NANAIMO: Salmon farmers expressed their frustration with Justin Trudeau and Liberal government outside the party's caucus retreat at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre. They called on politicians in Ottawa to listen to those actually living and working on the coast before creating policies that impact them.Mia Parker, a former advisor to Fisheries and Oceans Canada who not serves as director of environmental performance & certification at Mowi Canada West broke it all down in an interview with the Western Standard."This was a rally in support of the BC salmon farming sector, all the suppliers, and the communities that depend on it," Parker said. "Over the past three years, the federal government has reduced our production by 40%, closed farms, and put over 1,600 people out of work. What we hope to achieve is to actually be heard, because we feel that people in Ottawa are making decisions about coastal communities and they don't see the effects, they don't see us."She pointed out that, "salmon farming in BC is farmed under agreement with First Nations," but that, "now we're being told that it's not up to the Nations what happens in their territory. She suggested it, "sounds like reconciliation is only important to the Liberals if it suits their agenda.""We are the most sustainably farmed protein source,"Parker added, "and so if you're worried about climate change, if you're worried about food accessibility, food security, we oughta grow more food in Canada, by Canadians, for Canadians.".Farmers and their supporters marched up to the conference centre and began chanting, the majority of their choruses targeting Trudeau. .Other chants included, "No farms, no future!" and, "Aquaculture feeds my family!".They only stayed for around five minutes, before making their way back down the road and along the waterfront to Maffeo Sutton Park.
NANAIMO: Salmon farmers expressed their frustration with Justin Trudeau and Liberal government outside the party's caucus retreat at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre. They called on politicians in Ottawa to listen to those actually living and working on the coast before creating policies that impact them.Mia Parker, a former advisor to Fisheries and Oceans Canada who not serves as director of environmental performance & certification at Mowi Canada West broke it all down in an interview with the Western Standard."This was a rally in support of the BC salmon farming sector, all the suppliers, and the communities that depend on it," Parker said. "Over the past three years, the federal government has reduced our production by 40%, closed farms, and put over 1,600 people out of work. What we hope to achieve is to actually be heard, because we feel that people in Ottawa are making decisions about coastal communities and they don't see the effects, they don't see us."She pointed out that, "salmon farming in BC is farmed under agreement with First Nations," but that, "now we're being told that it's not up to the Nations what happens in their territory. She suggested it, "sounds like reconciliation is only important to the Liberals if it suits their agenda.""We are the most sustainably farmed protein source,"Parker added, "and so if you're worried about climate change, if you're worried about food accessibility, food security, we oughta grow more food in Canada, by Canadians, for Canadians.".Farmers and their supporters marched up to the conference centre and began chanting, the majority of their choruses targeting Trudeau. .Other chants included, "No farms, no future!" and, "Aquaculture feeds my family!".They only stayed for around five minutes, before making their way back down the road and along the waterfront to Maffeo Sutton Park.
