Yesterday was epic in rainfall, in the power of the people and the scope of the message we delivered. Most of the pictures a blurry with rain, cell phones died and people shivered but refused to leave and we saw this journey through!
We began assembling at the canoes in the dark. An ex- salmon farmer gave Global TV a live interview about the secrecy over disease in the salmon feedlots. Mayor Gregor Robertson and his wife arrived to paddle with us. Despite the storm enough people assembled on the beach to fill the canoes.
The water was rough and so we all checked each other’s life jackets to make sure we could pull each other out by the jackets. Darwin and Sue of Fraser River Rafts watched us closely, ready for anything. As we progressed from Jericho to Vanier I kept glancing at them and knew all was OK every time I saw them flanking us.
When we arrived we were wonderfully greeted
The media attended
Hundreds of people were there getting soaked but smiling and we began walking. The police escorted us and when they saw the size of the crowd made the decision to give us a lane of the Burrard St Bridge. They saw to our safety and I would like to extend my thanks to all the officers that placed themselves between us and the fast moving traffic.
We stretched nearly the entire length of the bridge.
And then we walked through the streets of Vancouver
The Friends of Clayoquot Sound came out to support this!
And the Lillooet Talks
When we got to the Cohen Commission Chief Bob Chamberlin drummed a song and we joined him in singing.
A small group of us then took the elevator up to the Cohen Commission.
Chief Chamberlin, and I took the signed scroll into the hearing and stood silently until Justice Cohen looked at the scroll, then we nodded our support to him and walked out. There was a lot of media sequestered in a side room and they were eager to speak to us and so we told them we had paddled the lower Fraser River from Hope and walked through the streets of Vancouver simply to support Justice Cohen in ordering complete disclosure of the salmon feedlot disease records. This is so important because the biological effluent from these industrial operations passes over the gills of every wild salmon swimming the eastern shorelines of Vancouver Island, as well as most of the westcoast inlets. DFO has evidence that a new virus has challenged, weakened and killed a high proportion of juvenile and adult Fraser River sockeye since 2003. Salmon from the Atlantic packed by the millions into feedlots on the Fraser sockeye migration routes would seem THE most likely source of this new virus.
We were so wet we pooled water on the floor.
Picture removed and apology extended to Mr. Clare Backman of Marine Harvest
We left and joined the crowd at the Vancouver Art Gallery
I was so proud to stand with Chief Marilyn Baptiste who has put herself on the line for her home and Fish Lake and paddled with us to lend the power of her name and presence.
The powerful and dedicated Fin Donnelly spoke about his bill C-518 to move salmon feedlots out of our ocean. Fin is an MP and not only has he swum the entire Fraser River, he leads youth on canoes down the river every summer to teach them how to be leaders. I wish every riding in BC had someone like Fin Donnelly to vote for.
Chief Bob Chamberlin, a man brave enough to file a class action suit against the salmon farms to protect his territory spoke while powerful young Robert Willams stood by his side
My heart is full. I have seen the very best of humanity all around me through out this arduous journey. Our journey echoes many greater journeys with the same message. Governments regularly forget that they are hired to serve the people. It is our right, duty and imperative to our very survival to stand powerfully and peacefully for our future.
My deepest thanks to each and every one of you who paddled, who found time to stand to greet us, carry food to us, serve coffee, interview us, provide the boats, bless us, stand with us, sleep with the canoes in the pouring rain, cry, laugh, shiver and sneeze with us. I don’t want us to scatter to the winds, please sign up at wildsalmonpeople.ca and form a voting block….a way to guide our future while staying dry.
You have my deepest respect thank you for staying safe and peaceful.
Until we meet again,
alex
Comments
2 responses to “We arrive at the Cohen Commission”
Alexandra, you need to understand the inter-relationship between the Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC) and DFO. The PSC is responsible for implementation of the Pacific Salmon Treaty between Canada and the United States. Its fundamental role is to conserve Pacific Salmon to achieve optimal production and divide equally the benefits of harvest and investment into salmon management. The PSC is responsible for all salmon originating in the waters of Canada or the US which are subject to being intercepted by either country.
However, the commission does not regulate or manage the salmon fisheries (this is an important point). It provides regulatory advice and recommendations to both countries through bilateral technical committees (which DFO is involved with). The inseason regulation of the various fisheries (commercial, First Nation and recreational) targeting Fraser River Sockeye is done by the Fraser River Panel which is made of up various groups (including DFO) from both countries. The PSC is responsible for conducting these test fisheries and providing this information to the technical committees and the Fraser River Panel. The Mission hydroacoustic facility in Mission is also operated by the PSC – helping to determine run strength when the Sockeye enter the lower Fraser River. Meanwhile on the spawning grounds, DFO field crews are actively involved in enumeration projects providing inseason data (in addition to PSC data) to the Fraser River Panel, local fisheries managers and the general public.
DFO field crews report on more than just escapement – they monitor the health of salmon on the spawning grounds working in conjunction with fish health biologists from universities and private consultants. Field technicians from DFO also do the spawning ground sampling for the PSC. This is a very labour intensive request the department does for the commission. Every year, the PSC has a detailed sampling request for numerous stocks in the Fraser River watershed it presents to DFO. From carcasses, crews collect various biological information, such as: scales; otoliths; lengths; success of spawn for females and DNA. DFO field technicians also work closely with research groups (like Scott Hinch’s group) from universities here in BC – helping them catch juvenile and adult Sockeye for acoustic tracking and recovering these tags on the spawning grounds. Crews also assist private consultants such as LGL with radio telemetry by helping to maintain telemetry receiving stations throughout the Fraser watershed; catch adult Sockeye for tagging; assist in tagging and recovering radio telemetry tags upon recovery. If prespawning becomes an issue, crews are usually the first to report the situation to fish health biologists who in turn perform detailed histological sampling of Sockeye. In order to obtain samples, fish health biologists depend on DFO field crews to get them as they have the personnel, the boats and the nets to do the job.
These DFO field crews were at the Adams River and Shuswap River while you were there; however, you appear to play down their involvement whenever you are in the same area as they are. This is unfortunate because these people also care about salmon and are friendly to talk to if given the chance. When things are wrapped up in the field, DFO is engaged in post season analysis to produce preliminary and near final estimates of escapement. This information then feeds into preseason planning which involves the Pacific Salmon Commission and DFO. As you can see there are many people involved in this process. Although the PSC and DFO have some separate responsibilities they work collaboratively in many other aspects.
Thank you for the inspiration! I was proud to walk along with you and for nature. I live upon the banks of the Fraser River, sharing with a family of bald eagles. We’ve already poisoned them in the past, almost to extinction. Yet we are not informed about diseased farmed salmon, chemicals used in the industry which probably affects every step of the food chain.
Following the wild salmon march I was walking home and our male eagle Albie circled me, calling out as he does. Perhaps a thank you for taking steps to protect his habitat.
peace!
Gayle