Submission 0872-AHARONIAN

Submitter: Dave Aharonian

Community: Victoria

Date Submitted: November 25, 2011

Summary:
The Commissioner should recommend that no new fish farms be allowed in BC waters until all the facts are known about diseases.

Submission:
I want to thank Justice Cohen for re-opening the inquiry in light of the new information on Infectious Salmon Anemia Virus. I would ask that Justice Cohen recommend at the very least that until all the facts are known about this disease that no new fish farms are allowed in BC waters and when current tenures expire they are NOT renewed.

I also hope Jusice Cohen finds that DFO is negligent in its abilities to offer an unbiased opinion on this issue as it appears they are clearly in favour of increasing the aquaculture industry. Muzzling their own scientists is a testament to this.

BC wild salmon are a precious resource which should be managed firmly under the Precautionary Principle, rather than allowed to be damamged and depleted by a profit-driven aquaculture indeustry.