Hi, this is Aaron Gun, your member of Parliament for North Island-Powell River. I’m reaching out to personally invite you to join me on Cortes for a public town hall this Thursday, April 9th, starting at 7:00 PM at Manson’s Hall. Doors will open at 6:30.
Continue reading 7 PM April 9: Aaron Gunn Town Hall on Cortes IslandTag Archives: DFO
In wake of right whale’s death, feds launch overdue whale-safe gear strategy
Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Canada has rolled out its overdue whale-safe fishing gear strategy days after an endangered North Atlantic right whale, known as Division, died from entanglement after more than a month of suffering.
The four-year old male, which had been spotted in Canadian waters during the summer, was next sighted off the Georgia coast in early December severely ensnared by fishing lines cutting across his head and blowhole. Rescue crews were able to remove some of the gear and continued efforts to track and intercept the whale — but its health continued to decline before being confirmed dead on Jan. 27.
Continue reading In wake of right whale’s death, feds launch overdue whale-safe gear strategy
Appeal court ruling backs Discovery Islands salmon farm closures
Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Conservationists and many First Nations are celebrating a Federal Court of Appeal decision that upholds the closure of salmon farms in BC’s Discovery Islands.
A battle over the ultimate fate of open-net pen salmon farms in the region’s waters, between the mainland and northeastern Vancouver Island, has spanned close to five years.
Continue reading Appeal court ruling backs Discovery Islands salmon farm closures
Federal Court of Appeal Dismisses Mowi’s Challenge
The lengthy legal battle over salmon farming in British Columbia’s Discovery Islands reached a significant milestone on January 29, 2026, when the Federal Court of Appeal dismissed a challenge by MOWI. This decision follows five years of tension that began when former Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan mandated the removal of all salmon farms from the region by mid-2022. While the industry complied with the order, they simultaneously pursued a series of lawsuits to overturn the government’s directives. Following their latest defeat, Mia Parker, MOWI’s director of environmental performance and certification, emailed media “While we are disappointed that the federal court of appeal did not find in our favour, we respect the findings of the court.”
Continue reading Federal Court of Appeal Dismisses Mowi’s Challenge
Canada is claiming credit for tackling ghost gear, despite scuttling funding
Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Canada continues to tout itself as a “world leader” in tackling ghost gear’s threats to marine life and coastal communities even though funding for the program dried up in 2024.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s (DFO’s) former investments to address abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear, were axed without explanation by the federal Liberals more than a year ago, said Gord Johns, NDP MP for the Courtenay-Alberni riding on Vancouver Island.
Core pillars of the ghost gear program to retrieve the plastic pollution and responsibly dispose of, recycle, or return ghost gear, have been cut completely, or dramatically scaled back, since the program launched in 2020, Johns said. What’s more, Ottawa remains silent about future ghost gear funding after the release of the recent budget in November.
Continue reading Canada is claiming credit for tackling ghost gear, despite scuttling funding