Tag Archives: Cohen Commission

Rivers & Oceans

Before the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans: Was DFO’s ‘minimal risk’ assessment a cover-up?

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(Click here to access other presentations taken from the Committee.)

At the May 12 session of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, Stan Proboszcz, senior scientist at the Watershed Watch Salmon Society suggested that DFO covered-up some of its own research when it concluded fish farms pose ‘minimal risk’ to wild salmon. He said they appear to have reduced the number of science risk assessments from 10 to 9 because the evidence indicated sea lice harm wild sockeye.

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Rivers & Oceans

Pitfalls of DFO’s current approach and what could replace it

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(Click here to access other presentations taken from the Committee.)

Some of Canada’s top scientists are being asked to testify before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, While it is not clear exactly why this is happening, the common theme running through their presentations is the need for DFO to be more based in scientific evidences and less in the needs of industry.   

In the third of a series of broadcasts gleaned from these reports, Dr Andrew Bateman from the Pacific Salmon Foundation talks about pitfalls in DFO’s current approach and an existing model that could replace it.

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Rivers & Oceans

47 days until a decision must be made: sea lice and pathogens

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As we get closer to June 30, when the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has to decide whether to reissue the licenses for 79 British Columbian salmon farms, independent biologist Alexandra Morton points to yet more problems. 

A recent Global and Mail article revealed the existence of a decade old Department of Fisheries (DFO) report about the ‘transmission of the PRV virus from farmed to wild salmon.’

Morton said the fish farm industry has exceeded the three lice per fish threshold every week since the out-migration season began on March first. Two to five active farms have exceeded that limit every week, for the past five weeks. Morton claims that no sooner had the industry brought the lice on one farm under control, than another exceeds the limit. 

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Rivers & Oceans

Bernadette Jordan’s strategy to save Pacific Salmon stocks

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On June 8th, Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan announced the guiding principles of what may be largest government action to save Pacific Salmon stocks in Canadian history.

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Rivers & Oceans

Questioning the numbers: will 1,500 fish farm workers lose their jobs?

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This is the second in what has turned out to be a series of interviews about the need for a plan to help the 1,500 fish farm workers who will allegebly be losing their jobs because of the decision to phase out fish farms in the Discovery Islands.  Stan Proboszcz, Science Advisor with the Watershed Watch Salmon Society, is questioning the numbers. 

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