Vancouver Island salmon farm accused of putting diseased fish in ocean pens

Mmmm, tasty farmed fish.

Environmentalists are accusing a Vancouver Island salmon farm of putting diseased fish into ocean pens, in contravention of federal laws.

Ecojustice, acting on behalf of Vancouver Island biologist Alexandra Morton, launched a lawsuit in the Federal Court of Canada Wednesday challenging aquaculture licences given to companies believed to have put diseased fish in the water.

LINK (via:Times Colonist)

Cormorants to be killed to see if they eat protected salmon

Photo: Mike Baird

The definition of insanity.

Cormorants, which are protected by the Migratory Species Act, are being killed to see if they are eating protected salmon.

LINK (via: Oregon Live)

Court of Appeals Issues Landmark Ruling Concerning Effects of Three Pesticides on Salmon Species

On February 21, 2013, a three judge panel of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a unanimous landmark decision in Dow Agrosciences v. National Marine Fisheries Service setting aside a Biological Opinion (BiOp) prepared by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) that found that use of the pesticides chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and malathion could jeopardize the viability of certain species of salmon and their habitat.

This new decision will have far-reaching consequences because of the large number of pesticides that may be subject to referral to either the NMFS or the Fish and Wildlife Service (the Services) in connection with previous actions by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during pesticide reregistration or future actions by EPA during registration review.

LINK (via: Environmental Expert)

Mystery compound found to kill coho salmon

Stormwater runoff from highways appears to contain one or more unidentified compounds shown to be highly toxic to coho salmon and perhaps other salmon as well.

The problem has been studied only a few years. Now, experiments at Grover's Creek Hatchery in North Kitsap have confirmed that polluted stormwater has the ability to kill adult coho before they can spawn.

LINK (via: The Kitsap Sun)

Act now to protect BC’s Sacred Headwaters

In 2008, the B.C. government placed a moratorium on fracking plans for coal bed methane in the Sacred Headwaters. This remarkable region is the shared birthplace of three of B.C.’s great wild salmon rivers: the Skeena, Nass and Stikine.

The government moratorium on coalbed methane drilling in B.C.'s Sacred Headwaters is set to expire tomorrow.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT THE SACRED HEADWATERS.

Skeena salmon vs supertankers ....

Last month Save Our Skeena Salmon published THE SALMON RECIPES Stories of our Endangered North Coast Cuisine with all profits go to saving the BC coast from tankers.

This book came together over our concerns about a proposed oil tanker port invading our North Coast fiords and our historic salmon spawning waters, where the salmon return each year to renew the land and its people. When you embrace this spirit of renewal through our eyes, you will not only discover a vision of an amazingly rich cuisine-- you’ll come to understand and embrace the complex ecosystems of our land and its importance to our nations food security.

LINK