The Get Out Migration was the logical next step in an effort to remove the impact of salmon farms on wild fish and ecosystems. When government refused to heed international warnings BC scientists produced over 20 scientific papers on the impact of salmon farms in BC. As a result there were temporary measures enacted in the Broughton Archipelago where the work took place (see: Provincial Pink Salmon Action Plan), but government refused to apply this knowledge coast wide. So we did studies elsewhere throughout BC (PDFs coming soon) and found the same result. But government is still working to enlarge the industry. (See Times-Colonist article.)

Of paramount concern is government's refusal to heed international warnings over the spread of ISA virus into every area Norwegian fish farmers operate (see ISA PDF), except BC and is blindly continuing to allow eggs into BC and refusing to test for it here to contain it. ISA in the Pacific stands to have irreversible and catastrophic affect and Norwegian scientists tracking it say we are guaranteed to get it.

Many of us are having success via legal challenges, but recently I see the fish farmer PR strategy taking us 10 years in reverse, denying impact of sea lice, blaming stickleback etc. I see no value in humoring this. When a group of us visited Norway in 2009 to attend the annual general meetings of these companies both Marine Harvest and Cermaq (Mainstream), stated they would only use the practices enforced in each country and not bring best practices from Norway.

In 1991, a member of the Norwegian parliament warned that fish farmers were coming to Canada to "do as we like" (see: Hansard 1991 Power Point file)

There have been enormous efforts to move the industry into closed tanks (www.farmedanddangerous.org), but collapses like the 2009 sockeye, wherein 98% of only the south coast sockeye that were exposed to salmon farms vanished, is an extremely urgent biological warning. Recently events in Nootka Sound (video coming soon) suggests the Province is covering for the fish farmers, that DFO enforcement is not allowed to act to protect wild fish from fish farms and that the processing plants are out of control disease vectors into BC's most important fish habitat.

The Judicial Inquiry stands to make great strides as it will specifically examine the impact of salmon farms on our Fraser sockeye. However there have been so many in-depth and expensive government fish farm studies with useful results ignored. In 1993 provincially licenced aquaculture was exempted from all Canada's fishing regulations. This is how they can use bright lights that attract tons of wild fish into their pens where workers say they are being eaten and destroyed. The fish farmers are actively lobbying the federal government. They have to get the Fisheries Act amended to cover them when they become federallylicenced in December 2010. Once that happens there will never be the opportunity to bring reason to this situation.

This is why we are simply calling for the removal of salmon farms from BC waters. It is my distinct impression industry and government are playing with all of us who are working in this issue. It is my hope that the Get Out Migration will help people and organizations in BC and around the world who are also working on this issue. If the industry wants to survive in BC they should move into tanks. There already is a Canadian fish farm industry that is dong this and government should be working with them and not only the Norwegian corporations, if jobs are truly the goal.

The concept was simple - We began in the Meetup River in Viner Sound privately, then left from Sointula on Earth Day April 22 and moved south over the next two weeks to Victoria for a rally that was 5000+ people strong, followed by a blessing for the wild fry on Mother's Day.

Why Victoria

Victoria is the westcoast seat of government and MPs agreed to meet our migration there. BC caused this mess and is still in control and deserve to feel the heat this might generate. There are many MLAs who have tried to bring reason to this, but they have been ignored. Had BC properly limited and regulated this industry, a small fish farming industry undoutbly would be working beside a healthy wild fish economy and our coastal towns thriving. But they lost all sense of reason. Fish farms have shareholders and thus have to expand continuously and our BC government seems willing to service that. Since ISA virus has destroyed the industry in Chile and Norway is losing control of drug-resistant lice, which will eat their fish, BC is the last growth area.

How

We migrated (walk/boat/drive) from the fishing village of Sointula to Victoria. People volunteered to host events as we passed through the towns of Vancouver Island and sister events elsewhere in the Province. Many people walked portions of this migration. Like any migration, success depends on numbers.

Actions

Do Not Degrade the Fisheries Act
Download the card addressed to Fin Donnelly, west coast Fisheries Critic on the Federal Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans stating that we do not want to see the Fisheries Act degraded in favor of Norwegian fish farmers again. When fish farms move to federal jurisdiction it is paramount they NOT be protected again from all the Canadian fishing regulations. They will have to turn off their lights and cannot have wild fish in their pens any longer. Their packers will have to be licenced, they will be subject to the same laws as our other commercial and sport fisheries.

International Petition
Sign the international petition on this site. People from all countries struggling to end the destructive impact of the Norwegian salmon farming industry can use this. It is essential to add your voice if this is a concern to you. The power of one is all we have but we all have it.

The petition is being delivered to MP Fin Donnelly.

The Migration
Please check this website's Itinerary and Events - we have more plans for future migrations!

Wear green and red ribbons (photo coming soon) symbolizing return of the 10 million sockeye that went missing last year.

Further
See our How To Help section for more ways to take action.

The Migration from Sointula to Victoria was to try and protect BC's wild salmon. I did this to give people the opportunity to stand up from their fox holes and let Ottawa see us - the people of British Columbia who insist wild salmon must trump farm salmon.  

 I understand that a number of people wish to walk portions of this route alongside me to support wild salmon. Your support will greatly improve conditions for our salmon.

 People can stand up and take action for wild salmon in a number of other ways as well. You can sign the Get Out Migration petition, or sign the letter to Fisheries Minister Gail Shea, or send a card to MP Finn Donnelly.  

Alexandra Morton