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[chris gadsden]

Debate going on now about fish farms in Victoria in the Leg.. The debate can be watched on TV, your computer or read later on Hansard.

http://www.leg.bc.ca/hansard/

[k.c.]

If we stop buying salmon from open pen fish farms there is no money in it for the producer and then they have to find a different way to farm. Find out where your fish came from before you buy it

[lapetitebuse]

I watched the whole debate, and feel so sad that the liberals still don't acknowledge there is a problem with salmon farming.
Instead, they claim that the debate is based on non-scientifical fact, that closed-containement is not technologically doable (If they make it mandatory, the private sector would move its my friend and find solution) or that wild stock collapse is not only due to farms.
Worse, they claim that they are doing a good job at managing the fishery.

Sad

[chris gadsden]

From Hansard today.

RELEASE OF INFORMATION ON
FISH FARM DISEASE OUTBREAKS

V. Huntington: We've learned through an astonishing four-year long freedom-of-information request that for almost two decades the Agriculture Ministry has failed to protect wild salmon from the lethal IHN virus and actually fought to keep that information from the public. In spite of an order from the Information and Privacy Commissioner, fish farmers are threatening to keep disease outbreaks secret if the minister releases the reports. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]

These foreign companies are conducting business in our public waters and are threatening our wild salmon. What are they hiding from us? Did the Minister of Agriculture cave in, as usual, to the salmon farmers? Or has he released the details of the lethal pathogen outbreaks? [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]

Hon. S. Thomson: I can confirm that in response to the recommendation as a result of the order from the freedom-of-information process that we have released that information and provided it on April 12, within the timeline that was required. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]

[1415]

As you know, the legislation requires freedom of information but also respects privacy concerns, and we take that very seriously. That process was worked through, but when the decision was made that the information was to be released, we provided that information. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]

HSE - 20100601 PM 010/bah/1415

the legislation requires both freedom of information and also respects privacy concerns, and we take that very seriously. That process was worked through. When the decision was made that the information was to be released, we provided that information. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]

GOVERNMENT ACTION ON
CLOSED-CONTAINMENT FISH FARMING

V. Huntington: I am pleased to hear that the information has been released, and I hope it's as publicly available as we would wish. But these fish farm operations are breeding IHN and sea lice, in spite of what members opposite have been told. They have destroyed wild salmon runs in Scotland, in Ireland, in much of Norway and in Chile. They are well on their way to destroying them in British Columbia. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]

The government protects these corporate bullies who have no right at all to tell us what they will and will not report. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]

When is the Minister of Agriculture going to protect our wild salmon and move these fish farms off migration routes and into closed containment? [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]

Hon. S. Thomson: Our approach to closed containment is consistent with the recommendations of the Pacific Salmon Forum. This was the most comprehensive report that was undertaken. It made recommendations that said there should not be substantial public investment in closed containment until the business case and the economics were proved. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]

This is emerging technology. Work continues in this area. There is progress being made. Our staff continue to work with organizations such as the Save our Salmon society and Tides Canada in looking at this technology. We continue to support it. We will continue to work with those organizations. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]

Also, as you know, we're in the process of negotiating the transfer of regulation of the finfish and the shellfish aquaculture industry to the federal government. The recommendations of the Pacific Salmon Forum are informing those negotiations. We will continue to do that. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]

We have the most comprehensive environmental regulation in place for this industry, and we'll make sure that we continue to do that as we transition the regulation of this industry to the federal government. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY