Stormy waters in British Columbia legislature

Odd Grydeland
Controversy erupted at the B.C. legislature last week after The Parksville Qualicum Beach News published an interview with Nanaimo-Parksville MLA Ron Cantelon about fish farming in B.C. Members of the government side suggested that this tempest more rightly belonged in a teapot. The issue arose in relation to Cantelon saying in the interview that he doubted any more recommendations from the opposition-dominated Special Committee on Sustainable Aquaculture would be implemented by the government, and that if people really wanted to protect wild salmon stocks, they would stop hunting them.
Member of the opposition New Democratic Party Scott Fraser went on the attack in the legislature Thursday, challenging Agriculture minister Pat Bell to denounce Cantelon’s comment. “According to the member for Nanaimo-Parksville, not only is this government not going to implement the aquaculture committee’s recommendations but [he] suggested that B.C. would be better off ending the commercial wild fishery,” Fraser said, asking the minister of Agriculture if it was the government’s policy or plan to bring an end to the commercial fishery in favour of fish farms. He also suggested that “If the (Gordon Campbell) government really cared about protecting wild salmon stocks, they would agree to fallow the fish farms in the Broughton Archipelago,” Fraser said.
Speaking at a function in Qualicum Beach Friday, Cantelon said his comments were in no way intended to imply the government had a plan to end the fishery, which is actually regulated by the federal government. “There’s no plan to shut down the commercial salmon fishery, absolutely not,” he said. “My comment is in the context that we can’t fish out the ocean to supply the increasing demand for omega three compounds that are so beneficial to our health.
Cantelon’s comments were backed up by Premier Gordon Campbell. “What we want to do is make sure we protect the wild stock and enhance that ... and balance that out with the challenges to the commercial fishery, the recreational fishery with the aquaculture sector. That’s what we are doing and that’s what Pat Bell has been working so hard to do and what Ron Cantelon has been working so hard to do”. Campbell said his government recognizes the importance of salmon as not just an important economic asset, but also as a huge natural asset in the province.