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Fish farming should only be on land

But this can be solved by allowing such farming on land only
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Fish farming should only be on land

Dear B.C. Agriculture Minister Lana Popham:

Fish-farm protests, such as the one in Musgamagw Dzawada’enuxw territorial waters near our sensitive Broughton Archipelago, will continue until our provincial, municipal and regional governments fully recognize First Nations’ rights concerning use of their territorial lands and waters.

In this case, the flashpoint is waters near Port Hardy on which Marine Harvest Canada is legally operating. But this and other potentially volatile situations concerning fish farming can be solved by allowing such farming on land only — such as happens in Europe — instead of on the sea where wastes and other fish-farm material impacts our priceless wild salmon stocks cherished in First Nations’ cultures.

Meanwhile, valuable time will now sadly be spent in our clogged Supreme Court where Marine Harvest Canada seeks an injunction to have our busy police officers remove protestors from its Midsummer Island fish farm. Further fuelling of this conflict could end wisely with the province not renewing Marine Harvest’s legal permit in June 2018.

Peter Rusland

Duncan