Feds do not 'recognize local government':<\/h2>\n
Regional Director Brenda Leigh\u00a0<\/a>brought forward a motion that the SRD write the Prime Minister of Canada and Federal Fisheries Minister.<\/p>\n \u201cWhether or not you are in favour of these particular fish farms that they are eliminating, the crux of this motion is that we were not consulted. I would like the Federal Government to consult with our Regional District since we have all these communities under our care, regarding land use decisions and we need them to listen to us,\" Leigh stated. \"We need to tell them so that this does not keep happening. People are out there. Their lives are being decimated and they have no input into this decision that is happening right now.<\/p>\n \"Our MP is talking to the Federal Fisheries Minister right now and I am afraid that we are not going to get the point of view of local communities across to the Minister,\u201d she continued.<\/p>\n Charlie Cornfield<\/a>, who is both a Campbell River councillor and SRD director, said he believes the DFO (and federal government largely) does not see local government as an authority on the matter.<\/p>\n \u201cThe federal government does not recognize\u00a0 local government as a level of government,\" Cornfield said. \"If they talk to a couple of people in town, or a couple of organizations, they\u2019ve done their community consultation\u2026Whatever letter goes off, I want it to be very clear that they did not have any dialogue with any local government: whether it is cities or the regional district. The impacts of this decision are huge. We need to stress the fact that local government is the voice of the local communities.\u201d<\/p>\n Cornfield added that the DFO\u2019s Discovery Islands ruling was \u201cbased on social license, not science and [it was] not even informed.\u201d<\/p>\n Mayor of Campbell River Andy Adams made a similar statement<\/a> recently, stating that by supporting the open net fish farm industry he was \u201cin support of dealing with the facts of science, technology and innovation.\u201d<\/p>\n A graph detailing the regional impacts of salmon farming operations in 2019. Graph courtesy of Raising Opportunity: How BC Salmon could lead BC\u2019s Post COVID Recovery.<\/p><\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n A\u00a0quick search of the SRD minutes<\/a>\u00a0revealed six items from\u00a0Cermaq Canada\u00a0<\/a>since late 2018, but none from scientists critical of fish farms.<\/p>\n The City of Campbell River minutes<\/a> provided more information. There were 56 entries for MOWI Canada West<\/a>, 50 for Cermaq Canada and 41 for\u00a0Grieg Seafood BC Ltd<\/a>.<\/p>\n By way of contrast, there are no direct communications from critics of the industry like independent biologist\u00a0Alexandra Morton<\/a>,\u00a0Stan Proboszcz<\/a> from the Watershed Watch Salmon Society, or\u00a0Krisiti Miller-Saunders<\/a>, head of the DFO\u2019s molecular genetics laboratory at the\u00a0Pacific Biological Station\u00a0in\u00a0Nanaimo.<\/p>\n The few entries pertaining to Morton and Miller-Saunders were references to their work made by third parties. And a search for Proboszcz returned \u2018no results.\u2019<\/p>\n None of these scientists reside in the Strathcona Regional District.<\/p>\n By way of contrast, the big three fish farm companies all have headquarters in Campbell River. In addition, Grieg has a land-based freshwater hatchery in the town of Gold River<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0MOWI has one in Sayward<\/a>.<\/p>\n According to a\u00a0report from the BC Salmon Grower\u2019s Association<\/a>, 572 people in the Campbell River, Sayward and Discovery Island area are employed by the fish farm industry and it uses 678 local venders.<\/p>\n A majority of the 13 SRD directors represent areas where fish farms have a strong local presence: The mayors of\u00a0Gold River<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Sayward<\/a>\u00a0have seats. So dies the mayor and four councillors from\u00a0Campbell River<\/a>. The mayors of these three communities have all come out in support of the industry.<\/p>\n Jim Abram<\/a>\u00a0is Regional Director for the Discovery Islands, where the fish farms are being phased out.<\/p>\n The SRD Board pictured in 2020. Since the photo was taken, Michele Babchuk was elected MLA for North Island and Colleen Evans now has her seat; Mark Baker is the new mayor of Sayward. Photo courtesy of the SRD website.<\/p><\/div><\/figure>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/cortescurrents.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Screen-Shot-2021-01-18-at-6.33.18-AM.png\")
Local industry consultation<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/cortescurrents.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/2020-SRD-Board-Photo_R.jpg\")
The motion<\/h2>\n