INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ACTION AGAINST FISH FARMING EXPANSION

 

Wednesday, January 15^th, 2003

 

Hundreds are expected to show at the following locations (background following):

 

SEATTLE

Location: North American PanFish HQ 4250 8th Ave NW Seattle

Time: January 15th, 2:00pm

Contact: Anne Mosness - Eatwildfish@aol.com

 

OCEAN FALLS

Location: Construction site of disputed multi-million dollar Atlantic salmon hatchery

Time: January 15th, noon

Contact: Philip Hogan (Heiltsuk Nation) - Canada (250) 957-2303, Ian McAllister - (250) 881-2235, Derek Snow (Nuxalk Nation)- (250) 799-5376/0021

 

CAMPBELL RIVER

Location:  Details pending

Time: January 15th

Contact: Greg Higgs (250) 799-5800

 

VANCOUVER

Location: Norwegian Consulate, 200 Burrard Street, Vancouver

Time: January 15th, 10:00am

Contact: Clement Lam at (250) 973-6274 or (604) 760-6028 OR Theresa Rothenbush (250) 655-1229

 

HAMBURG

Location: Den norske Bank ASA (Largest Shareholders of PanFish),

Bleichenbrücke 11, 20354 Hamburg

Contact: Solveig Lubeley - slubeley@gmx.de

 

HONG KONG

Location:  Rm. 2216, 22/F, Honour Ind. Centre 6 Sun Yip Street, Chaiwan, Hong Kong

Contact: Sohan Ko - sohan@fanweb.org

 

FOR ALL GENERAL INQUIRIES INCLUDING TRANSPORTATION FOR MEDIA TO OCEAN FALLS PLEASE CONTACT THERESA ROTHENBUSH (250) 655-1229

 

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BACKGROUND

 

Omega Salmon, a fish farm corporation owned by Norwegian giant Pan Fish, is building a monstrous Atlantic salmon hatchery in Ocean Falls, between Bella Bella and Bella Coola. This facility is being built despite opposition from both First Nations in the region, the Heiltsuk and Nuxalk. The HEILTSUK NATION IS PREPARING TO COMMENCE LEGAL ACTION against the provincial government for failure to properly consult prior to granting licenses to PanFish. THIS MASSIVE HATCHERY IS THE BEACHHEAD FOR FISH FARM EXPANSION IN THE GREAT BEAR RAINFOREST and promises a supply of up to 10 million smolts per turnover. Pan Fish is intent on expanding into the most pristine reaches of salmon ecosystem left in Canada. Their actions threaten our greatest coastal resource.

 

PEACEFUL PROTESTS ARE PLANNED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD ON THE 15^TH OF JANUARY, from the heart of Ocean Falls to the doorstep of the largest shareholder of PanFish in Germany. WE ASK YOU TO JOIN US to support First Nations rights and the protection of wild salmon and the coastal communities that depend on their survival.

 

Want to know the truth about farmed salmon?

 

Small-scale netcage salmon farming in B.C. began in the early 1970s. Today salmon farms are controlled by a handful of multinational corporations, mostly Norwegian-based. They are found along the coast of British Columbia, with the heaviest concentration in the Broughton Archipelago off northern Vancouver Island. They vary in size and a single farm may contain more than a million fish.

 

• Farmed salmon are raised in large floating open netcage systems in the marine waters and impact wild salmon and other marine species by spreading disease and parasites.
• Farmed salmon are fed with drugs, pesticides and more antibiotics by weight than any other livestock. There is risk of antibiotic resistant bacteria being passed onto humans through consumption of farmed fish.
• The drugs, chemicals, and pesticides in fecal waste from surplus food and feces pollute the marine environment.
• Farmed salmon in BC are 70% alien Atlantic stocks. Atlantics have been found in about 80 rivers in Canada and the USA. Genetic impacts disease transfer from escaped domesticated Pacific salmon go undetected.
• Farmed salmon contain higher levels of unhealthy saturated fats and lower ratio of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. Farmed Atlantic salmon contain 200% more saturated fat than wild Pacific pink or chum salmon.
• Farmed salmon also appear to contain higher levels of PCBs and dioxins.
• Farmed salmon represent a 'net loss' of protein worldwide: it takes three to five times the amount of fish eventually 'produced' to feed the farmed salmon.
• Farmed salmon have greatly reduced the price of wild salmon, directly impacting the livelihood of local fishermen.