What the Exxon Valdez anniversary has to do with Canada’s wild salmon

The Huffington Post

March 23, 2014

By Misty MacDuffee and Chris Genovali

Canada’s northwest coast stands alone as one of our planet’s last unspoiled coastlines. Its rich assemblage of wildlife, wild rivers, and intricate landscapes makes it qualitatively different from any other place in the world.

British Columbians have increasingly come to cherish this maritime commons of waters, islands, and forests. According to an Angus Reid public opinion poll, wild salmon — the foundation species on which this coastal bounty is built — are as important to British Columbians as the French language is to Quebec.

With March 24 marking the 25th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, this disaster provides a lens into considering the Enbridge Northern Gateway project and the risk it poses to wild salmon, one of our country’s greatest natural assets.

A recent report by the Raincoast Conservation Foundation concluded that the consequences just to wild Pacific salmon from Enbridge’s project are not a risk worth taking. The report, “Embroiled: Salmon, Tankers and the Enbridge Northern Gateway Proposal”, explores the connections between the oil industry’s anticipated activities on the B.C. coast and how those activities could adversely affect salmon…

To read the full article please visit the Huffington Post website.

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