Submission 0938-WOUDSTRA

Submitter: Kevin Woudstra

Community: Smithers

Date Submitted: December 8, 2011

Summary:
Politics cannot be allowed to influence scientific evidence and the DFO has lost all credibility.

Submission:
A commision done on the collapse of the Atlantic cod fishery concluded that one of the reasons this occurred was due to the fact that politicians were silencing scientists, interfering and overriding thier opinions and recommendations.

This is illegal in coutries like Australia and should not be allowed in Canada. Politics cannot be allowed to influence scientific evidence and the DFO has lost all credibility as a result of this.

The fact that there are jaundiced fish being found in our rivers and that there is plenty of evidence to suggest that this can be caused by a hemorrhagic type of virus should have promted an immediate response from DFO to shut down fish farms.

DFO has one mandate, its not to encourage fish farming and should not be controlled by politicains!!!