Monthly archives: July, 2018

FOCUS Magazine: Vancouver’s role in the chinook-sewage-orca death spiral

FOCUS Magazine has published an article that takes DFO to task for its inaction and seeming ignorance regarding chemical discharges from sanitary sewage treatment plants on the lower Fraser River. In Washington state, scientific studies have connected sanitary sewage chemical contamination of salmon natal waterways that empty into Puget Sound to a reduction by half of salmon smolt survival, compared to smolt survival rates in uncontaminated waterways.

With chinook runs on the verge of collapse, you would think that Meador’s published research on chinook estuary contamination, only 200 kilometres away, would have prompted DFO to narrow the gap in their knowledge. We contacted DFO, but as of our press deadline a spokesperson had been unable to confirm whether or not any DFO-affiliated scientist was investigating the impact of the Fraser River estuary wastewater treatment plants, or other sources of chemical contaminants, on the survival rate of juvenile chinook.

A thought provoking read.

DFO proposes more fishing closures: feedback sought

In what DFO terms “Consultation on the critical habitat section of the draft Amended Recovery Strategy for the Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) in Canada”, they propose fishing closures to both Swiftsure Bank and La Perouse Bank.

A DFO public “consultation” generally occurs after they have made their plans. Nonetheless, it is in the interest of the recreational angler to voice their concerns.

For details regarding what DFO has sent out please see RKW External Review  and Critical habitat section of draft Amended RS.

The DFO Regional SARA Consultation webpage is here.

We invite you to submit comments on the critical habitat section (section 7; pages 55 to 68) of the draft Amended Recovery Strategy. Note that this external review period is limited to comments on section 7 of the draft Amended Recovery Strategy. Please provide comments through DFO’s Regional SARA Consultation webpage (link above), or via email, mail or phone.

In order for your input to be considered at this stage in the Recovery Strategy amendment process, comments must be received by July 12, 2018.