Old timers have told me that only a few decades ago there was a substantial rockfish population within the sheltered waters of Clayquot Sound. They are not there any more. Many other species have shown similar population declines. This disapperance of a local marine system seems to coincide exactly with the introduction of fish farms to these same waters. Coincidence? Not likely. Why are we concerned about some raw human sewage being dumped, when our industrial neighbours continue to dump countless tons of fish feces, on a regular and constant basis, into the same marine habitat? Why would I pay to clean up my yard, if my neighbor is going to continue to throw his garbage there every day? It's not only about "raw sewage", it's about a polluted marine environment, and it's going to take more than a treatment plant to clean it up.
Ahh rockfish. Why do people want to eat them with a growth rate of perhaps 10 years a pound? Doesn't take much to wipe them out. Fishing, fish farms and sewage changes things for sure.
Most of the rockfish conservation areas in Clayoquot Sound are also where the fish farms are located. They asked fishermen at the time where to best locate the conservation areas and the areas chosen were, not surprisingly, in areas fishermen couldn't fish. Not seeing any problem they were approved. It turns out that rockfish don't really live under fish farms. oops.
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Old timers have told me that only a few decades ago there was a substantial rockfish population within the sheltered waters of Clayquot Sound. They are not there any more. Many other species have shown similar population declines. This disapperance of a local marine system seems to coincide exactly with the introduction of fish farms to these same waters. Coincidence? Not likely. Why are we concerned about some raw human sewage being dumped, when our industrial neighbours continue to dump countless tons of fish feces, on a regular and constant basis, into the same marine habitat? Why would I pay to clean up my yard, if my neighbor is going to continue to throw his garbage there every day? It's not only about "raw sewage", it's about a polluted marine environment, and it's going to take more than a treatment plant to clean it up.
Ahh rockfish. Why do people want to eat them with a growth rate of perhaps 10 years a pound? Doesn't take much to wipe them out. Fishing, fish farms and sewage changes things for sure.
Most of the rockfish conservation areas in Clayoquot Sound are also where the fish farms are located. They asked fishermen at the time where to best locate the conservation areas and the areas chosen were, not surprisingly, in areas fishermen couldn't fish. Not seeing any problem they were approved. It turns out that rockfish don't really live under fish farms. oops.
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