The NDP have clearly been working on their talking points regarding the announcement last week that two new fish farms will open on the coast. As they man the barricades against the plans of the provincial government’s fish farming plans, they seem to have been using the same thesaurus.
Nathan Cullen was quoted as saying that the move by the province was “incredibly arrogant and a betrayal by the Gordon Campbell government to issue these licences in the face of overwhelming public opposition to fish farms of any sort in northern waters.”
Arrogance was a theme picked up on by the MLA for the North Coast, Gary Coons who in the Daily News, described the government’s plans as “arrogant and disrespectful”.
Both comments were made in response to an apparent dismissal of the work of the Special Committee on Sustainable Aquaculture which issued a report back in May. In that report they recommended that no new sites be approve north of Cape Caution, with last weeks announcement the government seems to have tossed aside that work and gone ahead with their plans regardless. Coons pointed out that more than few northern residents took time to appear in front of the committee and that their work if discarded as such, would be nothing but a waste of public funds.
As is the wont of governments, they’ll go ahead and do what they wish, but shouldn't be too surprised when they get called out on those decisions that showcase their, oh what’s the word, … arrogance.
Coon’s displeasure with the government was given space on the front page of Tuesday’s paper.
NEW FISH FARM SITES NOT WELCOME SAYS MLA
Coons says the province is ignoring northerners by issuing site permits
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Pages one and three
While the Kitasoo are celebrating the approval of two new fish farms sites on the Central Coast, their political representatives in both Victoria and Ottawa are unhappy with the approvals.
Both Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Nathan Cullen and North Coast MLA Gary Coons said the new sites, which will allow the Kitasoo to fallow other sites in their operation, should not have been approved by the province because of the opposition to fish farms in the region.
“I find this Liberal government arrogant and disrespectful for not even taking time to consider the Special Committee on Sustainable Aquaculture’s report, and the work of our committee, but more importantly the hundreds of people who spoke to us, before breaching a key recommendation,” said Coons.
The Special Committee on Sustainable Aquaculture reported back to government in May 2007.
The recommendations in the report included a transition from open net to closed containment pens that would separate the wild stock from the farmed stock.
The report, which was only narrowly accepted by the committee recommends no new sites be approved north of Cape Caution.
“It is clear the Liberals never had any intention of respecting this work and wasted taxpayers money and many people’s time with this insincere effort, considering the overwhelming support for our recommendation,” said Coons.
The two fin fish sites approved late last week were issued to Marine Harvest, a company that works with the Kitasoo to operate the farms on the Central Coast.
The two new sites are at Lime Point and adjacent Sheep Passage near the village of Klemtu. The company has committed to no operate more than four sites at any give time. The two new sites will simply allow them to fallow two existing sites. It won’t actually result in increased production.
And the operation provides badly needed employment for the community of Klemtu.
However, Skeena Bulkley Valley MP Nathan Cullen also disapproved of the new sites.
“It is incredibly arrogant and a betrayal by the Gordon Campbell government to issue these licences in the face of overwhelming public opposition to fish farms of any sort in northern waters,” Cullen said.
In April, Cullen introduced a Private Member’s motion in the House of Commons calling for a fish farm free northern B. C.
He also spoke out against open net salmon aquaculture at committee hearings in Smithers in October.
“Salmon management cannot be a partisan issue,” Cullen said.
Nathan Cullen was quoted as saying that the move by the province was “incredibly arrogant and a betrayal by the Gordon Campbell government to issue these licences in the face of overwhelming public opposition to fish farms of any sort in northern waters.”
Arrogance was a theme picked up on by the MLA for the North Coast, Gary Coons who in the Daily News, described the government’s plans as “arrogant and disrespectful”.
Both comments were made in response to an apparent dismissal of the work of the Special Committee on Sustainable Aquaculture which issued a report back in May. In that report they recommended that no new sites be approve north of Cape Caution, with last weeks announcement the government seems to have tossed aside that work and gone ahead with their plans regardless. Coons pointed out that more than few northern residents took time to appear in front of the committee and that their work if discarded as such, would be nothing but a waste of public funds.
As is the wont of governments, they’ll go ahead and do what they wish, but shouldn't be too surprised when they get called out on those decisions that showcase their, oh what’s the word, … arrogance.
Coon’s displeasure with the government was given space on the front page of Tuesday’s paper.
NEW FISH FARM SITES NOT WELCOME SAYS MLA
Coons says the province is ignoring northerners by issuing site permits
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Pages one and three
While the Kitasoo are celebrating the approval of two new fish farms sites on the Central Coast, their political representatives in both Victoria and Ottawa are unhappy with the approvals.
Both Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Nathan Cullen and North Coast MLA Gary Coons said the new sites, which will allow the Kitasoo to fallow other sites in their operation, should not have been approved by the province because of the opposition to fish farms in the region.
“I find this Liberal government arrogant and disrespectful for not even taking time to consider the Special Committee on Sustainable Aquaculture’s report, and the work of our committee, but more importantly the hundreds of people who spoke to us, before breaching a key recommendation,” said Coons.
The Special Committee on Sustainable Aquaculture reported back to government in May 2007.
The recommendations in the report included a transition from open net to closed containment pens that would separate the wild stock from the farmed stock.
The report, which was only narrowly accepted by the committee recommends no new sites be approved north of Cape Caution.
“It is clear the Liberals never had any intention of respecting this work and wasted taxpayers money and many people’s time with this insincere effort, considering the overwhelming support for our recommendation,” said Coons.
The two fin fish sites approved late last week were issued to Marine Harvest, a company that works with the Kitasoo to operate the farms on the Central Coast.
The two new sites are at Lime Point and adjacent Sheep Passage near the village of Klemtu. The company has committed to no operate more than four sites at any give time. The two new sites will simply allow them to fallow two existing sites. It won’t actually result in increased production.
And the operation provides badly needed employment for the community of Klemtu.
However, Skeena Bulkley Valley MP Nathan Cullen also disapproved of the new sites.
“It is incredibly arrogant and a betrayal by the Gordon Campbell government to issue these licences in the face of overwhelming public opposition to fish farms of any sort in northern waters,” Cullen said.
In April, Cullen introduced a Private Member’s motion in the House of Commons calling for a fish farm free northern B. C.
He also spoke out against open net salmon aquaculture at committee hearings in Smithers in October.
“Salmon management cannot be a partisan issue,” Cullen said.
“Science, the health of the resource and the public’s wishes must be the guiding forces in developing fish farm policy.”
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