Submitter: Brian McKinlay

Community: Vancouver

Date Submitted: June 15, 2023

Summary:

There is undeniable evidence that salmon aquaculture causes severe declines in wild fish. Sea lice epidemics have been documented to kill wild sockeye smolts at a rate of up to 90%. The commission should take immediate action to address this unacceptable situation.

Submission:

Hi

I run a guided fishing charter business on the Fraser river in southwest BC called Silversides Fishing. I have seen wild Sockeye runs on the Fraser river go from prolific to disastrous in just 3-4 cycles(12-16 yrs).

I am very disturbed by the amount of damage that salmon aquaculture has caused us in BC.

The world scientific community has known for years that open net cage salmon farming is a ecological disaster, and everywhere on the earth that wild salmon and trout have to share the same waters, there is severe declines in wild fish. Also, some wild Sockeye runs in our area where the juvenille smolts migrate on the west coast of Vancouver Island away from the deadly gauntlet of fish farms, these runs are doing well!! This is undeniable consequential evidence that something is wrong. Further more, the scientific evidence backs up this claim. Sea lice epidemics are documented and have shown to be killing off wild Sockeye smolts at a rate up to 90%. This is unacceptible. Governments are refusing to release data from salmon farms that show there are big problems. Cover ups are everywhere and justice is not being done to wild salmon or the people of BC.

I ask you to uphold the scientific truths that are known the world over and bring this industry and the corrupt gov’t officials into account immediately. Wild salmon do not have options of delaying their life cycle for the sake of inquiries and useless debates.

truthfully, Brian