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LETTER: Fletcher goes off the deep end over salmon farms

OK Tom, we get it; you have an extreme dislike for environmental protesters, particularly those who happen to be celebrities or are funded by “American charitable foundations”. Enough already! Find another topic to write about, or at the very least, do a more balanced job of examining all the issues at stake instead of simply mocklng protesters, and dismissing or ignoring their legitimate concerns.
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OK Tom, we get it; you have an extreme dislike for environmental protesters, particularly those who happen to be celebrities or are funded by “American charitable foundations”. Enough already! Find another topic to write about, or at the very least, do a more balanced job of examining all the issues at stake instead of simply mocklng protesters, and dismissing or ignoring their legitimate concerns.

Tom Fletcher’s recent column on the salmon farm industry (Oct. 18), is a case in point. After the obligatory swipes at celebrity protesters and “hired protesters” you proceed to share what you heard at the recent aquaculture forum held in Victoria. You also mention some of the positives associated with the salmon farming industry in B.C., including thousands of jobs and over $800 million in annual value. Fair enough.

You make no mention, however, of the severely declining Fraser River sockeye runs, which many scientists believe are being threatened by diseases passed on from salmon farms on sockeye migratory routes. Neither do you make any mention of the jobs and economic value of the wild salmon fishery, the sport fishery, and whale watching in B.C.; all of which depend on healthy wild salmon stocks. Nor do you write about the health risks of consuming farmed salmon, which have a higher fat content, where PCBs and dioxins accumulate.

Don’t get me wrong, we expect you to express your opinion, but to do so while dismissing or ignoring important facets of this issue is a disservice to everyone.

Murray Goode

Saanich