Donnelly Reports on Fraser River Salmon Crisis and calls for end of Conservative neglect

September 2, 2009

New Westminster – Coquitlam – Federal New Democrat candidate Fin Donnelly has returned from a three week study of the Fraser River with first hand reports of a river in crisis. “Millions of salmon have vanished and a crisis of unprecedented magnitude is developing, which is affecting our water-shed eco-systems and a large number of communities dependent on the wild salmon run, “said Donnelly.
“For years, scientists have been warning of the effects of climate change, habitat loss, pollution, overharvesting, and open-net fish farms, but the federal government has ignored these warnings and now we are faced with a potential disaster,” Donnelly said.
Donnelly has called on the government to implement all aspects of the New Democrat action plan to address the salmon crisis, including:
• Convene an emergency BC summit on salmon, with all key stakeholder groups, governments and representatives of fishing, First Nations and Environmental organizations;
• Inject funding into the Salmonid Enhancement Program;
• Reforming the Ottawa-centred management of DFO so the people making decisions about BC fisheries are in BC and tied into the knowledge base of BC stakeholders;
• Inject emergency funding to accelerate the move to a closed containment farming system and rapidly phase out open caged fish farms.

Donnelly twice swam the entire length of the 1400 kilometre Fraser River to bring attention to sustainability issues. As Executive Director of the Rivershed Society of BC, he has led young leaders down the Fraser River as part of their Sustainable Living Leadership Program for the past seven years.

“I have seen remarkable changes in the Fraser River over my years studying it, but nothing compares to this year’s disappearance of 8 million salmon,” said Donnelly.

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Contact: Fin Donnelly 604 526-3346