Tag Archives: DFO promoting fish farms

Environment, Politics

Q&A With NIPR’s Green Party On Some Key Environmental Questions

While the Canadian government likes to think of itself as a leader in environmental stewardship, there have been a number of concerns: 

  • A lack of urgency in addressing climate change
  • While the number of extreme weather events continues to increase in both size and magnitude, so does Canada’s production of the fossil fuel products that are the leading contributor to our emissions. In 2024, Canada’s oil production reached a record 5.7 million barrels per day, with  the oil sands accounting for approximately 57% of this output.
  • Weak enforcement and monitoring of environmental laws and regulations
  • According to COSEWIC, there are now 850 Canadian wildlife species at risk, but the government is very slow to respond to this growing crisis.

Cortes Currents emailed the Conservative, Green, Liberal, and NDP campaign headquarters in North Island Powell River (NIPR) a list of questions designed to get to the heart of this matter. So far only Mark de Bruijn, Campaign Manager for the Greens and a former Green candidate in 2019, has answered.  

Continue reading Q&A With NIPR’s Green Party On Some Key Environmental Questions →
Rivers & Oceans

Industry Journal: No Future For Net Pen Salmon CAFO?

There was some bad news this month for the Norwegian fish feedlot industry in Canada:  their own trade magazine featured the following headline:

The Critics Are Right: It’s Time To Close Down Salmon Farms
(link to text only version)

Continue reading Industry Journal: No Future For Net Pen Salmon CAFO? →
Rivers & Oceans

Salmon Update: CAFO Conditions, Mass Die-Offs, Manufactured Risks and License Renewals

Scientists at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden recently concluded that some farmed salmon die from depression. (This may not be too surprising, given the conditions in which they are kept.) In other recent research, a team of US and Canadian scientists has charted an ominous trend: mass die-offs of farmed salmon are increasing in both frequency and scale. Some observers question whether the industry, after decades of growth, may be past its peak and about to decline.

Meanwhile, DFO suggests that salmon farming licenses should be renewed this summer for six years rather than the current standard term of two years — only five years after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a campaign promise to shut down net-pen salmon farming in BC altogether by 2025.

Continue reading Salmon Update: CAFO Conditions, Mass Die-Offs, Manufactured Risks and License Renewals →
Rivers & Oceans

Report of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans

Originally published by the Parliament of Canada

On 1 February 2022, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans (the Committee) agreed to undertake a study to “examine how the Department of Fisheries and Oceans prioritizes, resources and develops scientific studies and advice for the department, how the results of scientific study are communicated to the Minister and Canadians, and how the minister applies data and advice provided by the department and other government departments to ministerial decisions.”The Committee heard from 57 witnesses over nine meetings held between 26 April 2022 and 7 October 2022.

Continue reading Report of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans →
Indigenous Nations, Rivers & Oceans

Recommendations from the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans

Originally published on by the Parliament of Canada

As a result of their deliberations committees may make recommendations which they include in their reports for the consideration of the House of Commons or the Government. Recommendations related to this study are listed below.

Continue reading Recommendations from the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans →