Salmon are Sacred activists encourage Cohen inquiry

Chief Bob Chamberlin of Kwicksutaineuk-Ah-Kwaw-Ah-Mish First Nation (Gilford Island) said people cannot be lulled to sleep by this year’s historic returns of sockeye salmon to the Fraser River.

In fact, the 35 million sockeye that found their way back to the river this August after their four-year ocean journey is perhaps a real indication that the department of Fisheries and Oceans Minister Gail Shea doesn’t have much of an understanding of what is going on at sea in regard to salmon migration, he said.

She has been blaming global warming or a lack of food in the oceans over the salmons’ lifecycle for the poor returns of the resource over the past number of years. These dismal returns prompted the establishment of the Cohen inquiry, charged with investigating the decline of salmon returns in the Fraser River.

But this summer’s run indicates that there may be other elements at work in regards to salmon health and sustainability. Chamberlin believes it’s in large part due to the presence of salmon farms along the wild salmon route.

“Look at Alaska,” he said. “Their runs are doing very well.” No fish farms.

The Cohen inquiry began evidentiary hearings on Oct. 25 in Vancouver. Chamberlin, along with salmon warrior and biologist Alexandra Morton, lead a procession of a hundred or so people to the law courts where the Cohen Commission was accepting testimony. Their mission was to voice their support for the commission’s work and encourage a truthful and fulsome investigation of the fish farm activity in the province.

Outside on the street, anti-fish farm activists chanted in loud voices.

“I say wild, you say salmon,” Chamberlin encouraged. The group’s response was enthusiastic.

“No,” Chief Bob Chamberlin would shout. “Fish farms,” went the chorus. This went on for many minutes as police blocked traffic for the procession on one of Vancouver’s main thoroughfares.

Inside the federal court, and through the media, Chamberlin called upon the commission to direct fish farm companies to hand over their disease and medication records. Chamberlin said the fish farm companies themselves have a high paranoia of disease transmission from one farm to another. It’s only reasonable to assume that that disease can migrate to wild salmon stocks, he said.

Chamberlin, Morton and Henry Charles of Musqueam attended the inquiry briefly before heading off to a rally in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery. They hoped to present a “sacred salmon scroll” to the commissioners.
Scores of people from along the salmon migration route had signed the deer hide. Security was watchful as the salmon activists made their way to the court room at 701 West Georgia to present the scroll. Media representatives were†forbidden to take photos of the procession while in the hallways in front of the court room. Interviews had to be conducted in a cramped media room where video of the commission’s proceeding was being fed to a small television.

There was even some question of whether the scroll could be taken into the court room. Was it a placard? Was it a document? Eventually, the scroll was allowed entry.

The group stood quietly at the back of the room, and the testimony that was being heard continued without any public acknowledgement of the delegation or the scroll. After about five minutes the group exited the room with the scroll in hand. It was rolled up on the floor and then slung over Chamberlin’s shoulder.

A reporter asked if he was disappointed that it couldn’t be presented to the commission at that time. He was not outwardly concerned and said the intention of the group was to be respectful of the commission and behave with dignity.

He said the message to the commission today was that people, many people, were watching their work. He encouraged the commission to do thorough a job as possible.

He also said he was concern with the lack of understanding of DFO as to what is happening to salmon stocks, and yet the department continues to prop up an industry without regard to its affects on the environment.
He said the department has been dismissive of First Nations and environmental concerns. He said fish farming was the only industry allowed to externalize its waste into the environment.

All photos: Debora Steel

No salmon, no orcas: The wild salmon issue brought together a variety of people on a very rainy Oct. 25 in Vancouver. They walked to the law courts on West Georgia where the Cohen Commission had begun hearing testimony from Vanier Park. Canoes that took part in a paddle for salmon along the Fraser from Hope had landed there after two grueling days on the water.

Sacred Scroll: Chief Bob Chamberlin (right) holds up one corner of the sacred scroll, a deer hide on which supporters of the protection of wild salmon wrote their names, which was to be presented to the Cohen Commission, and inquiry into the decline of the wild salmon in the Fraser River. It began evidentiary hearings in Vancouver on Oct. 25. With him is biologist and wild salmon warrior Alexandra Morton. Henry Charles of Musqueam holds the other side of the scroll.

Salmon Skeleton: A glimpse of things to come, some might say, if the wild salmon of BC are not protected. The salmon skeleton on stilts attended the Salmon are Sacred rally in Vancouver on Oct. 25.