Fish farms are killing our wild salmon and local residents can do something about it by joining together and pressuring the provincial government to act, biologist and activist Alexandra Morton told more than 100 people gathered at the Brackendale Art Gallery for the final Eagle Festival lecture on Saturday night (Jan. 24).
With a provincial election approaching in May, Morton urged voters to keep the protest letters flowing to Premier Gordon Campbell's desk and mark their ballots accordingly.
"Gordon Campbell needs to know he's going to lose his job," she said. "If it becomes a personal problem he might do something about it."
Morton has been leading extensive research on fish farms in the Broughton Archipelago and their affects on wild salmon and other wildlife soon after they first started popping up in 1987. And with Squamish experiencing a fraction of the normal chum salmon run and the lowest Brackendale Eagle Count in nearly 20 years, the audience of kids, students, adults and seniors were all ears.
Morton explained how she initially viewed the industry as a welcomed support to local employment. But the tides soon turned when she realized the farms were breaking critical natural laws and disrupting the ecosystem along migration routes. The sea lice, which flourish on the large farmed Atlantic salmon that are enclosed by netting and spread to the smaller wild salmon, is just one of the problems, she said. Predators like sea lions are attracted to the farms and get caught in the nets while tremendous amounts of fish waste pollute the waters.
"Fish farmers are probably the only farmers in the world that don't ever shovel manure," said Morton, offering the area's increased plankton as part of the evidence. "To me, it's a neon sign flashing overload. The Broughton is not flushing this stuff out."
The audience offered loud applause for Morton, who is currently awaiting a decision from the B.C. Supreme Court. She is pushing for the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans to take back responsibility for the fish farms, which are regulated by a provincial government that doesn't have jurisdiction over the ocean. She argues the transfer of responsibility wasn't legal in the first place.
Councillors Doug Race and Patricia Heintzman attended the lecture. Heintzman said it was "inspiring" to see someone actively trying to make a difference and pull together the people toward a common goal. Morton is, after all, a reluctant spokesperson, she said.
"She obviously saw the need to make sure she's connecting with the people who can hopefully make the decisions to change this," said Heintzman, adding that she was impressed by the age range and size of the audience. And although she is unsure how big a role the issue will play in the provincial election, Heintzman hopes the government will eventually act on an obvious problem.
"There's a bit of outrage and frustration that we can't seem to see the indicators and act responsibly on it," she said. "It boils down to the lack of political courage to make the right decision for the right reasons."
Liberal MLA for West Vancouver-Garibaldi Joan McIntyre will bear the brunt if local voters choose to vote against Campbell's current view of fish farms. McIntyre wasn't present at Morton's lecture, but in an interview this week expressed alarm at the idea of voters marking their ballots based on one side of one particular issue.
"My feeling is that there's been lots of controversy but I think also confusion surrounding the issue of sea lice and the effects on wild salmon and exactly what the extent is," she said. "I think that most people would agree that Alexandra Morton is really at one end of the spectrum. I urge people to make sure they've got a balanced view and then make up their mind on that basis."
McIntyre pointed out that the government has the BC Pacific Salmon Forum dedicated to both exploring scientific and socio-economic factors involved in the fish farm industry. The group of seven members is preparing a report that will advance B.C.'s aquaculture plan.
"We're trying not to shut down an industry overnight when it's so important. And especially with this economic downturn, I don't think you'll be seeing the government shut down a $400 million industry that employs between [3,000 and] 4,000 people in remote areas," she said, adding that it's up to the people to educate themselves with all the information available.
Second year Quest University student and Squamish Streamkeeper Caroline Hedin, 20, is choosing to educate herself firsthand in Echo Bay. She met Morton on Saturday night and was encouraged to submit a resume for a research placement, perhaps to be done as part of the university's experiential learning component. She said the issue will "definitely" affect her vote this spring.
"The government has to respect the people and the province in general," she said.
It's up to the voters to decide exactly what that entails.
