Submission:
Subject: December hearings - salmon virus
TO: The Cohen Commission
FROM: Neil Bockman
innerisland@telus.net
As a resident of Denman Island, I have spoken with many of the fishermen that have spent their whole lives on every corner of Vancouver Island and beyond. Every one of them considers the fish farms to be the source of the troubles that your commission is asked to investigate and then make recommendations.
I understand that there are complexities to this issue but there does seem to be very compelling evidence - regardless of the intransigence on the part of the DFO to contract an independent, accredited laboratory - that the ISA virus has been introduced by human transport. If this investigation provides strong, clinically approved evidence of the presence of this lethal virus in our wild salmon, then it follows that an order must be implemented to both find the source and attempt to remove it from our waters. This would need to be done as quickly as possible. Any and all political foot dragging cannot be tolerated.
I suggest that this action be taken now, given the enormous impact of this possible infection. All laboratories, especially those proposed by Alexandra Morton, should be considered for their professional abilities and their independence from government manipulation.
There is an overwhelming sense in our citizenry that the BC Provincial Gov't. and the Federal Gov't. is stonewalling your commission to protect the financial interests of the fish farms. This is not only unacceptable, but it is morally reprehensible.to sacrifice a god given natural resource for private short term profit. Please help restore the need for true Democratic governance in our legal system. Canada deserves nothing less.
Thank You,
Neil Bockman
Denman Island, B.C. |
