A Crisis in Fisheries and Oceans Science – FOPO: “Overhaul and reform Department of Fisheries and Oceans”
Fisheries and Oceans Committee report (FOPO) sounds alarm bells about DFO science 3/2023
The Government of Canada must use the results of the recommended investigations, examinations and audits to overhaul and reform the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
Fisheries and Oceans Minister Joyce Murray must take the House Fisheries and Oceans Committee’s recommendations for changes to her department seriously, writes Sean Jones. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
The Hill Times link (with Paywall)
Report of the Standing Committee link
Lawyer Sean Jones argues for stronger regulations on salmon farming by Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
By Sean Jones | May 20, 2023
First Nations Leadership Council News Release:
Demands Change to Fisheries and Oceans Science Review and Decision–Making Processes — March 6, 2023
Comment from Alexandra Morton:
These are serious allegations by the highest First Nation Council… DFO fish farm science – “Fraud” “altering statistical research”… DFO must remove this sea lice report from their website and investigate the evidence I found that supports these claims. “deeply disturbing” is accurate
Department of Fisheries and Oceans: Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat
National Capital Region Science Response 2022/045Â
ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SEA LICE FROM ATLANTIC
SALMON FARMS AND SEA LICE INFESTATIONS ON WILD
JUVENILE PACIFIC SALMON IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
First Nations Leadership Council Marh 6, 2023 News ReleaseÂ
Fisheries and Oceans Science – First Nation Call for External Review
Academics shred DFO Aquaculture sea lice science
A SCATHING OPEN LETTER to Min Joyce Murray, Jan. 30, 2023:
Big news — Jan. 30, 2023; 16 of Canada’s leading Pacific salmon scientists just released a letter destroying a new DFO science report that claims parasitic sea lice from factory fish farms do not have a significant impact on wild salmon. One of these scientists, Dr. Sean Godwin, said, “it is one of the worst pieces of science I’ve ever seen come out of a government agency.”
The scientists said “this report fails to meet widely accepted scientific standards on numerous fronts, and therefore falls well short of the quality of science advice that you need to make informed decisions on the future of salmon aquaculture in Canada. Wild salmon deserve better.”
TRANSLATION: The DFO report is junk and Joyce Murray, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, should ignore it. (Watershed Watch Salmon Society)
& Salmon Health Manager, Pacific Salmon Foundation
Prof. Chris Darimont, University of Victoria
Prof. (Emeritus) Lawrence Dill, Simon Fraser University, FRSC
Prof. Andrea Frommel, University of British Columbia
Prof. (Retired) Neil Frazer, University of Hawaii
Prof. (Incoming) Sean Godwin, University of California, Davis
Prof. Scott Hinch, University of British Columbia, FRSC
Prof. Martin Krkosek, University of Toronto
Prof. Mark Lewis, University of Victoria, FRSC
Prof. Jonathan Moore, Simon Fraser University
Dr. Gideon Mordecai, University of British Columbia
Prof. Sarah Otto, University of British Columbia, FRSC
Dr. Stephanie Peacock, Analyst, Pacific Salmon Foundation
Dr. Michael Price, Simon Fraser University
Prof. John Reynolds, Simon Fraser University, FRSC
Prof. (Emeritus) Rick Routledge, Simon Fraser University
https://wildsalmonaction.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Scientists-critique-of-DFO-CSAS-Response-Report-2022_045.pdf
Pacific Salmon Foundation Statement to Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans (FOPO):Â Open-net salmon farming in B.C.
The Pacific Salmon Foundation was invited to present at the recent Government of Canada Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans (FOPO). Pacific Salmon Foundation scientists Drs. Andrew Bateman and Brian Riddell provided the following statement on aquaculture to the committee.
Excerpt:
As participants in four of the nine Discovery Island risk assessments, we can testify:
- The findings of minimal risk reflect neither the current state of knowledge nor true scientific consensus.
- KEY risks were omitted – sea lice, cumulative effects, and the conservation status of the sockeye stocks were ignored.
- The processes were neither unbiased nor independent:
- the risk assessments were implemented, closely managed, and influenced by senior officials from DFO Aquaculture, and
- employees, contractors, and others linked to the salmon farming industry served on the steering committee and as senior reviewers, so that conflict of interest threatened the integrity of the process.
“Consensus” in name only, not true consensus:
More generally, “consensus” is held up as a strength of CSAS, but meetings apply strong social pressure on dissenting voices, creating the perfect conditions for “group think,” and there is no mechanism for errors to be addressed once the “consensus” box has been ticked. Further, some international participants abstain from consensus votes, reducing the influence of international perspectives. In any case, consensus is NOT a requirement of the scientific process, and the practice of minimizing real disagreement does a disservice to decision-makers and flies in the face of the SAGE guidelines, which state that “decision-makers should consider the multiple viewpoints received,” not just the distilled version of “uncertainty” used in practice.
PSF Statement to Standing Committee on Open Net Salmon Farming
New highly collaborative study published in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
November 18, 2022 Authors: Gideon Mordecai, Kurt Beardslee, Bonny Glambeck, Neil Frazer, Richard Routledge, and Alexandra Morton
The red dots are salmon farms shedding the virus PRV. We know this because we collected bits of rotting farm salmon, scales and feces wafting out of these farms. We report that this Norwegian virus appears to originate from the farm hatcheries, it is mutating here in BC and somehow the same variant is in Chinook farms in Tla-o-qui-aht and Columbia River hatchery. Here is a link to the science paper. https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/full/10.1139/cjfas-2022-0019Â
Better map in paper!
The December 17, 2020 Decision not to restock the Discovery Islands holds still in November 2022 due to the hard work of many…ed: continuing to March 2024.
“Let us be your teachers” by Megan Hockin-Bennett, with Alexandra Morton
50,000 pinks used to return to the Ahta River in the Broughton.
Following the arrival of salmon farms in the 1990s and the steep decline of wild salmon over three decades, by 2020 pink spawners in the Ahta were down to 390.
2022: This year in September, two years after removing salmon farms, the offspring of those 390 spawners returned 11,000 to the river. October 2022. Follow the science.
Union of BC Indian Chiefs: SECOND SESSION: We are hosting the Second Symposium on Aquaculture on October 31st, from 9:00AM to 12:00PM.Â
Join this virtual session for more discussions on Fish Farm Transition Strategy. ubcic.bc.ca/fishfarm2022 Cancelled due to a medical emergency. Smaller substitute sessions ran November 7th, 8th, & 10th.
Alexandra Morton on Transition Consultations: Minister Meetings Compromised? October 22
The Minister of Fisheries Joyce Murray is currently travelling across Vancouver Island meeting with First Nations and others about the transition of salmon farms. I have a lot of respect for her doing this, something I have never seen any other minster do.
However, the person running these meetings with the Minister is Brenda McCorquodale Director of Aquaculture Management.
Alexandra Morton: What Hold Do Salmon Farmers Have On Canada’s Government? Oct 18
While the Prime Minister of Canada gave his Minister of Fisheries the Mandate to Transition away from salmon farms, and minister Joyce Murray took significant steps to do so, she has recently begun to retreat. This begs the questions why? Why would a minister disregard her mandate in favour of an industry’s bottom line?
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Bob Chamberlin:Â “morning interview with Sterling Faux @CKNW Â October 22nd
Discussion of Min @JoyceMurray’s approach to #FishFarm Transition Planning process. Many of the concepts being advanced = Status Quo reusing old commitments that have failed wild salmon “
https://dcs.megaphone.fm/CORU4017461079.mp3?key=a84a27692de35bcd0cb66676c608d87fÂ
I believe Min @JoyceMurray needs to consider why @DFO_Pacific must rebuild trust as is a stated goal in this planning process & realize the path to deal w/ #FishFarm problems & safeguard #WildSalmon is perfectly captured in the todays Oceans Act as the Precuationary Principle
— Bob Chamberlin (@1Bob_Chamberlin) October 22, 2022
The new (likely industry) lingo for defining the so-called Transition of Net-pens”: “Progressively Minimize” the impacts of salmon farms on BC’s wild salmon so they continue to exist in our waters. October 21
B.C. First Nations fear feds are backing away from a transition from open-net fish farms October 22 Vancouver Sun
The federal Liberals’ 2019 election platform promised “to develop a responsible plan to transition from open-net pen salmon farming in coastal waters to closed containment systems by 2025.”
Salmon Farms – Sockeye fishing September 8, 2022
In 2022 there were more fishing openings on sockeye salmon that were not exposed to salmon farms than on stocks that were exposed to salmon farms. While the Skeena, Somass and Okanagan sockeye salmon run sizes were significantly upgraded, the Fraser River sockeye salmon were downgraded (Fig 1)
As of Sept 8, 2022, the Skeena, Somass and Okanagan sockeye salmon runs were all upgraded over 50% from the preseason forecast, while the Fraser River sockeye were downgraded by 60%. Only the Fraser River sockeye were directly exposed to salmon farms.
Briefing Sept 8, 2022
Salmon Farms & 2022 BC Sockeye Salmon ReturnsÂ
Wild First tweets Bob Chamberlin on salmon runs and DFO Transition Consultations September 13
Strong sockeye salmon returns seen in BC – but sockeye returns are down 60% in the Fraser River where open net pen salmon farms are in the path of migrating salmon.
DFO’s open net pen salmon farm transition plan must ensure removal of all salmon farms from BC waters by 2025. pic.twitter.com/I6MggvWIuU
— Wild First (@wildfirstcanada) September 13, 2022
Sept 2 2022 pink salmon return in abundance! Clip by Alexandra Morton:Â Two years in a row, since farm salmon were removed from the Discovery Islands, there are suddenly millions of juvenile pink salmon hanging around the south coast of BC… Mitchell Bay in the Broughton
Link to the DFO Transition Consultations, past & present — and critiques of it —
WSAT Transition Plan News link