Northern Gateway risks Canada’s wild Pacific salmon

ISLAND TIDES March 6 – March 19

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 marine and terrestrial wildlife, wild rivers, and complex 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.

A recent report by the Raincoast Conservation Foundation concluded that the consequences to Canada’s wild Pacific salmon from the Enbridge Northern Gateway 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 BC coast and how those activities could adversely affect salmon…

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