 Fraser river valley local Salmon returns for this season are predicted to be good for Sockeye and Pinks but those predictions do not factor in the potential damage caused by fish farms on migrating wild juvenille salmon, and recent overwhelming evidence proves that Fraser river salmon stocks are being affected by the cluster of fish farms along BC's coastline. This offers us some fairly basic and strong evidence that Sockeye declines over the past 8 yrs are the result of poor Atlantic salmon farming practices along our coast. This is not a notice that local stocks are near collapse, but that other areas have been greatly affected and if we do not make changes Fraser river stocks will be a thing of the past too. What does this mean for our future? What will a BC without wild salmon look like? Not very good, so lets educate ourselves and do what we can.
If we don't change our consumer habits a BC without wild salmon rivers means: No Sturgeon, No bears, eagles, trout in salmon bearing rivers, NO Fishing for you or your kids, No healthy food supplies for First Nations, No 2 billion dollar sustainable sportfish industry in BC, No ecotourism industry! shall I list more?
When the natural and wild food sources are gone then the companies that are responsible for the destruction will have complete control over our food supplies and can profit from selling us crap food for a bit and then there will be little and poor quality food for our kids because mostly those industries do not practice sustainable methods. Case in point: the salmon farming industry takes 2-4kg of fish from the ocean to produce 1kg of toxic farmed salmon! that is pumped full of toxic chemicals and antibiotics. Yum!
Silversides Fishing is very concerned with the state of British Columbia's wild Salmon populations and is very disgusted with the lack of concern shown by our gov't and DFO(when the scientific community and the majority of BC residents is pleading for politicians to save our Wild fish they step up to support the salmon farming industry) . Plenty of watersheds and rivers along midcoast BC have seen huge declines in the returns of Wild Pacific Salmon! and rivers that are closest to Salmon Farming operations have virtually died and may never recover. We have all heard about the declines of Fraser River Sockeye Salmon and now certified DNA evidence now shows that fish farm sea lice epidemics are affecting them! All evidence(excluding minor natural fluctuations) points to the Salmon farming Industry and the impacts it is having on the oceans ecosystem. You have all heard of the sea lice epidemic and it's true! Overwhelming evidence has proven that the sea lice problem is the main factor in causing death to Juvenille Wild Pacific Salmon with Pink, Sockeye, Coho, Chinook and Chum all being affected. Unless something is done to remove these farms from our coast we will see the collapse of Wild Pacific Salmon on the BC coast within 10 yrs according to many Fisheries scientists and research groups including Universities and professors.  You can help change this, it's easy. Do not buy or consume Atlantic salmon(always farmed) until this industry makes the neccessary changes to protect our wild fish. Consumers are in control ultimately. The Dolphins were saved a few years ago because people started to only buy Tuna that was Dolphin friendly.
This is our Province and our future for our kids to inherit! What will they say if we stand and watch the destruction happen? |
