On April 5, Justice Cohen accepted as evidence a briefing note on the lengths the federal government is working to make fish farming sound good to the public – who clearly do not trust it. They call our distrust a “crisis.” A crisis for whom? It is hard to believe DFO is working in this manner to promote these international corporations, when there is so much work to be done to protect wild fish.
The DFO briefing note can be found at the Cohen Commission website. Click on calendar date April 5 and scroll down to Exhibit #661
The purpose of this meeting was to “discuss the challenges facing the BC salmon farming industry with respect to public confidence in aquaculture practices…”
“As lead federal department for aquaculture, DFO has explicitly committed to improving public confidence in aquaculture. To deliver on this commitment the department has undertaken several initiatives to raise public confidence in the context of aquaculture”
“At present however there is a growing crisis of public confidence around aquaculture.”
“Mary Ellen Walling of the BCSGA met with the Acting Regional Director General of the Pacific Region, the Regional Director of Communications and the Regional Director of Aquaculture, during the week of April 27, 2004, to discuss the issue of public confidence in aquaculture in BC and the communications issues facing the BC industry”
“There also continue to be delays associated with the review of finfish aquaculture applications in the Pacific Region” note this is saying there is a problem with government staff delaying fish farm applications
“Due to the scope of the public confidence crisis in the Pacific Region, however, it is recognized that the regional Communications and Aquaculture Management staff will need to continue to manage the file and that a regional communications strategy may be required. National Headquarters remains available to support these regional initiatives.”
The note goes into some detail as to why the fish farm tenures have not been renewed. It is because Transport Canada and First Nations have refused to do so.
“The Pacific Regional Director of Aquaculture continues to lead on discussions with Transport Canada, the province and Industry on the CEAA assessments even though since leaving the Habitat and Enforcement Branch, the Regional Aquaculture Management office no longer has the responsibility for these reviews.”