Photos - Steveston Salmon Festival

The BC PSAC and the Enviroment Component are engaged in a campaign aimed at the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. Fish stocks and related fisheries activities in British Columbia are under threat by continuing budget cuts to Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

DFO employees are no longer able to fulfill their mandates in stock assessment, fisheries enforcement, habitat restoration, hatcheries and other salmon enhancement programs essential for the preservation and rebuilding of fish stocks. Dozens of jobs have already been lost with further cuts planned, the implementation of which will only accelerate the current trends of reduced fish populations until we reach the point where restoration is no longer possible.

BC PSAC Members and staff were out in full force at the Steveston Salmon Festival on Canada Day for the launch of a postcard and petition campaign aimed at the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. Over the course of the day, Environment Component activists spoke to hundreds of people about the ongoing job losses at DFO in the Pacific Region, and the impact further budget cuts will have on the protection of salmon and other fish stocks.

Liberal promises to fund Pacific Region fisheries work have fallen far short of the mark, and continued job losses are planned in the Department over the next three years, further compounding the problem. The PSAC and the Environment Component call on Geoff Regan and all other members of parliament to take a stand for the Pacific fishery and provide adequate funding to the task.

Patty Ducharme, Megan Adam and George McElwee	Environment Component members Nick Humphreys, Tom Hopkins, Megan Adam and George McElwee	James Little, Nick Humphreys and Megan Adam	Staff member Regina Brennan and REVP Patty Ducharme dropped by in the afternoon
PSAC members and staff speak with the public at the Steveston Salmon Festival	Tom Hopkins, Megan Adam, and George McElwee (ENV 20147) and Cindy Little	Tom Hopkins and PSAC staff member James Little	Megan Adam working the booth
Tom Hopkins, Nick Humphreys (RVP for Environment Component) and Megan Adam setting up	Getting ready to start