Letter to the Editor, North Island Gazette, Published: March 09, 2010
Well, it seems that columnists Lawrence Woodall and Bruce Lloyd have struck a nerve with some American readers of the Gazette.
Both Lawrence and Bruce have courageously exposed some nasty truths - that wealthy U.S. Foundations are the primary funding sources of Canadian environmental groups anti-salmon farming rhetoric. It seems like the best way to promote Alaska salmon is to slander any competition.
So I found it very interesting when last week's letter writer, Steve Strand, felt it his responsibility to come to the defense of those rich U.S. foundations and those who receive their donations.
This was interesting because Steve Strand is from California, which is important to know. He writes in defense of U.S. based foundations - such as the Pew, Packard and Moore foundations - stating they have not donated monies to "promote American salmon over Canadian salmon."
Sorry Steve, but they have without a doubt, handed over millions of dollars to fund anti-salmon farming activities. To take a direct quote from the Moore Foundations 2004 tax report - $560,000 was granted to environmental groups to provide "a high quality tool-kit and coordination infrastructure for use by ENGOs (environmental organizations) in their campaigns to shift consumer and retailer demand away from farmed salmon." You can deny all you want but that directive, and many others like it, couldn't be clearer.
Steve also claims that local activist Alexandra Morton (another American) doesn't receive such U.S. funding for the same purpose. While I am quite certain she has and does, perhaps you could prove me wrong by having her publicly detail her original source funding.
Brad Marsili
Campbell River
