Pierce Cleggs Letter March 9, 2006

back to AvA main page | back to conservation page

March 9, 2006

TO: Financial Supporters of the Babine River Foundation (BRF), the Babine Watershed Monitoring Trust (BWMT www.babinetrust.ca) and Friends of Wild Salmon (FOWS www.friendsofwildsalmon.ca)

RE: Biologist Alexandra Morton and the Raincoast Research Society

On April 1st the directors of the BRF are meeting to plan our activities for the rest of 2006. The BWMT has completed a first successful year, and the FOWS have also completed their first successful year. So it’s a full court press against unsustainable logging and wild salmon-killing fish farms. Being stewards of the Babine has extended to the fish farm battle and biologist Alexandra Morton has found herself surrounded by fish farms and their massive environmental impact. Please check out her web site www.raincoastresearch.org.

The combined surcharge paid by Babine steelheaders from Norlakes, Silver Hilton and Babine Steelhead Lodge is a legacy funding support program that will keep the BRF and BWMT functional and effective. Some of you have given beyond the surcharge, and have also given directly to FOWS. Steve Myers, owner of the Silver Hilton, has made huge investment in the legacy of Babine and Skeena watershed stewardship. The response of Norlakes’ guests has been outstanding as well. One of our guests is planning on putting the trust in his will! Every penny is making a difference and I am proud of the accomplishments to date.

As I write this letter, the overall battle to stop the status quo of fish farms in BC is beginning to develop cracks in the pro farm government supported fish farm “wall”. Alexandra and a few other Canadian scientists have been cranking out key research; peer reviewed papers that show without a doubt that sea lice enhancing fish farms kill up to 90% of migrating salmon smolts that swim near fish farms. Other research is also beginning to show that the marine ecosystem of BC, in areas where fish farms are present, is being devastated on many levels. This research plus pressure from groups like FOWS, Coastal Alliance for Aquaculture Reform (CAAR www.farmedanddangerous.org), Save Our Skeena Salmon (SOSS www.saveourskeenasalmon.org) and the Wilderness Tourism Association (WTA www.wilderness-tourism.bc.ca) are making such a combined effort that I now believe we all can win this fight.

I believe the key to everyone’s success is the research of Alexandra in association with other scientists she co-authors with and works with. I believe that Alexandra is under-funded and needs
immediate financial support. It seems that the past and future success of halting current fish farm practices has and will come from the factual peer reviewed research made in BC. If Alexandra fails to convince our provincial and federal governments of the pollution severity of fish farms, then we will all fail in protecting wild salmon and steelhead not to mention other valuable species like the killer whale.

Two Norlakes guests, Eric Hobson and Alex Pourbaix, have offered to help Alexandra with a legal challenge she has before the BC courts. But Alexandra’s research is what is before the courts, and it will be her research that continues to bear witness to BC’s worst ecological marine disaster, the fish farms.
There are two specific ideas I have to suggest for consideration:

1) Fund a recent Alexandra research request of $50,000 Canadian Funds.

2) Undertake a specific investment in scuba photography of seabed sites beneath existing and former fish farm sites plus take seabed soil and other marine samples to show the ecological devastation. The approximate estimated cost for filming and sampling is $25,000 Canadian Funds.

These two suggestions, in my opinion, would tip the scales of this fish farm battle in favor of a moratorium and eventual removal of fish farms from any sensitive marine and salmon migration areas. It would be a very powerful public display with media support to show the world how the marine ecology is being impacted. This whole issue is not just a sea lice and salmon issue, but a killer whale issue, ground fish issue, clam bed issue, etc. The scope of marine ecology devastation could be driven home publicly by showing the scuba and sampling footage for all to see; kind of like a “Call From a Coast” DVD Part II project which would, I believe, turn the tide of public outrage towards any fish farm supporters.

For those not familiar with the DVD entitled, “Call From a Coast,” this production about fish farming is a huge eye opener and an excellent exposure of how bad fish farms really are to the marine environment. Copies of the DVD can be ordered from FOWS or SOSS.

That’s it for now...I just wanted to further inform you and encourage you to consider further the critical funding needs in the research area, and encourage you to get to know Alexandra’s work, web site and appeal for support. She is the key to a non fish farm future highway which leads right to the Babine, and the rest of the Skeena watershed. And remember, steelhead depend and live on the ecology of salmon!

Sincerely,

Pierce Clegg

back to AvA main page | back to conservation page

Graphics-Web Design-Creative Design-Photography by Will Blanchard

AVA is licensed, bonded and insured in Colorado and New Mexico | Colorado guide license #2008