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Press
Environmental groups back in court to defend killer whale ruling
Federal government seeks to reverse parts of 2010 decision on critical habitat protection November 30, 2011 VANCOUVER – Ecojustice will appear before the federal Court of Appeal today to defend a precedent-setting ruling that confirmed the federal government is legally bound to protect killer whale habitat. Ottawa has since appealed the ruling. Ecojustice, representing a coalition of nine environmental groups,…
Read more »Urgent action required to identify and contain spread of Infectious Salmon Anemia
November 10, 2011 Wild salmon advocates are demanding the Governments of Canada and British Columbia take urgent action to discover the extent of the presence of Infectious Salmon Anemia virus (ISAv) in wild salmon, herring and trout in BC waters. The response given at a press conference held by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, BC and Canada, Monday, November 8…
Read more »Sharing the bounty: orca’s stake in salmon protection
Research shows need for restoring salmon population key to orca recovery November 9, 2011 VANCOUVER – In a paper published today in PLoS ONE, researchers reveal the energetic needs of killer whales for Chinook salmon in the Salish Sea. This important information underscores how recovery planning for both species needs to factor in just how many salmon the killer whales…
Read more »Health and environmental organizations call for province-wide ban on cosmetic pesticides
Georgia Strait Alliance joins other groups in asking the BC government to ban the use of all lawn and garden pesticides. Please read our statement here. Dozens of BC communities have already banned local use, and opinion polls show British Columbians don’t believe the health and environmental risks posed by chemical pesticides for non-essential, “cosmetic” uses are worth taking. Thanks to…
Read more »Salmon Inquiry shows need for government overhaul
Conservation groups say focus must be salmon, not industry October 18, 2011 VANCOUVER – The federal government must re-prioritize science and conserving salmon rather than surrendering to short-term industry interests, according to recommendations made by conservation groups to a national inquiry into the decline of Fraser sockeye. The recommendations were submitted on October 17 by the Conservation Coalition, which was…
Read more »Big step taken in protecting the Strait of Georgia
Ministers’ announcement milestone in creating Conservation Area for Southern Strait October 13, 2011 Vancouver – Today’s announcement of an agreement between the Federal and BC Provincial governments regarding seabed rights in the proposed National Marine Conservation Area in the Southern Strait of Georgia was greeted by enthusiastic support by the Georgia Strait Alliance. The announcement by Minister Kent and Minister…
Read more »54 local, provincial and national organizations call for salmon farm closures along wild salmon migration route
Evidence emerging at Cohen Inquiry reaffirms urgent need to protect wild salmon from salmon farm diseases and sea lice
September 6, 2011 VANCOUVER, BC – The Wild Salmon Narrows Declaration, signed by 54 local, provincial and national organizations is calling for the removal of open net-cage salmon farms from the Wild Salmon Narrows (WSN) in the northern Georgia Strait. Today, the Georgia Strait Alliance (GSA), a member of the Coastal Alliance for Aquaculture Reform (CAAR), is delivering the signed declaration to…
Read more »New salmon farm proposed in Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve
CAAR calls for moratorium on net-cage tenures May 18, 2011 VANCOUVER, BC – Mainstream Canada has submitted a tenure application to the Provincial Government for a new open net-cage salmon farm located in Fortune Channel on the east side of Meares Island. If approved, and then licenced by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the site would add about…
Read more »Salmon farm restocking threatens wild salmon migration route
April 28, 2011 VANCOUVER -Mainstream Canada is restocking their Venture Point salmon farm in Okisollo Channel. With the recent reactivation of the Conville Bay farm in HoskynChannel (sublet by Grieg Seafood from Marine Harvest), the…
Read more »Federal Court awards costs on orca protection case
Fisheries on the hook for $80,000 in legal costs
by Mark Hume The Federal Court of Canada has stuck the Department of Fisheries and Oceans with an $80,000 legal bill because, in a court battle over orca habitat, the government “displayed reprehensible, scandalous or improper conduct that is deserving of reproof or rebuke.” DevonPage, executive director of Ecojustice, a not-for-profit legal foundation, said the decision “is exceptional” and its…
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