May 05, 2010
Victoria CyC winner aims to protect wild salmon
Salmon are Sacred
A note from Denise Savoie, MP for Victoria, BC
On May 8, I was excited and proud to be among 5,000 citizens on the lawn of the legislature for the culmination of Alexandra Morton’s “Get Out” Migration. Her inspirational efforts have made the fight to protect BC wild salmon an issue that can no longer be ignored. Because of her research and advocacy we understand the true dangers of open-net salmon farming to wild salmon ecology.
Alexandra’s mission is part of a broader movement that recognizes that our environment must be protected for future generations. With the future in mind, I held the “Create Your Canada” contest in Victoria, which asked high school students to participate in the democratic process by submitting their ideas for new laws.
I was truly touched by the submissions, each of which showed how sensitive young people are to how the decisions we make will affect them and the planet they will inherit. One submission stood out to the judges: the proposal by Thea Block, a Grade 10 student from Glenlyon Norfolk School who has fished for wild salmon with her father and who has seen stocks significantly depleted in her lifetime.
On May 5, I brought Thea to Ottawa to witness the introduction of her proposed legislation in the House of Commons by New Democrat Fisheries and Oceans Critic Fin Donnelly. Her bill on transition to closed containment salmon farms represents a significant step towards sustainability – a step that is, according to a recent study, both practical and economically viable.
Thea’s Bill, Bill C-518, directs the Federal Fisheries Minister to implement a transition plan outlining how fish farm operations will make the move to closed containment. The plan will also ensure that those currently working in the industry will be protected.
We know that environmental protection can go hand-in-hand with economic prosperity, and we won’t deprive future generations of their share in our common wealth. It’s a trust as sacred as the wild salmon that Thea’s Bill seeks to protect.
- Denise
Victoria winner Thea Block with MP Denise Savoie (Victoria) and Fin Donnelly (New Westminster-Coquitlam)
