Protesters calling for the shutdown of fish farms interrupted a speech by Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Dominic LeBlanc on the dock of VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 inner harbour Saturday.
Joined by Minster of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna, LeBlanc addressed a crowd gathered for the arrival of Canada C3, a vessel ending its 150-day voyage through the Northwest Passage. The Canada 150 signature project set sail June 1 from Toronto in an effort to improve education around reconciliation and science and research for CanadaB次元官网网址檚 oceans.
The two ministers were invited to speak to announce the federal government had reached its 2017 conservation goal of designating five per cent of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 oceans as protected areas.
But that announcement was interrupted by a peaceful protest by a group called .
Protester Leah Ritch called LeBlanc B次元官网网址渢he biggest barrier weB次元官网网址檝e gotB次元官网网址� saying if he was serious about the issue, action would have already been taken.
B次元官网网址淗e hasnB次元官网网址檛 really been vocally opposed to fish farms in the media and in his platform,B次元官网网址� she said.
After his speech, LeBlanc met with Ritch and fellow protester Greg Horne to speak about issues facing Indigenous communities at risk of losing their salmon stock as a result of open-net fish farms.
B次元官网网址淭hese nations have been waiting 30 years for some sort of attention given to their rights,B次元官网网址� Horne said, asking the minster, B次元官网网址淲hen are you going to stand up?B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 not a scientist but I want them to talk openly and publicly and publish their information as part of getting to a better decision,B次元官网网址� LeBlanc told protesters, thanking them for their expressing what he called a B次元官网网址渞easonable concern.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 all words at this point,B次元官网网址� Horne said of LeBlancB次元官网网址檚 response, adding five per cent of protected oceans is hardly a drop in the bucket.
B次元官网网址淔ive per cent is a tiny amount and that leaves 95 per cent of the coast and I guarantee you that 95 per cent of that coast includes all of the major industrial proposals right now.B次元官网网址�
Fish Farms Out Now is planning a rally on the lawn of the B.C. Legislature Nov. 2.
