Advocates for wild salmon were delighted to hear that Prime Minister Stephen Harper is calling a judicial inquiry into the collapse of the Fraser River sockeye run last summer.
The run, predicted to total about 10.6 million fish, was only about 1.37 million.
On her blog, biologist Alexandra Morton thanked everyone who had written and called their MPs to demand the inquiry:
When an animal demonstrates a pattern this bold (the fish migrating north disappeared, while the fish moving south flourished), it is possible to decipher the cause. However, DFO has thwarted progress with a torrent of highly contradictory and confusing misinformation.
The purpose of a Judicial Inquiry is to reveal the facts and then make recommendations to government. It is run by a judge and testimony is given under oath. Our sockeye are at the moment of no return. If there had been a Judicial Inquiry into DFO's management of our North Atlantic cod stocks, certain DFO scientists would have been allowed to speak earlier and we would still have those fish stocks.
I feel cautiously optimistic. Our salmon are dying of conflicted, tangled politics which we now have the opportunity to sort out.
In its report on the judicial inquiry, the Vancouver Sun said lower mainland fishers have been "at a loss to explain the disappearance." The story lists various possible causes, but not the possibility that sea lice from fish farms are responsible for destroying the sockeye.
The report said Stockwell Day, as the regional minister for B.C., will be in Vancouver on Friday to name the judge heading the inquiry and to set its terms of reference.
The websites of Fisheries and Oceans Minister Gail Shea, and of DFO itself, had no immediate response to the prime minister's announcement.
Crawford Kilian is a contributing editor of The Tyee.
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verso
2 years ago
terms of reference...
Terms of reference needs to include Fish Farms, otherwise this will be a wasted exercise.
Jesse Bell
2 years ago
Great news
I'm writing a big piece on the Fraser River sockeye right now, and I know this news will make many many people happy... including the First Nations.
Otis Krayola
2 years ago
Anybody smell a stall?
Imagine:
Years and years of legal wrangling before any testimony is taken (let alone findings reached). And for all that time, nobody is held accountable, nobody will even comment because, "It's before the courts".
Can you say Basi/Virk, children?
I knew you could!
Barryeng
2 years ago
Basi/Virk?
I agree with Otis Krayola that there will be enormous stalling tactics and legal wrangling going on during the enquiry, and I have a bit of a jaundiced view of the final useful effects of these inquiries. However, having said that, I feel that a Judicial inquiry will bring out at least some of the incompetence and blundering within DFO management. That can only be a good thing.
A judicial Inquiry will be long, and expensive, but if it points even a minor spotlight on the fish farms and their inherent problems, that can also be a good thing. Neither Harper nor Campbell will do anything to deter the fish farms unless there is incontrovertable proof that there is a problem though. There are too many political contributions to be had if they don't.
Illahie
2 years ago
Judicial inquiry into Fraser Sockeye collapse
At this point I think that a judicial inquiry is probably necessary, although I cringe at the expence incurred by having lots of lawyers lurking about.
It is interesting to me that commenters such as verso and Barryeng seem to want to steer an inquiry into a particular direction, which seems to be contrary to the purpose of having a judicial inquiry.
I suspect that many of the people looking for a inquiry have already prejudged the result and would be severely bitter and twisted if the 2009 Fraser Sockeye collapse had a mundane cause.
Illahie
2 years ago
Vancouver Sun article on reasons for judicial inquiry
http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Ottawa+plans+inquiry+into+disappearance+sockeye/2188687/story.html
Frank
2 years ago
Jobs jobs jobs?
"although I cringe at the expence incurred by having lots of lawyers"
Being as Harper and Flaherty are in over their heads what with the economy shedding another 70,000 jobs last month, I imagine hiring lawyers for an inquiry is as good as it gets for job creation under a Conservative government.
Illahie
2 years ago
Job Creation
How about spending some money on fisheries biologists as a method of creating jobs.
I suspect that DFO could hire 5 biologists for the per diem of a council lawyer.
Having manager after manager repeating under oath that we do not have the budget to do in depth studies on ocean survial will not help DFO manage stocks better. Having gum boots in the field might.
Amelia Bellamy-Royds
2 years ago
Terms of Reference posted
The terms of reference are now available online at the Prime Minister's website:
http://pm.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?id=2951
Likewise, a biography of Commissioner Bruce Cohen is available:
http://pm.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?id=2949
The commission is tasked with making findings of fact about the cause of decline and the current state of sockeye salmon stocks in the Fraser, and with presenting recommendations to improve the sustainability of the fishery in the future.
Cohen is not supposed to find fault and is not allowed to comment on liability or criminal responsibility. Instead, he is directed to conduct the inquiry "with the overall aim of respecting conservation of the sockeye salmon stock and encouraging broad cooperation among stakeholders."
He is specifically instructed to consider the Department of Fisheries and Oceans' policies and resource allocation, as well as its scientific advice, which I suppose would include the adequacy thereof.
(Interesting side note: Cohen is specifically forbidden from holding hearings during the Olympics or Paralympics, "to minimize the costs of the Inquiry and the inconvenience to witnesses.")
An interim report is due by next August 1, but that only has to include a review of any relevant prior reports or reviews, and not new evidence. The final report is due May 1, 2011.
There is still no mention of the inquiry on the DFO web site. I take that as a good sign -- it means that the government wants to emphasize that the Commission is independent from DFO.