Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands)
2020-09-24 15:06 [p.70]
Mr. Speaker, I rise to raise an urgent question. A number of years ago, the Cohen Commission set September 30, 2020, which seemed a long time in the future, for the Minister of Fisheries to act to protect wild B.C. salmon from the terrible impacts of what are sometimes called fish farms but which are more accurately described as toxic fish factories.
September 30, the deadline, looms at the same time as Pacific salmon is in a desperate state of crisis throughout all its ecosystems. Will the Minister of Fisheries commit to act to shut down the open pen toxic fish factories by September 30?
Hon. Bernadette Jordan (South Shore—St. Margarets)
2020-09-24 15:06 [p.70]
Mr. Speaker, my department is absolutely committed to the conservation and protection of the wild Pacific salmon. That is why my department’s policy and decision-making looks at the potential risk and heavily relies on sound peer-reviewed science in order to make our decisions. To date, the department has eight of the nine risk assessments completed. We know that there is still one more to be finished.
I will have more to say on this in the coming days.