There was "
no smoking gun". Of course not, the probability of any single "stressor" being the sole causal agent for the decline was and is infinitesimal. And Yes, the Report did indeed point at a myriad of factors that together most likely worked together in a cumulative effort to create the situation being studied.
Although Cohen did not "rank" these factors according to their level of threat potential, he did make some rather strong statements regarding aquaculture:
"In his three-volume report on the future of the sockeye fishery released Wednesday, Justice Bruce Cohen focuses 11 of his 75 recommendations on the province's salmon-farming industry, addressing issues like government management, the siting of open net-pen farms and the need for more research."
"While Cohen found there was no "smoking gun," no single event or stressor, responsible for the decline between 1992 and 2009, he found Fraser River sockeye faced a "likelihood of harm" from disease and pathogens on farms, especially in the Discovery Islands, located northeast of Campbell River, B.C., between Vancouver Island and the province's mainland."And yes, he does indeed call for research to begin immediately to determine to what, if any extent the farms pose a problem. Something with which I strongly concur. However he follows by suggesting we follow the
Precautionary Principle in this case (something many believe should have been adhered to well before the latest expansion was allowed to occur):
"In the Discovery Islands, the department should not issue any new open net-pen licences, cap production and limit the maximum duration of a licence to one year, starting immediately and at least until Sept. 30, 2020, said Cohen.
If the minister determines open net-pen farms pose more than a minimal risk to Fraser River sockeye, the farms should be ordered to cease operations, he said."(Above quotes:
http://www.globalnews.ca/report+into+decli...5508/story.html )
Which also ties in with his apparent perception that there is more than likely reason for concern here:
"I therefore conclude that the potential harm posed to Fraser River sockeye salmon from salmon farms is serious or irreversible"All of that said, aquaculture was indeed but one of many factors the Report considers. And I strongly agree with a poster on another forum: "
the findings are a damning indictment of the politicization of the DFO and the lack of adequate funding for it to carry out it's mandate" :
"It is "regrettable" that the government did not wait to see the conclusions of the inquiry before making changes to the federal Fisheries Act, Cohen told the media Wednesday.
"The amendments to the Fisheries Act cause me concern," ... "I find it difficult to avoid the conclusion that the legislative amendments in Bill C-38 lower the standard of protection for Fraser River sockeye salmon."
Contrary to his recommendations to protect salmon habitat, Cohen said the amendments contained in the Conservatives' omnibus budget legislation appear to expand the circumstances where fish habitat can be harmed.
"DFO's first priority must be the health of wild stocks," Cohen said repeatedly during a news conference."http://www.globaltvedmonton.com/canada/sal...5004/story.htmlFisheries and Oceans Canada should no longer be mandated to promote the industry and farmed salmon as a product but should act in accordance with its paramount regulatory objective of conserving wild fishhttp://www.globalnews.ca/report+into+decli...5508/story.html"Former B.C. Supreme Court Justice Bruce Cohen took aim at the federal government Wednesday in his much-anticipated report on the decline of Fraser River sockeye. He said he was “troubled” by recent amendments to the environmental process and the Fisheries Act by Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative government.
“Many experts have emphasized the importance of protecting fish habitat, promoting biodiversity and adopting ecosystem-based management practices,” said Cohen. “However, the recent amendments to the Fisheries Act appear to be taking (the Department of Fisheries and Oceans) in a very different direction.”
He also noted “concern” over staff cuts in DFO’s Pacific Region habitat management program. The Conservatives cut $79 million, or 5.8 per cent, from DFO’s total budget this year.
In particular, Cohen noted amendments to the Fisheries Act shift emphasis from fish and habitat protection to the protection of fisheries. That change lowers the standard of protection for Fraser River sockeye salmon, Cohen said.
Cohen called on the federal government to properly fund and implement DFO’s own 2005 wild salmon and 1986 habitat policies.
The wild salmon policy is meant to restore and maintain healthy and diverse salmon populations and their habitats “for the enjoyment of the people of Canada in perpetuity.” But Cohen said he has no confidence the policy will ever be implemented without dedicated funding.
Cohen also concluded DFO is not achieving its goal of a net gain in productive fish habitat, or of “no net loss” of habitat, under the 1986 habitat policy."http://www.vancouversun.com/mobile/busines...7848/story.html“You can’t have healthy wild fish if you don’t have healthy habitat.”DFO’s first priority should be the health of the wild stocks and aquaculture should be removed from DFO’s mandate, Cohen recommended.
“When DFO has simultaneous mandates to conserve wild stocks and promote the salmon farming industry, there are circumstances when it finds itself in conflict of interest because of divided loyalties,” he said.
Changes in salmon management are needed and DFO needs to conduct more research as there is a lack of data, the report says.http://www.timescolonist.com/Report+calls+...7997/story.htmlMost who have witnessed DFO's particular form of salmon "management" will obviously agree with Cohen - He makes some rather damning points regarding DFO and the Harpo Government's apparent disregard for the former's mandate and function. And most will also likely concur in that
Something MUST Be Done to rectify that situation. I fear however that those two entities are scrambling to pay little more than
Lip Service to Cohen's findings, and that his ideal reflected in the below statement will be all but ignored...
“I urge the federal government, in the interests of conserving the iconic species of salmon, to heed my findings and to implement these recommendations,” Cohen said at a news conference. “If implementing the recommendations is delayed, the ongoing threats to the stocks will make remedial action all the more challenging when it does begin.”http://www.vancouversun.com/mobile/busines...7848/story.htmlThe government did not commit to implementing any of the recommendations, and Kamp defended the Fisheries Act changes.
"What we think the amendments to the Fisheries Act ... did is allow us to focus on the protection of the fisheries that Canadians value — commercial, recreational and aboriginal fisheries." 
http://www.globaltvedmonton.com/canada/sal...5004/story.htmlIn closing this post, I suggest that Cohen is right: DFO
NEEDS to be re-vamped,
NEEDS to be adequately resourced,
NEEDS a
Dedicated Focus on Habitat and Science and that the Harpo government
NEEDS to stop both reducing the level/competency of our Scientists, and muzzling them when their findings are counter to their own ongoing
Agenda.And while the aquaculture industry represents but one factor in the Report, I suggest Cohen's findings and concerns in this regard are well founded and should be adhered to:
Precaution FIRST, Research second, and Reaction Swift should "
the minister determine open net-pen farms pose more than a minimal risk to Fraser River sockeye".
Cheers,
Nog
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