; : FISH FARMS such as this one off B.C.'s coast are under fire from environmental groups. Opponents say open ocean farms and threaten other species, and should be replaced by closed systems. Fish farm folly A local writer says the province is ignoring the environmental risks By ANDREW WILLIAMS THE B.C. government has te- céntly taken major steps to ex- pand the production of Atlan- tic salmon in fish farms along _ our coasts: @ Lifting the moratorium that froze the number of fish farms. i Committing $5 million of _ taxpayers’ money to the promo- tion of aquaculture. BI Designating our coastal wa- ters as part of the Agricultural Land Reserve. ~ Mi And, guaranteeing,.fish, far- the marine life under the pens. Van Dongen also made the inane comment that the excre- ment of farm fish is no different than that of wild ones. Besides the fact thal nobody feeds wild fish antibiotics, anti- lice medications, artificial colour- ants and growth hormones, wild fish do not swim in the thousands in a tiny area of the ocean. The result of this unnatural concentration of fish is that the sea bed under these farms is cov- ered in a biologically dead: layer bits the release of substances harmful to fish. British Columbians should expect our governments to live up to their mandate to protect the wild fish stocks and marine en- vironment upon which the commercial fish- ing industry. sports- fishing industry, First iWaiions and recrea- tional anglers depend, pollute f 7 vious perversion of the i. | intent of the original act — the Campbell government has dis- dainfully bypassed the rights of commercial fishermen, First Na- tions and others to have any say in how fish farmers operate or where farms will be ‘yee located, weeom We need more em- Et ployment in the north, ams_ but the few jobs that ; -* fish. farms produce Andrew Will CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD The Mail Bag Too many churches? Dear Sir: What is the impression that people get about Christianity? Grace or disgrace? Churches are mushrooming all over town - a teligious smorgasbord. I am thinking of course about John 17 and the too many denominations that confuses seekers of truth. Here is my ‘list: coe Mainstream churches: Roman Catholic, Anglican, United, Lutheran, Christian Reformed, Salvation Amy. Evangelical Churches: Alliance, Evangelical Free, Thornhill Community, Pentecostal Assembly, Zion Baptist (North American). Mini Churches — (Also Evangelical: Uplands Baptist (Southern), Seventh Day Adventist, Skeena Baptist, United Pentecostal, Church of God, Church of Christ, Eagles Nest, House of Praise, Native Revival, Brethren (Gospel Hall), Apostolic (Full Gospel), Ukrainian, No Name Yet (Peter Bruce) Others: Mormon, Jehovah's Witnesses. Some churches are run by self appointed “preachers”. Folks, please stop playing church. Jesus prayed “That they may be one so that the world may elieve.” Bill Homburg, Terrace, B.C. Promises, promises Dear Sir: . People, give your heads a shake. Can you honestly believe a government who has cut health care, closed schools and gutted public service will give you bags of money 5-10 years from now? A government who tore up legitimate contracts by legislation, a government that seems determined to destroy one of the best hydro companies in the world for its friends. A government who pave us great tax cuts then have raised the cost of nearly everything because there was no money. Now it costs mé 50 tax dollars a month more than before our great tax cuts. Can we believe a government that promises more money for highways and infrastructure. Now is this going to be above a five-year past average or is it the same money. This government has honoured practically zero of past government promises: So why in the world would the government of the day 5-10 years from now honour what this bunch is promising to do? How easy it is to pramise something today and say “Oh, so sorry.”’ tomorrow. Maybe Whistler wants the Olympics but the rest of us are being led down the garden path. M. Anderson, Terrace, B.C. Keep on worrying An Open Letter. To: es Ges a ae “of oxygen-depriving -muck-consist-"" | “After: ‘decades ‘of. mers.the!‘right.to farm’,.our mar- - ine waters. :'- Pop a An obvious example of how pro-aquaculture the Liberals are was a recent press release, from the fisheries minister John van Dongen, In it, he attacked many of the well-founded criticisms of --the- industry including the scienti- fic research linking the unprece- dented: decline of pink salmon in the Broughton Archipelago ta the infestation of wild salmon smolts “ with sea lice, picked up as they - swam past the many marine fish “pens in the area. A recently released study in _-Britain-confirms that marine scientists there are convinced the decimation. of wild salmon and sea trout runs along the west coast of Scotland is directly linked to "the clouds of sea lice the wild smolts must swim through as they ‘migrate past fish farms. ::Meanwhile, Canadian govern- “ments, both provincial and fed- “eral, continue to deny the mount- ing:evidence that floating fish 9 “farms are a significant hazard to “Ing‘of unused ‘food pellets, excre- “nent and an assortmerit of chemti- cals, including heavy metals. Another result of this release of nutrients are outbreaks of deadly algal blooms which kill fish and are a threat to human health, in- multinational corporations which own B.C.’s fish farms, we are told to have confidence that a new re- gime of “Regulation, Monitoring and Enforcement" and a whole The sea bed under these farms is covered ina biologically dead layer of oxygen-depriving muck consisting of unused food pellets, excrement and an assortment of chemicals, including heavy me- tals. cluding the first one this summer of an algae from Japan. What industry other than fish farming would be permitted to dump massive amounts of untrea- ted sewage into our waters? Environmental groups in Maine are taking two sea farm operations to court for violating their Clean Waters Act. It’s about time we did the same in B,C., using section 35 of the Fisheries Act which prohi- bits any work that harms fish ha- bitat, and section 36 which prohi- ten new monitors will be able to eliminate their abuses along our huge coastline. Personally, I'd feel a lot more confident if the $5 million the provincial government and the $75 million the federal. govern- ment are spending on promoting the industry was instead going to ensure the survival of wild fish and the pristine nature of our: coastal waters. By designating our coastal wa- ters as-part of the ALR - an ob- _ exaitiples of environmental :pro- “plems being creatéd by the same ” should-not ‘cornevat: the expense Seine net fishers were required to release chum from their nets this year, Einarson added. “Sockeye returns, however, came in better than expected, were stronge ““Binarson said, adding it was still a stronger run ~ ‘than anticipated. a re « rt nega tS ae weg om + en x * MORE salmo made it into the river to spawn this year, fisheries officials say. The steelhead bycatch was a major issue this summer but Einarson says the test index numbers ~ an indication of escapement levels ~ show steelhead returns were strong this year. “Jt was the third largest test index since 1956,” he said. The two years which came in higher than. ‘this year were 1998 and 1984. Chinook salmon returns were the fourth highest on record since 1956 with the higher numbers coming last year, 2000 and.1999. “You can see we're in a very high period of returns,” Einarson said. “That’s good news for ‘chinook for sure.” _ Pink salmon, however, were below average it area four but above average for area three - his year we just outside the Nass River. ‘Escapement estimates into the Skeena River is 1.7 million, which fall between de- sired numbers of between one and two. million, he said, ; And coho stocks are still holding strong. Einarson said this year’s returns were not as high as last year’s bul still higher than: 2000 and the 1990s average when those stocks were showing dramatically low returns. Since 1990 it’s the fifth highest index. This year the bag limit for coho salmon was one adult and ‘four, jacks.— young coho — per. day. , i a “What the numbers do tell me is the re- building phase thal we are in. is proceeding along appropriately,” Einarson said. “It’s a gocd sign.” ; The improving stocks were reflected in the First Nations fishery as well. This year coho were reinstated on First Na- “tions communal licences for. food, social and ceremonial purposes - last year First Nations fishers were asked to release all live coho. This year there were no major excess sal- mon to spawning requirement (ESSR) opportu- nities available for First Nations people. The only exception was a small 1,500 allo- cation of pink salmon to Moricetown area First Nations for roadside sales, Einarson said. * Watrel Wong ‘ind Mr. Surinder Malhutray”” IWA Canada ae ; Dear Sirs: - Are you worried that your members. are falling ‘behind and not living as they once did?...... That the company they have worked for all these years may dump them in favour of a younger work force? ee Worried that the pension plan might not be there at retirement age? Worried that they may not be able to continue making their mortgage payments and support their families? Worried thal people who represent them in government are taking care of themselves and their friends as their expense? You are right; keep worrying, Mr, Veniez will see to that. Fred Glover, Terrace, B.C. No to log exports Dear Sir: I have to scratch my head in amazement as I listen to the news and see the job losses continuing. Skeena Cellulose and Canfor announce a deal while in Japan which allows Canfor to market all the lumber produced at SCE sawmills. Good deal. Forest Minister Mike de Jong defends his government’s policies which allow an increase of raw log exports, saying it is better to have some workers working even though all around us there are sawmills and hundreds of workers throughout the northwest who sit idle. Bad deal. Now add into this mix the closure of Ministry of Forests offices in Stewart, Hazelton, Smithers and Houston, plus staff reductions in other offices in our area. It all adds up to many more jobs lost, directly and indirectly, and millions of dollars taken out of our “local economy’. “= No,Mr. de Jong, it is not better to just have some workers working. Yes, we need the loggers working, ;.but-just as importantly we need the sawmills and “everyone else in our communities working. A report released Nov. 20 by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives states that raw log exports have eliminated up to 1,500 jobs in B.C. and cost us millions of dollars in revenue. An estimated 800 forestry jobs or $162 million in wages and benefits are lost due to the export of raw logs. The biggest impacts are being felt in the smallest communities in B.C. ‘When we see the number of people out of work in our communities and the number of small businesses which have “closed” signs on their doors, we certainty know that the northwest is one of those hardest hit regions. Roger Harris, Dennis MacKay and Bill Belsey, when are you going to stand up for your constituents and your communities? Wes Law, President, Kitimat-Terrace and District Labour Council About the Mai! Bag The Terrace Standard welcomes letters. Our address Is 3210 Clinton St., Terrace, B.C. V8G 5R2. You can fax us at 250-638-8432 or e-mail us at standard@kermode.net. No attachments, please, We need your name, address and phone number for verlfication, Our ceadiina is. noon Friday or noon Thursday ‘if it's-a long weekend. :