washington rivers are often “managed” via dams and levees to

Issue 9

September 2011

generate electricity, mitigate flood related damage, provide “protected“

2011

floodplain development, provide sources of drinking water and to provide additional/varied recreation. These costly engineered structures always fail to meet their stated objectives and mitigation goals.

Wynoochee Dam and Reservoir – Flood risk

Failed levees and failing Howard Hanson Dam –

management and hydropower generation

floodplain development – Green River

Mossyrock Dam and Riffe Reservoir – hydropower

Ross Dam and reservoir – Hydropower generation,

P a –gSkagit e 14River THE LEADERflood risk management

generation and flood risk management – Cowlitz River

W ildlif9e species rely on h ealthy we2011 stern Issue September Washington rivers and their watersheds:

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20119: The Elwha's Last D am Summe r September 2011 Issue 2011

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Issue 9 September 2011 Raging western Washington rivers ignore engineered “flood control” projects:

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Nation9al Flood Insurance September Program ne2011 ws Issue 2011

Contrary to what many people think, homeowner or commercial policy typically does not cover damage caused by flooding. To protect your property, you must buy a flood insurance policy.

Flood insurance is widely available through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

There are, however, limits to federal flood insurance. For commercial structures, for example, the NFIP maximum is $500,000 for the building and $500,000 for the contents. For suggestions on what do do if you need more coverage than that, please see this page.

If your property is located in an area with a high chance of flooding (a "Special Flood Hazard Area"), your lender will require you to have flood insurance. Even if you live in a minimal or moderate flood hazard area, you may still want to buy flood insurance.

You can check your flood risk by typing the property address into the "One-Step Flood Risk Profile" from the NFIP. Information for residents and business owners in South King County Due to ongoing concerns in late 2009 about availability of flood coverage in the Green River Valley below the Howard Hanson Dam, Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Krei Where to find more information Also, Washington's state's Emergency Management Division has extensive information about flooding and steps you can do to avoid damage and protect against losses. They've also posted a lengthy section with myths and facts about the National Flood Insurance Program, such as the myth that dler asked lawmakers and the governor to allow a flood "Market Assistance Plan," or MAP. They agreed, and the resulting MAP, launched in late June 2010, is an effort to pair businesses in the area seeking excess flood coverage and business-interruption insurance with insurers who are selling it.

For more information on the Market Assistance Plan, including how to apply, please click here.

And here's a downloadable factsheet about the program. the NFIP won't cover anything in the basement. (It covers many things, including furnaces, water heaters, sump pumps, washers/dryers, staircases, some drywall, cleaning and the foundation.)

The EMD also has extensive information on pumping out basements, what do after draining it, mold, sandbagging, and how to protect a home from sewer backups during flooding.

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“L9 iving with Western WashSeptember ington Rivers2011 ” Issue Symposium Details

Hosted by: Steelhead and Salmon Conservation Society Chaired by: Jim Wilcox Purpose: Provide a forum for presentation of emerging policy and management goals, objectives, and information needs related to ―Living with Western Washington Rivers‖ now and into the foreseeable future.

Admission: $25.00 Agenda: 10:00: Welcome: 10:15: Meeting: purpose, goals, Introductions 10:30: Panel 1: Watershed Services 11:30: Lunch 1:00: Panel 2: Floodplain Development 2:00: Panel 3: Transportation 3:00: Break 3:15: Panel 4: Forest Practices 4:00: Panel 5: Watershed management (forestlands, wetlands, floodplains) for foreseeable future 5:00: Adjourn Sponsorship Levels: Event Sponsor ($5,000) Lunch Sponsor ($2,500) State and Federal Agencies ($1,000) Community sponsors: ($500) Poster displays: ($250 for non-sponsors)

Mark your calendars - “Living with Western Washington Rivers” The Steelhead and Salmon Conservation Society, along with event sponsors, will present the November 4, 2011 ―Living with Western Washington Rivers‖ symposium at the Veterans‘ Memorial Museum in Chehalis, Washington.

The purpose of this important forum is to provide a forum for presentation of emerging policy and management goals, objectives, and information needs related to ―Living with Western Washington Rivers‖ now and into the foreseeable future.

Panel discussions will address: Watershed Services, Floodplain Development, Forest Practices, Transportation and Watershed Management. Washington State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler has been invited to serve as the event‘s keynote speaker during lunch.

Please send your individual registration fees and event sponsorships to: Steelhead and Salmon Conservation Society, 3322 104th Ave SW. Olympia, WA, 98512.

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Our Re9aders Write Issue Editor – The Leader I always enjoy The Leader. It is very professionally put together with issues that effect wild salmon and steelhead.

I am wondering why the article "Herrera Buetler Bill Fights for Private Forest Land Jobs" is included in The Leader. I don't see a relationship between this issue and the mission statement of SSCS. In fact, the two issues seem to be opposed. Speaking of private land rights on one hand with the Pebble Mine issue and on the other hand with this bill. Do you oppose private rights on one hand, but not on the other? First, I don't think the article fits The Leader's message.

Second, I am disappointed the article uses the old right wing political tactic of calling names and criticizing instead of presenting facts.

I always have forwarded the link to The Leader to my group -- Twin Harbors Coastal Conservation Society, however, with this article in the issue, I will skip forwarding this one.

I think both SSCS and CCA need to be very careful not to be partisan as far as political leanings. We represent the fish -- that's it.

What would the fish say?

Loved the articles on Farmed Salmon, the Elwha, and Pebble Mine.

Great photo of a clear-cut on page 9. Don't understand why the photo of the 'one log load' is included.

Also I don't understand the heading on page 9 'Chehalis River Protection and Restoration.' I don't really see what that refers to.

John Rabey (SSCS member)

EdSeptember itor’s Respo2011 ns e Thank you for your thoughtful comments regarding the content and format of The Leader, John.

2011

Please note that including Representative Beutler's article associated with logging-related pollution was intentional as the Steelhead and Salmon Conservation Society works closely with elected and appointed officials (local, state, federal and tribal) to promote our vision and mission (community-based conservation efforts to protect human lives, safety, health and property).

As you can easily imagine, elected and appointed officials don't always agree with SSCS resolutions, recommendations and actions.

Given that you've been a member of the SSCS for a year or better, you're aware that the SSCS submitted NWSSCS Resolution 51810 (available on the SSCS website at http://NWSSCS.blogspot.com) to the Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority. This resolution calls for revised land use practices including steep slope logging and floodplain development.

SSCS Executive Officers (Treichler and Wilcox) met with Representative Beutler's staff person to discuss the benefits of the above mentioned resolution. We've also requested a personal meeting with Representative Beutler. To date, this meeting has yet to occur.

In the meantime, the SSCS maintains an open line of communication with Representative Beutler and other selected officials as we will need to work with these folks to develop one or more strategies to benefit those in the Chehalis River basin and in other local, national and international, community-based conservation efforts the SSCS is actively involved with (Elwha River restoration, Bristol Bay protection, reformed Atlantic salmon feedlot practices, restoration and protection of Snake River salmon and steelhead trout and many other important conservation efforts.

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“This is great, thanks and best to all of you as well.

Let me know if we can ever provide more images for you, happy to do so.”

Dave McCoy Owner and Head Guide Emerald Water Anglers Seattle, Washington

Hopefully you and other conservationists value the efforts of the SSCS as we work with policy makers having differing views and values as your opinions are vitally important when electing and appointing those who actually represent those who elect them.

THE LEADER Thank you, John...

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Issue 9

September 2011

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Message from Canada’s Minister of Fisheries and September 2011 Issue 9 Oceans – Canada’s Policy for Conservation of Wild 2011 Pacific Salmon

Geoff Regan ―As Canada‘s Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, it is my pleasure to present Canada’s Policy for Conservation of Wild Pacific Salmon.

This policy represents the culmination of five years of consultations withCanadians concerned about the protection of Pacific salmon. It will usher in a significant new approach to the conservation of one of Canada‘s most valuable and cherished resources – wild Pacific salmon. Its adoption represents Fisheries and Oceans Canada‘s commitment to maintain healthy and diverse populations of salmon that will support sustainable fisheries now, and meet the needs of future generations.

This new approach specifies clear objectives, establishes strategies to meet them, and presents a decisionmaking process to ensure that choices made about salmon conservation reflect societal values. The policy places conservation of salmon and their habitats as the first priority for resource management.

It gives tangible effect to this principle by committing to safeguard the genetic diversity of wild salmon, and maintain habitat and ecosystem integrity. The policy also considers the values that the harvesting of Pacific salmon provide to people. It reflects a management framework that will provide care and respect for the resource and its ecosystem, and for the people who rely on it for food and spiritual needs, for recreation, and for their livelihood.

I would like to thank the hundreds of dedicated Canadians who participated in our consultations and contributed to the completion of this policy. Their expertise, their dedication, and their passionate advocacy for the well-being of this precious resource have been of immeasurable value and have helped us to improve the policy as it was being developed.

While the adoption of this policy is a significant step, the work to secure the future of Pacific salmon is just beginning. My Department is fully committed to its implementation, but we know that full success in meeting its objectives will depend upon cooperation among all who have an interest in wild Pacific salmon. I am confident that with the sustained efforts of First Nations, fishers, environmental groups, and members of the public, we will together be able to make real and lasting change.

I look forward to working with all groups to implement this policy and secure a brighter future for salmon.‖

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The Honourable Geoff Regan P.C. M.P. Minister of Fisheries and Oceans

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Issue Mor9e regarding AtlanticSeptember Salmon Fa2011 rms Mary Ellen Walling, Executive Director of the BC Salmon Farmers Association headquartered in Campbell River, says…

Some suggest that salmon farms should be landbased, but that creates a variety of other problems, Walling says.

Growing fish to market size in closed containment facilities raises concerns about the density of fish, feed, bio-security needs, and pumps. ―To grow a fish from a tiny egg to where it‘s ready for market would require a huge draw on power for the pumps alone, and we already have a shortage of power on Vancouver Island,‖• she notes. ―And from an animal health perspective, veterinarians would start worrying about fish welfare and crowding, which could result in disease outbreak and failure to thrive.‖

Open floating salmon net pens

With sea pens, there‘s lots of room, which allows for fish movement and schooling, and fish waste is part of the natural eco-system.

For marketing purposes, if the salmon were completely raised in closed containment systems people would be concerned about the quality of the species swimming in suspended feces. ―Not to mention the added costs related to rearing salmon on land. ―The U.S. market is so competitive, we wouldn‘t be able to offset those added costs,― she says.

Chicken, for example, takes just six weeks to move from an egg to a fryer ready for the consumption. For salmon, it‘s two and a half years from egg to market.

That leaves a lot more opportunity for error and loss of investment. ―We have to grow a fish that much longer, so we better be paying close attention all along the way,‖• she says.

Closed containment, floating salmon net pens

B.C. farmed salmon has earned a good reputation throughout North America for its quality. At the annual Eat! Vancouver trade show which attracted 34, 000 visitors last month, Walling says the Salmon Farmers‗ booth was one of the busiest booths, and they handed out 1, 500 pounds of salmon. As Canadians, we‘re not big seafood eaters, although we are in B.C.,‖• she says, adding the popularity of Sushi has been good for the salmon industry. ―It‘s been a great entry into the market for us, as they demand a high quality product.‖•

P a gsalmon e 23 Land-based, closed containment Atlantic feedlots THE LEADER

edlots September 2011 Issue 9 Atlantic Salmon Fe

An Industry Perspective2011 Salmon disease would hurt fish farms

By Grant Warkentin Times Colonist July 26, 2011 Re: "Infectious salmon disease would spell big trouble,"

Once again, D.C. Reid attempts to raise a cloud of fear, uncertainty and doubt around salmon farming in B.C. by misrepresenting science. His column tries to argue that salmon farms could bring an exotic disease to B.C., therefore salmon farms should be shut down.

Banana imports could bring venomous spiders to B.C., but that doesn't mean we should cease all banana imports.

It means we take measures to eliminate the risks, just like salmon farmers do to farm salmon in a responsible, environmentally friendly way.

The truth is, salmon farmers stand to lose the most if infectious salmon anemia ever appeared in B.C. waters. It is highly lethal to farmed Atlantic salmon (it is not lethal to Pacific salmon).

That's why strict fish health protocols are followed and regular tests are done to make sure it doesn't come here.

The last decade of fish health reports by the provincial government specifically show zero instances of suspected ISA infections in B.C. farmed salmon, and these reports are available for the public to read for themselves on the Agriculture Ministry's website.

Grant Warkentin Mainstream Canada

Editor’s note: Mainstream Canada is owned and operated by Norwegian-owned, Cermaq

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Cohen Commis sion Issue 9 September 2011 Impacts of Farmed Atlantic Salmon Public Testimony Process and Schedule Thank you for taking the time to write the commission and for your words of encouragement.

Our Executive Director, Dr. Perra, forwarded me your e-mail to him (see bottom of this e-mail).

I do not know if you are aware of this, but the commission has a Public Submission process. If you would like your comment below (or any other comments that you might have) to be a Public Submission, then please submit it through our website here: http://cohencommission.ca/en/submissions/Publ icSubmissions.php.

I'm writing to commend you and others associated with the vey important Cohen Commission responsible for evaluating the mountains of documents and other evidence along with a great deal of public and corporate testimony regarding the decline of Fraser River sockeye salmon and the benefits and costs associated with open, pen-raised Atlantic salmon in large farms in many locations throughout British Columbia's pristine marine waters.

These same waters are home to several species of highly valued, wild Pacific salmon, steelhead trout and a vast number of marine mammals.

I see that you are hoping to be able to review our commission‘s findings in preparation for your international symposium in May 2012.

The concern that these farmed Atlantic salmon and the practices associated with raising them to marketable sizes are directly responsible for health, economic, environmental, social and cultural impacts, especially in regards to the extremely valuable and improtant Fraser River sockeye salmon, is vitally important to those of us working daily to protect and restore one or more of these magnificent species.

Just to update you regarding the commission‘s timelines, unfortunately our final report will not be released by that time.

The ongoing work to understand the impacts associated! with farmed salmon practices is important to many around the globe; including those of us in the Steelhead and Salmon Conservation Society.

However, our transcripts and exhibits and other related material will be available on our website so hopefully those may be useful to you in your preparations.

Many of the benefits and costs associated with Farmed Atlantic salmon practices will be further vetted during the May 29 - 31, 2012 , SSCS-hosted "International Farmed Atlantic Salmon" symposium to be held at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.

Sincerely, Maia Tsurumi

The long-awaited findings of the very important Cohen Commission will be extremely valuable as we prepare for next spring's informative symposium.

Junior Commission Counsel Cohen Commission of Inquiry Suite 2800, PO Box 11530 650 West Georgia Street Vancouver, BC V6B 4N7 Direct Line: 604 658-3653 Fax: 604 658 3644 Email: maia.tsurumi@cohencommission.ca www.cohencommission.ca

We look forward to reviewing the Cohen Commission findings regarding British Columbia's policies and regulations associated with Farmed Atlantic salmon practices and their many impacts to Fraser River sockeye salmon and to those who rely on them.

Thank you.

Sincerely, JAMES E. WILCOX Steelhead and Salmon Conservation Society http://NWSSCS.blogspot.com

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Depa9rtment of Fisheries September and Oceans2011 – Issue Canadian Scientists “Gagged” R2011 egarding Atlantic Salmon Feedlots “Canada's Prime Minister muzzles scientists say Elizabeth May” DATE: 28 JULY 2011 POSTED BY : EDITED BY JOHN STOKES

OTTAWA -- The Green Party of Canada is calling on the Minister of Fisheries, Keith Ashfield to un-muzzle scientists in the wake of fisheries scientist Kristi Miller being prevented from speaking to the press. ―We have a world-class scientist in Kristi Miller and her research is incredibly important to our salmon populations and yet she is unable to grant interviews to the press,‖ said Green Leader and MP for Saanich-Gulf Islands Elizabeth May. ―This is totally unacceptable. Miller‘s work has been published in Science, one of the world‘s most prestigious journals, and yet the public is being blocked from learning about her research.‖ ―As a nation, we should be terribly concerned about crashing salmon populations and we should have access to the research of our own government scientists that can help us to fix this problem,‖ said Green Fisheries Critic Janice Harvey. ―The entire convoluted process that government scientists have to jump through to access media is completely ridiculous.‖ Kristi Miller leads a salmon genetics project at the federal Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island, operated by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. She has been researching possible genetic factors associated with increased death rates of sockeye salmon. After her research started to gain worldwide attention, the Privy Council Office ordered her not to speak publicly and prevented any interviews by journalists. ―Muzzling Kristi Miller is unfortunately part of a larger pattern of the Harper government silencing scientists from all departments, preventing any information from reaching the public. Any information that does emerge is carefully screened and scripted by political communications officers in Ottawa,‖ said May. Elizabeth May has pledged her support to the Canadian Science Writers‘ Association who are working to end the muzzling of Canadian government scientists.

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September FIssue arm9ed Salmon - C onfiden2011 tial Sunday, 07 August 2011 18:00

“Farmed Salmon Confidential (Part 1): ISA and the Cohen Commission” Written by The Common Sense Canadian

Part 1 of a 2-part series - read Part 2 here This past year, the Norwegian-controlled salmon farming industry spent $1.5 million on a glitzy advertising campaign in BC, which essentially denied the impacts of open net cage salmon farms on wild fish and the marine environment. The ads left viewers with the impression the industry‘s critics are nothing but a bunch of raving conspiracy theorists.

At the same time, unbeknownst to the public, the salmon farmers were facing their toughest hurdle to date – and it was no longer about sea lice, as it has so often been in the past. The subject matter was of a much smaller but infinitely more damaging nature – the possibility that viruses connected to their operations were not only devastating their own farmed fish in places like Chile, but could potentially be linked to mysterious crashes of iconic wild salmon runs on Canada‘s west coast. What‘s worse, it‘s now clear the industry knew about these problems and has done everything in its power to keep them from the public.

ISA and Salmon Leukemia Largely thanks to the Cohen Commission into collapsing Fraser River sockeye stocks, significant new information has been trickling out over the past year, which – when one assembles the pieces of the puzzle – reveals a coordinated cover-up by the industry of this damaging information, aided by both the BC and Canadian governments. As the aquaculture portion of the Cohen Commission in late August and September draws near, The Common Sense Canadian will attempt through a two-part feature this week to connect the dots and reveal the nature of this cover-up to our readers.

There are two different viruses at issue here – the first, Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA) was responsible for decimating up to 80% of the farmed salmon industry in Chile throughout 2008 and 2009 and has affected Norway, Scotland and the East Coast of Canada. While it isn‘t known officially to affect wild Pacific salmon yet, the concern is that it may mutate (or may already have done so – more on that later), with catastrophic results for our wild fish.

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Issue 9

September 2011

The second is known as Salmon Leukemia and results in brain lesions which are likely already affecting BC‘s wild salmon stocks. Research on this virus is newer than with ISA and the potential of a connection to salmon farms requires immediate further investigation.

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Salmon Leukemia was the subject of a recent paper published by DFO scientist Dr. Kristi Miller – whose muzzling by officials connected to the Prime Minister‘s office has made headlines. The world‘s most prestigious journal, Science, called Dr. Miller‘s paper some of the most significant new salmon research in a decade, and yet she was barred from speaking with any media following its publication in January of this year. (More on that in Part 2 of this series).

The Chile Report We will begin here with ISA and the topic of ―vertical transmission‖ – which refers to the passing of the disease from parent to offspring through eggs. In Canada, DFO has maintained that the disease doesn‘t travel this way (evident in correspondence with salmon biologist Alexandra Morton, who began raising concerns about ―vertical transmission‖ to DFO in 2009). But that‘s in direct contrast to what the best research out of Norway has been showing for almost three years now.

In November 2008, the scientific journal Archives of Virology published a paper titled, ―ISA virus in Chile: evidence of vertical transmission‖ – which identified an unnamed Norwegian broodstock company as being responsible for spreading ISA to Chile from Norway via infected eggs.

Immediately following the paper‘s publication, the Norwegian broodstock company AquaGen (whose shareholders include the world‘s #1 and #2 salmon farming companies – Marine Harvest and Cermaq) filed a formal complaint with Norway‘s National Commission for the Investigation of Scientific Misconduct, charging the paper‘s findings were inaccurate. In doing so, they (AquaGen) outed themselves as the previously unnamed subject of the report. Cermaq, who had financed the scientific research via lead author and company employee Dr. Siri Vike (and owned more than 12% of the subject egg company) said nothing at the time.

It was only in April 2011, over two years after the complaint, that Norway‘s National Commission for the Investigation of Scientific Misconduct unanimously ruled that the scientific research was valid.

Cermaq was faced with no choice but to come out publicly in support of the research and in late April Dr. Siri Vike gave a presentation in Oslo, Norway, acknowledging the vertical transmission of ISA to Chile from Norway. Cermaq published the presentation – ―Preventative Fish Health Work‖ – very quietly on their website in early May. Unfortunately for Cermaq – which is over 40% owned by the Norwegian Government – sometime in late June of this year the company ―accidentally posted online‖ private minutes of a ―Cermaq Corporate Team‖ meeting in April. The notes referred to the ―very sensitive‖ situation in B.C. and stated that: ―[Salmon farm activist Don] Staniford has been twittering about Siri Vike and the article on the ISA virus and how it originated from Norway."

Following the publication of the private minutes in full online by Alexandra Morton in early July, Cermaq responded with an article on ―The real ISA 'situation in BC' for Mainstream Canada‖ – which claimed that ―the research mentioned has to do with Chile and Norway, and nothing to do with Canada,‖ and, ―there is no ISA present in our broodstock.‖ The Secret ISA Files The industry flatly denies ISA is here in BC – and yet we would do to be cautious, as some 12 million Atlantic salmon eggs have entered BC since 2004. And according to legal discussions that emerged recently from the Cohen Commission – as reported by Mark Hume in the Globe and Mail this past May – documents show that the symptoms of ISA are already being detected in BC’s farmed fish.

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According to Hume, Alexandra Morton‘s lawyer at the Commission, Greg McDade, submitted theses Issue 9 Cohen in an effort to have his client released September 2011 facts to Justice from the Commission‘s confidentiality undertaking so she could pass this ISA information to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. McDade wrote to the Commission, ―There are approximately 35 indications of the existence of ISA identified in these records to date. Of great biological concern is that some of these diagnoses are in Pacific salmon, suggesting potential spread of a novel and virulent virus into native populations may be underway into the North Pacific.‖ In other words, ISA could already be here in BC - and may already be mutating to affect wild salmon.

And why wouldn‘t it be? Canada doesn't even ask foreign hatcheries to report ISA on the certificate they have to sign before shipping eggs to BC – and ISA was not reportable on BC farms until January of this year. Bear in mind these are the same companies operating here as in Chile.

The industry‘s lawyers fought McDade‘s request to have his client released to share these documents with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (who has a legal obligation to know this information).

Dr. Alexandra Morton and her lawyer Greg McDade - pictured here in front of the BC Supreme Court in 2009

The BCSFA successfully argued against the disclosure of disease data during to the Cohen Commission, with Justice Cohen ruling in June that information must be kept confidential until the evidentiary hearings on aquaculture.

In May, the BCSFA conceded that should disease data be disclosed publicly there would be a ―likelihood of misuse and irrevocable damage to the economic interests and reputations of participants and individuals.‖ In another submission to the Cohen Commission in May, the BCSFA admitted, ―Irreparable damage will occur to the reputations and economic interests of the BCSFA‘s member companies and their shareholders.‖ But the industry‘s efforts to keep this disease data under wraps may prove short-lived, as much of it is expected to enter the public record during the Inquiry‘s aquaculture hearings from August 21 through September 8 – in which case the cat would truly be out of the bag.

Watch for Part 2 of "Farmed Salmon Confidential" this Thursday, as we discuss Salmon Leukemia and reveal the lengths to which the industry has gone to prevent testing of their farms and the publication of disease records that it says would cause “irreparable” and “irrevocable” financial damage to these Norwegian corporations.

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“Farmed Salmon Confidential (Part 2): The CoverSeptember 2011 Issue 9 up”

Written by The Common Sense Canadian

2011

Part 2 of a 2-part series - read part 1 here.

When does a foreign-owned corporation‘s right to protect its share price trump the environment and Canadian public‘s rights? Apparently, when it‘s the Norwegian salmon farming industry.

Numerous instances from the past several years reveal a pattern of salmon farmers resisting transparency when it comes to disease and parasite monitoring - and the excuse often given is severe financial damage to the companies involved. But if there‘s nothing untoward about their operations, as they maintain, then how could the release of said data prove so damaging to their bottom line?

Norwegian Shareholders Before BC’s Wild Salmon Documents obtained by The Common Sense Canadian reveal that the Norwegian-owned companies Marine Harvest and Cermaq (who together control three quarters of B.C.‘s salmon farms) have been lobbying behind the scenes since at least 2008 for the Government not to release disease information. The BC Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA) also successfully argued against the disclosure of disease data during the Cohen Inquiry, with Justice Cohen ruling in June that information must be kept confidential until the evidentiary hearings on aquaculture.

Clearly, these companies are very worried about this information getting out to the public.

Marine Harvest admitted in a submission to the Office of the Information & Privacy Commissioner in 2008 that the release of disease information ―would cause significant commercial harm,‖ ―undue financial loss‖ and that ―Marine Harvest Canada‘s reputation could be tarnished and sales volume reduced‖. It further stated: ―Marine Harvest is a publicly traded company on the Oslo Stock Exchange and as such, corporate reputation is very important in maintaining share price and shareholder loyalty.‖ (On a side note, has this industry even informed their shareholders of the risk of Infectious Salmon Anemia in BC?) Marine Harvest‘s largest shareholder, incidentally, is Norway‘s richest man, John Fredriksen, worth over $10 billion. (In 2007, while fishing on Norway‘s River Alta, Fredriksen admitted to the Altaposten Newspaper, ―I‘m concerned about the future of wild salmon. Move salmon farms out of the path of wild salmon.‖) Meanwhile, Cermaq - who operate in Canada as Mainstream and whose largest shareholder is the Norwegian Government - claimed in another submission in 2008 to the Office of the Information & Privacy Commissioner that ―disclosure would result in "undue financial loss" to Mainstream,‖ ―damage Mainstream‘s business‖ and referred to ―the harm which such information in the wrong hands can do.‖

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Issue 9

September 2011

Similar statements were made by the BCSFA in submissions to the Cohen Inquiry in May this year. +The industry lobby conceded that should disease data be disclosed publicly there would be a ―likelihood of misuse and irrevocable damage to the economic interests and reputations of participants and individuals.‖ In another submission to the Cohen Inquiry in May, the BCSFA admitted, ―Irreparable damage will occur to the reputations and economic interests of the BCSFA‘s member companies and their shareholders.‖ While the BCSFA – whose members include the Norwegian companies Marine Harvest, Cermaq and Grieg – has been privately lobbying for the non-disclosure of disease data, they have issued public statements claiming ―good health‖ and ―healthy fish‖ on BC salmon feedlots. This is despite the fact that in April 2010, BC‘s salmon farmers began refusing access to government inspectors to carry out disease monitoring.

Meanwhile, even the data the industry group wants the public to see reveals a host of deadly diseases, viruses, pathogens and bacteria since 2003 (published online via the "BCSFA Fish Health Database").

The latest disease data for Q1 2010 (2011 information is still not publicly available) reports the existence of: Lepeophtheirus Infection, Myxobacterial Infection, Viral Haemorrhagic Septicemia Virus Infection, Aeromonas salmonicida Infection and Piscirickettsia salmonis Infection on BC farms. A financial report published recently by Marine Harvest also reveals that the parasite Kudoa cost the company in Canada $4 million and resulted in reduced prices (kudoa causes myoliquefaction or softflesh syndrome which is off-putting to buyers).

Dr. Kristi Miller and Salmon Leukemia

Dr. Kristi Miller, muzzled by the Harper Government, will take the stand at the Cohen Commission on August 24

It‘s not just the industry that seems intent on keeping potentially damaging data in locked filing cabinets. The case of Dr. Kristi Miller has recently made headlines across the country.

Dr. Miller‘s work was hailed by the world‘s top scientific journal Science as a breakthrough when it published her paper in January of this year.

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September 2011 In BC, Miller had - which causes brain lesions Issue 9stumbled onto a disease known as Salmon Leukemia in salmon that may be related to pre-spawn mortality (when fish die just before making it back to their

2011

home rivers to spawn). Dr. Miller was barred from speaking to the media about her findings by the Privy Council, which supports the Prime Minister‘s Office. This isn‘t surprising when you view a PowerPoint of hers released already as an exhibit by the Cohen Inquiry on March 17, which suggests Salmon Leukemia is causing brain tumors in our sockeye and relates the virus to salmon farms.

To what extent this disease is related to salmon farms on BC‘s coast and/or collapsing Fraser River sockeye stocks remains to be seen, but Dr. Miller will finally have her chance to answer questions when she‘s on the stand and under oath during the Cohen Commission‘s ―Diseases‖ hearing on August 24.

This will be one of the big questions to be answered at the Judicial Inquiry: ―To what extent is Salmon Leukemia affecting Fraser River salmon stocks?‖ Is ISA Here?

The other big question is: ―Is Infectious Salmon Anaemia in British Columbia – and, if so, how is it affecting/could it affect wild salmon?‖ And If ISA isn‘t lurking in B.C., what other deadly diseases could possibly precipitate such ―irrevocable‖ and ―irreparable‖ financial meltdown were they to be revealed publicly? In Chile, ISA precipitated a financial meltdown which caused an estimated $2 billion in losses as up to 80% of farms were shut down in just a few years.

The Globe & Mail reported in May (in data submitted to the Cohen Inquiry): ―There are approximately 35 indications of the existence of ISA identified in these records to date.‖ But Cermaq maintain, ―ISA is not here,‖ and, ―ISA is an East coast disease.‖ Cermaq‘s Communications Officer in Canada, Grant Warkentin, claimed in a letter to The CourierIslander in May: ―There is no ISA here; the disease is catastrophic for Atlantic salmon, so of course

farmers are always looking for it; and again, there is no ISA here.‖ Cermaq‘s Communications and Corporate Sustainability Manager in Canada, Laurie Jensen, claimed during a public meeting in Tofi Dr. Miller‘s work was hailed by the world‘s top scientific journal Science as a breakthrough when it published her paper in January of this year. no in June that ―ISA is an East coast disease, not a West coast disease‖ and that symptoms of ISA are not in British Columbia.

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Issue September 2011 in BC. An 9 article, ―Are our fish safe from ISA?‖, published in their newsletter in August 2009 Marine Harvest Canada, for their part, concede that there is no guarantee that ISA will not appear concluded: ―Can we guarantee that Marine Harvest Canada will never see ISA? Realistically no, but Marine Harvest Canada will continue to do everything within its power to minimize its likelihood of occurring and mitigate its impact should it ever be found.‖ The BCSFA continue to claim publicly at least that ―there are no findings of exotic disease‖ (January 2011) and an ―absence of exotic disease‖ (May 2011). The BCSFA flatly stated in a recent letter to The Courier-Islander, ―ISA has not been found here.‖ Significantly, the letter also admitted that imports of eggs to B.C. continue, despite the science showing vertical transmission: ―The small percentage of eggs that are imported are under strict regulations: including limiting sources to countries that have never seen ISA, as well as quarantine and testing programs before they're ever used.‖ Judgment Day Judgment Day may be fast approaching for the three Norwegian multinationals – Marine Harvest, Cermaq and Grieg – which control 92% of the BC salmon farming industry. In addition to the scientists, government and industry officials to take the stand, after years of pushing by the industry‘s critics, 10 years of disease data for 120 salmon farms in B.C. will be submitted to public scrutiny for the first time.

If and when compelling new evidence comes to bear – on the public record, there for media to freely report – connecting BC‘s declining salmon populations with diseases related to the salmon farming industry, the fall-out for the industry could indeed be as severe as it fears. Those flashy TV ads professing the industry‘s utter innocence would certainly come back to haunt it, as would all the years of obstructing the communication of important science to the public whose wild salmon and marine environment are at stake.

After all, as Watergate taught us, ―it‘s not the crime, it‘s the cover-up.‖ Is the Norwegian salmon farming industry in line for a Nixonian fall?

Be there at the Cohen Commission starting August 22 to find out for yourself – or stay tuned to The Common Sense Canadian for our extensive coverage.

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Issue Social9Media and FisherieSeptember s Conservat2011 ion 2011 The Steelhead and Salmon Conservation Society strives to communicate effectively with our members, sponsors, conservation colleagues and others following the SSCS-endorsed, community-supported conservation efforts throughout the historic range of Pacific salmon and steelhead trout.

In addition to publishing our monthly newsletter, The Leader, and maintaining our website at http://NWSSCS.blogspot.com, the SSCS is taking advantage of several social media tools including Facebook, Twitter and Skype to communicate with those interested in the conservation work that SSCS volunteers are involved in on a daily basis.

An example of what you might expect if you were to follow the SSCS and other conservationists communicating via Facebook is published below. This exchange has to do with the upcoming Cohen Commission hearings associated with declining Fraser River Sockeye salmon populations:

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Issue 9

September 2011

E Eddiittoorr’’ss nnoottee:: T Thhiiss ppoosstteerr pprroovviiddeedd bbyy SalmonAreSacred.org ccoom mbbiinneess tthhee ttw woo m maajjoorr ttooppiiccss pprreesseenntteedd bbyy tthhee S Stteeeellhheeaadd aanndd S Saallm moonn C Coonnsseerrvvaattiioonn S Soocciieettyy iinn tthhiiss iissssuuee ooff T Thhee LLeeaaddeerr;; tthhee

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bbeenneeffiittss ooff hheeaalltthhyy rriivveerr ssyysstteem mss aanndd tthhee iim mm meeddiiaattee nneeeedd ffoorr rreeffoorrm m ooff ssaallm moonn ffaarrm miinngg pprraaccttiicceess..

ore from 2011 September IssueV9ision, Mission and m Salmon Farm Industry Webs2011 ites:

Mainstream Canada

Marine Harvest Marine Harvest is the world's leading seafood company and largest producer of farmed salmon.

Aquaculture is changing the seafood industry, and Marine Harvest is playing an important role in that change – leading the way with innovation and responsibility.

Marine Harvest is a truly international organisation offering a broad range of opportunities and challenges to a variety of people who have chosen to make their career a quest.

Marine Harvest is organised into five major business units, and four smaller units. The head office is located to Oslo, Norway. All the major business units have their own HR departments, and employ their own staff. Although we always try to find the best candidates, we do not have a large group of expatriates. Read more about our organisation here.

Cermaq Cermaq’s vision is to be one of the global leaders in the aquaculture industry, with main focus on sustainable farming of, and production of feed to salmon and trout.

We are committed to creating value for shareholders through sustainable aquaculture. achieve this objective, we will remain focused on customers and suppliers and on maintaining quality of our product.

our To our the

We also recognize that the key to achieving improved revenues through sustainable aquaculture is to demonstrate our respect for each other, the consumer, and the communities and environment in which we operate.

The Mainstream Group is the world‘s second largest producer of farmed salmon and trout.

With operations in Canada, Chile, Scotland and Norway, the Mainstream Group produces over 110,000 metric tonnes of farmed salmon annually, and employs 3400+ people in coastal communities throughout the producing regions.

AquaBounty Our mission is to play a significant part in ―The Blue Revolution‖ – bringing together biological sciences and molecular technology to enable an aquaculture industry capable of large-scale, efficient, and environmentally sustainable production of high quality seafood.

Increased growth rates, enhanced resistance to disease, better food-conversion rates, manageable breeding cycles, and more efficient use of aquatic production systems are all important components of a sustainable aquaculture industry of the future.

American Gold Seafoods Our Business Philosophy The objective of our business is to provide a high quality product and reliable service for our customers...

We try to bring our passion for life to you through our product and the care that is taken both in the raising of our Salmon and the waters they are grown in.

Aquaculture and Farmed Salmon Production: It's Part of the Global P a g Solution e 36 Environmentally Sustainable

THE LEADER

Issue 9

September 2011

“Salmon are life. They give everything to

continue a cycle that feeds all we love. They don't stop half way to the spawning grounds

Elly Edwards “Justice for Wild Salmon”

and decide it's too hard a trek.” – Elly Edwards

All of you who support the survival of wild salmon know that wild salmon are part of a cycle so beautiful, so mesmerizing, so life giving as to break one's heart to imagine this world without them.

Salmon are life. They give everything to continue a cycle that feeds all we love. They don't stop half way to the spawning grounds and decide it's too hard a trek. They gather every last reserve of energy and push onwards, upwards, against every imaginable obstacle to arrive battered and beaten to the spawning grounds where they give life and die. And even in death their bodies feed the soil, the forests, the earth. What greater gift is there?

The threats to wild salmon are many and the government is failing miserably at protecting them. Industrial growth does not respect the gift that salmon are and the government is dependent on such growth.

This August 22- September 8 we have a chance to give something back to the wild salmon.

At 701 West Georgia St., Vancouver, on the 8th floor, the Cohen Commission's Inquiry Into the Decline of the Fraser River Sockeye Salmon has been ongoing since October 25, when hundreds of people wanting wild salmon protected marched to the opening day of the commission to demand the release of disease and health records from the salmon farms that have spread across the coast like a cancer, and with similar effects.

In December of 2010, it was good news to hear that records from 120 farms spanning 10 years were to be released for examination at the Cohen Commission. The release of these records did not come willingly from the BCSFA. Dr. Alexandra Morton, Stan Proboszcz and others worked tirelessly to make that happen.

After months of waiting, disease and aquaculture is finally up for examination in court. Dr Kristi Miller will no longer be muzzled (be there August 24th to hear her testify), nor the secrets between DFO and the aquaculture industry secret any longer.

Big industries that profit from destroying the landbase (like the Norwegian owned salmon farms) love it when "enviros" fail.

The members of the BC Salmon Farmers Association would love to be the only ones in that courtroom, smirking at a room devoid of those who claim to want wild salmon protected from salmon farms. We cannot let that happen.

There are 130 seats in that courtroom.

There are 9 days examining aquaculture, 3 days examining disease.

The hours are 10am-4pm with a 1 1/2 hour lunch break.

August 22,23,24,25,26/ 29,30,31 and Sept. 1,2,6,7,8.

Rally at the Vancouver Art Gallery on August 30th.

Having sat in that courtroom for hours on end, I can tell you it is a sad sight seeing the future of wild salmon being discussed in a room empty of people who want to protect them. Yes, it is a tiresome process to sit in such a stale room, and yes, it is sickening hearing how fragmented and ineffective DFO is. But what of the wild salmon and what they endure for us?

THE LEADER

There are over 2000 people in this group. 2000 people could remove those farms, but since that's not likely to happen, may 130 of you make a sacrifice for wild salmon and show up each day to ensure there is Justice for Wild Salmon.

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Chile’s Farms September 2011 Issue 9 Experience with Salmon (as published in Salon – February, 2010)

THURSDAY, FEB 25, 2010 15:07 ET

2011

Chile's farmed salmon disaster "Hogs of the sea" get blasted by a deadly virus. Who could have predicted it?

BY ANDREW LEONARD

Reuters/Victor Ruiz Caballero Workers clean salmon carcasses on a cleaning line at the Acuinova Chile salmonera company located some 1,625 km south of Santiago

Chile's loss is Norway's gain. After a virus that causes salmon anemia devastated Chile's salmon harvest, prices have spiked worldwide and Norway's salmon exporters are taking advantage. Chile had been the second biggest producer of salmon in the world, but is predicted to sell only about 90,000 tons this year, compared to 403,000 tons in 2008.

BusinessWeek has a recent story and so does the Financial Times. The Financial Times includes a single line speculating as to the cause of the virus outbreak: Environmental groups accuse Chile's salmon industry of over-crowding its cages for salmon and using too many chemicals.

But what neither report tells us is that 20 years ago, Chile had no salmon industry at all. Salmon are not indigenous to South America. Chile's entire production was farmed, and for years, a hefty proportion of the harvest went directly to WalMart. As Wal-Mart expanded its grocery offerings, so did Chile's salmon farms burgeon.

In 2006, Salon excerpted a chapter from Charles Fishman's excellent "The Wal-Mart Effect" that told the story of Chilean salmon. After learning of the Chilean salmon disaster from the International Political Economy Zone blog, I went back to review that chapter, and the following paragraph jumped out at me.

Salmon farming is starting to transform the ecology and environment of southern Chile too, with tens of millions of salmon living in vast ocean corrals, their excess food and feces settling to the ocean floor beneath the pens, and dozens of salmon processing plants dumping untreated salmon entrails directly into the ocean.

Who could have predicted that the mass forced farming of an exotic fish to please the Wal-Mart low-price palate would result in a horrific virus-borne plague of anemia?

Back to Fishman: "Have you ever seen a hog farm?" asks Gerry Leape, vice president of marine conservation for the National Environmental Trust, a Washington-based environmental nonprofit group. "These fish are the hogs of the sea. They live in the same sort of conditions, it's just in water. They pack them really closely together, they use a lot of prophylactic antibiotics, not to treat disease, but to prevent it. There's lots of concentrated fish waste, it creates dead zones in the ocean around the pens."

(Wal-Mart, incidentally, stopped buying Chilean salmon in July.) The Chilean government is now working on new laws to govern salmon farming designed to ensure healthier fish, but in the meantime the whole sorry saga offers a potent metaphor for the dangers inherent in any kind of industrial production of animals.

THE LEADER

Andrew Leonard is a staff writer at Salon. On Twitter, @koxinga21. More: Andrew Leonard

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Photos Issue 9 Guest Articles andSeptember 2011 Elwha River Restoration

by Hal Michael – SSCS member Restoration of the Elwha has been an interest, and was part of my job, for quite a while.

The dam removal is presenting us with not only a unique restoration opportunity but a great risk. The Elwha, with the dams removed, is essentially pristine habitat. Free flowing, subject to the vagaries of precipitation, no development or logging in most of the watershed.

If anadromous salmonids cannot be restored to dynamic, abundant populations containing all of the life history trajectories possible for the watershed, then is there hope for restoration/recovery in more developed systems?

The onus is on the resource managers to get it right, the first time. Failure, or recovery measured in multiple decades before showing significant improvement, will provide ammunition to those wanting to keep dams because if dam removal does not work in pristine habitat why expect it to work elsewhere, like the Lower Snake?

The recent Op-Ed in the Seattle Times raises a serious issue about the commitment to recovery of steelhead, at least, and maybe the other species as well.

If current fishing patterns continue, if that pattern prevents sufficient old adults to return, then population success productivity will be lowered; perhaps low enough to preclude recovery.

Here, the agreement to not fish in the river for five years is more "feel-good" than anything else. Not fishing will allow more fish to spawn, but it will not allow more fish to survive to older ages before they spawn as that will take reduction in other fisheries.

At the same time, not fishing on chum, pink, sockeye, and steelhead will help them.

For steelhead, the Chambers Creek hatchery stock and its derivatives have a long literature record of being very unsuccessful at spawning in the wild, when successful they offer competition, and when they smolt they don't return. There is no way that these fish support recovery.

The situation becomes even more curious when the State and Tribe have publicly stated that there won't be any fishing in the Elwha for 5 years. Why plant fish with a track record of failure in the wild and purposefully make sure they spawn? If, on the other hand, there is going to be a fishery why not say so?

A question about salmon recovery, especially Chinook, is that recovery will all life history trajectories, ages, and sizes.

The marine mixed-stock fishing patterns have, over the last century, removed the older and faster growing segments of the population. The size of the adult Chinook was legendary; they did not get that large just to make fishermen happy. They were that large because being that size was necessary for optimum spawning success.

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Issue 9

September 2011 The Steelhead a nd Salmon Conservation 2011 Society Proudly Hosts:

2012 International Farmed Salmon Symposium May 29 – 31, 2012 University of British Columbia Vancouver Please send your sponsor and vendor inquiries to: SteelheadSalmon@yahoo.com

Symposium Details Published as they Develop:  The Leader  FaceBook: Steelhead Salmon  Web: Http://NWSSCS.blogspot.com Reduced Prices for On-campus Student Housing During Sympo sgiu m P a e 40 THE LEADER

Issue 9

September 2011

With limited seating available to the public during the historic hearings and symposiums listed below, “Salmon Heroes” like the “Caped Conservationists” above are on their way to secure their places. Your participation in one or more of these forums is especially important to the future of wild Pacific salmon and steelhead trout.  Cohen Commission Hearings – Fraser River Sockeye Salmon Decline (130 seats available each day - first come, first served)

Please listen here to Dr. Alexandra Morton speak to the e importance of public participation in the Cohen Commission .

Hearings (Editor’s note: Dr. Morton is the SSCS Marine Fisheries Advisor) . ) August 22 – September 8, 2011 

O Op pe en niin ng gT Te essttiim mo on nyy: August 22 D Diisse ea asse eT Te essiim mo on nyy: August 23 and 24



A Aq qu ua ac cu ullttu urre eT Te essttiim mo on nyy:: August 25, 26, 29, 30, 31 and September 1, 2, 6, 7, 8



Room 801, Federal Courthouse 701 West Georgia St., Vancouver, BC

 “Living with Western Washington Rivers” symposium (100 seats available) November 4, 2011 Veterans’ Memorial Museum 100 SW Veterans Way Chehalis, Washington

 “International Farmed Salmon” symposium (250 seats available) May 29 – 31, 2012 University of British Columbia Vancouver, BC

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SoIssue cially re9 sponsible corporations September (including tho2011 se on the next page) urge President Obama “to seize this 2011 opportunity and bring together all stakeholders…”

Editor’s note: The following letter to President Obama, US Representatives and Senators is further evidence of high costs to taxpayers, businesses and others that rely on sustainable wild fisheries. Costly, unhealthy practices impacting rivers and oceans will no longer be tolerated.

President Barack Obama 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, DC 20500 United States House of Representatives United States Senate Washington, DC Dear President Obama, Wild salmon and steelhead are some of America‘s greatest natural resources. For centuries, these iconic fish have fed our people, supported thousands of jobs, and brought life and productivity to our oceans and rivers. Though greatly diminished, wild salmon and steelhead are still essential to the economies, cultures and health of communities across the western United States.

Many of the undersigned businesses are directly connected to the salmon: fishing, food, outdoor recreation, and clean energy industries. The futures of our companies and employees depend on recovering wild salmon, protecting our foods and farms, and building a clean energy economy. As businesspeople, we see effective recovery as a catalyst for job creation and economic growth in many other sectors as well. We write today to ask you to restore the irreplaceable resource of Columbia-Snake Basin wild salmon and to do so in a manner that protects and expands job opportunities in our and other industries.

Many businesspeople whose livelihoods depend upon salmon, fishing, healthy rivers, outdoor recreation, and clean energy welcomed your presidency with hope and confidence – expecting much-needed change. Unfortunately, your administration continues to endorse an ineffective and illegal status quo Columbia Basin salmon policy. The federal court ruling that the current Columbia Basin plan is illegal provides the opportunity to make a decisive change that protects existing jobs and creates many more new ones by restoring the Northwest‘s priceless salmon and steelhead runs – once the largest in the world.

Columbia Basin salmon were first declared at risk of extinction nearly twenty years ago. Since then, taxpayers have spent more than $10 billion on restoration efforts that have been largely unsuccessful because they fail to address the real causes of decline. As a result, Pacific salmon state communities continue to lose thousands of jobs primarily in fishing-related industries. Defenders of salmon have slowed these losses with recent court victories over some of your federal agencies, but the downward population trend of wild salmon toward extinction will continue without a decisive change in Columbia Basin policy. Many of our businesses will shrink, and some will close, if your administration's old – and now discredited - salmon policy persists.

The previous administration‘s salmon plan that you adopted in 2010 is bad law and bad science. It is also killing jobs. Our salmon and our businesses deserve a new approach. We urge you to seize this opportunity and bring together all stakeholders – fishermen, farmers, utilities and others – to work together to craft a lawful, science-based plan that restores salmon, protects this important food source, puts thousands of people to work, and helps to build a cleaner energy future. We pledge our sustained support and assistance to make this collaboration successful.

Sincerely,

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September 2011

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and Salmon Conservation Society September 2011 Issue 9 Steelhead Membership Application

2011

Washington State not for profit corporation – UBI: 603009859

Please return your completed membership application and check to: SSCS Membership Is it time for 3322 104th Avenue SW Olympia, WA, 98512 membership

your SSCS renewal?

Your joining the Steelhead and Salmon Conservation Society is truly appreciated. Your completed application for a membership will be evaluated by the SSCS Membership Chairman. You‘ll be notified via an e-mail message regarding your SSCS membership status. Thank you for your interest in protecting and restoring the unique Pacific Northwest outdoors and our way of life.

Sponsored By: __________________________________________ Date Approved by SSCS: _________________________________ Your name: (print) __________________________________________________ Your address: (street)____________________________(city)________________ (state)__________(country) ________(postal code)____________ Your e-mail address:_________________________________________________ Your phone number:_________________________________________________ Membership Fee Structure – please select one: O Life: $1,000

Annual membership level: O Chinook: $500 O Steelhead: $100 O River Steward: $50 O Undergraduate: $35 O Student (12 – 18): $20 O Senior (62+): $20 O Commercial sponsor: $250

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What personal or professional skills will you contribute as a member of the Steelhead and Salmon Conservation Society?

O O O O O O O O

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THE LEADER

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