Fish farm opponents to paddle down Fraser River for wild salmon

    1 of 1 2 of 1

      Opponents of fish farming in B.C. plan to canoe down the Fraser River to raise awareness about the controversial aquaculture practice.

      The Paddle for Wild Salmon is set to start in Hope on April 28 and stop at communities along the way to gather support as it heads toward the mouth of the river.

      The trip will coincide with another anti-fish-farm journey taking place on Vancouver Island. Called the Get Out Migration, that campaign involves a trek across the island to collect signatures on a petition. Led by biologist Alexandra Morton, the walk will begin in Sointula on April 22 and end with a rally at the legislature in Victoria on May 8.

      “Definitely the standards of practice need to change,” said Elena Edwards, the Mission-based organizer of the Paddle for Wild Salmon, who will also be gathering names. “There needs to be accountability.”

      The petition criticizes the practice of net-cage fish farming for endangering wild salmon and food security.

      Edwards, who also plans to take part in the May 8 rally, said she is still looking for paddlers and others to join in activities along the route. The trip down the Fraser River is expected to take several days.

      “It started off as a small idea, and everyone has just latched on to it,” said Edwards, who added that local First Nation groups are in support.

      The Fraser River placed fourth on an annual list of the top-10 endangered waterways in the province released by the Outdoor Recreation Council of B.C. The group highlighted declining fish stocks as one reason for the ranking, noting that the sockeye salmon returns in 2009 were the lowest seen in more than 50 years.

      Comments

      3 Comments

      Camero409

      Apr 16, 2010 at 7:35am

      Keep putting the pressure on this corrupt government, federally and provincially, to stop this massacre of out natural resource. I hope the next governments start listing to the people rather than the corporations. I think though I will never see it in my lifetime. Too much corruption at the bureaucratic level in Canada. Witness Campbell and Harper's current difficulties. Who's getting paid off? Vote them out!

      chauncy

      Apr 16, 2010 at 10:23am

      good for them! This government doesn't seem to understand that open pen fish farms in our ocean is harmful to wild salmon. It's time to put these farms in closed pens on dry land.

      ednabrass

      Apr 16, 2010 at 10:30pm

      Any thing that the native people need for survival has to be destroyed deliberately by government whom make their own laws; GET RID of the salmon farms and put a stop to DESTROYING the WATER. Wild SALMON is for traditional use and food.