Speak out for the wild salmon | David Suzuki Foundation

Photo credit: Darren Kirby via Flickr.

It's time to act for our wild salmon.

Justice Bruce Cohen's report from the Judicial Inquiry into the Decline of Fraser River Sockeye Salmon has a strong conservation focus and makes 75 recommendations that, if implemented by the federal government, would go a long way toward recovering Pacific salmon in Canada.

Let our leaders know that you support the implementation of these important recommendations.

The David Suzuki Foundation helped ensure that the inquiry looked into problems within the current management system that affect our salmon, environment and communities. We guided the inquiry to use the world-class 2005 Wild Salmon Policy as a benchmark to evaluate performance.

The result is a thorough report that offers a blueprint for an integrated salmon rebuilding plan for Canada.

Highlights include:

- Strong recommendations with timelines, resource levels and reporting requirements to implement the existing Wild Salmon Policy and Habitat Management Policy. Fully implementing these policies would make Canada a world leader in salmon management, supporting fisheries and other salmon-dependent communities.

- Recognition that open net-cage fish farming near wild salmon migration routes by the Discovery Islands presents a high risk to wild salmon. It recommends a freeze on fish farm expansion and removal of farms if impacts of fish farms cannot be mitigated by 2020.

- Recommendations that promoting fish farming be removed from Fisheries and Oceans Canada's mandate, as promoting the industry while being charged with regulating it is a conflict of interest.

- A recommendation to create a wild salmon champion within government responsible for making sure we follow the Wild Salmon Policy.

- Recognition that British Columbians understand that in addition to the numerous benefits salmon give to people, healthy salmon populations are crucial for many other species, including trees, bears, orcas and eagles.

Now the real work must begin. Make sure that the federal government acts now to help rebuild Pacific salmon for the benefit of all.

Tell your MP and the Prime Minister you want to see these recommendations put into action.

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To:

Stephen Harper - Prime Minister of Canada <stephen.harper@parl.gc.ca>

Cc:

Minister of Fisheries and Oceans - Keith Ashfield <keith.ashfield@parl.gc.ca>
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans - MP Randy Kamp <Randy.Kamp@parl.gc.ca>
NDP Critic for Fisheries and Oceans - MP Fin Donnelly <Fin.Donnelly@parl.gc.ca>

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Dear Prime Minister Harper,

I encourage you to act on the 75 recommendations put forward by Justice Bruce Cohen in his report from the Judicial Inquiry into the Decline of Fraser River Sockeye Salmon.

The David Suzuki Foundation, along with many stakeholders and British Columbians, participated in the inquiry. Justice Cohen’s recommendations agreed with much of the information we put forward. The 1,000 plus page report is thorough and acting swiftly to put recommendations into place will have a significant impact on rebuilding our Pacific salmon stocks.

Canada’s Wild Salmon and Habitat Management policies, if implemented, would make Canada a world leader in salmon management, supporting fisheries and other salmon-dependent communities.

Your government has committed time and funding for this full federal inquiry and we’re confident that you will move ahead swiftly with recommendations that will ensure we have sustainable salmon fisheries into the future to benefit all British Columbians. There is no more fitting icon to symbolize the Pacific Coast than the salmon.

In addition to implementing policies that Canada already has, we’re hopeful that you’ll also put in place recommendations to immediately limit open net-cage fish farming and transition it to closed systems, remove promotion of fish farming from Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s mandate and create a role within government responsible for overseeing the Wild Salmon Policy.

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