Cohen report doesn’t blame fish farms
The Province Letters, November 5, 2012
It’s a shame that some have chosen to misrepresent the recommendations of the Cohen Report, A $26-million study looking at the recent decline of Fraser River sockeye.
Letter writer Jim Erkiletian is wrong to suggest the study states that “salmon farms decimate wild salmon populations.”
The judge actually states he found no evidence that salmon farms have a negative impact on Fraser River sockeye — but suggests that research continue to prove minimal risk. B.C. salmon farmers support this recommendation.
The report says there is “no smoking gun” and that a myriad of issues including rising water temperatures, habitat loss, implementation of the wild salmon policy and salmon enhancement require attention.
Salmon aquaculture takes fishing pressure off wild salmon, an important part of salmon conservation. It’s therefore important that people such as Mr. Erkiletian not misrepresent the findings of a report that can help us focus on what is important to the long-term sustainability of wild salmon.
Ian Roberts, Marine Harvest, Campbell River
Here is the Letter Ian Roberts responded to:
Harper should follow wise advice in Cohen fish report
By Jim Erkiletian, The Province November 2, 2012
Now that the three-year, $26-million Cohen Report has been released, we are finally told the science shows salmon farms spread disease and parasites that decimate wild salmon populations.
(Not to mention that salmon farmers kill thousands of sea lions and seals that protect wild stocks by eating sharks, mackerel and other species that prey on salmon or compete with them for habitat.)
These are obvious actions from an industry that see wild salmon stocks as competition, and should have been obvious to the government when these Norwegian corporations were allowed here. They had already trashed wild stocks in Norway and Scotland, and are destroying those of Chile and Peru.
They should be outlawed and removed from any waters used by wild salmon for migration to the ocean and return. Will the NDP do this or are they still as enamoured of Norwegian ecocide as the B.C. Liberals are?
Jim Erkiletian, Nanaimo
