Regarding James Costello’s letter on behalf of Mainstream Canada, a subsidiary of Norwegian-owned Cermaq (Salmon film included errors, unproven allegations, April 25, Westerly News).
Mr. Costello’s letter represents the true unwillingness of Mainstream to address its impact on the rapid decline of wild salmon. Mr. Costello quoted from the Cohen Report out of context, “data presented during the inquiry did not show that salmon farms were having a significant negative impact on Fraser River sockeye.” The next sentence states, “However, as noted above, the statistical power of the database (containing fish health data from 2004 to 2010) was too low to rule out significant negative impact.” (Vol. 3, p. 24). The reason why the data didn’t show fish farms having a significant impact is because there was not enough data!
Completely different then what Mr. Costello would have you believe.
Mr. Costello also states, “the work done by many committed salmon farmers every day is sidelined by the continued rants of a few.”
Remember opposition for Mainstream’s newest farm at Plover Point?
The Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation was looking at legal options to stop the approval and both the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce and Tofino council passed motions opposing the Plover Point farm. To call these the rants of a few is simply disrespectful.
When lead astray by corporate morals; only looking at convenient phrases and ignoring community concerns, a false representation of reality is created.
It is time we stop allowing corporations like Mainstream define sustainability as jobs for one generation. Cultures that have lived here for thousands of years have a more holistic view of sustainability; one that depends on the health of the environment with wild salmon as a fundamental component, and depends on people’s active responsibility to look after it.
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