International Declaration Against
Unsustainable Salmon Farming
We are global environmentalists, First Nations, scientists, tourism business owners and operators, and fishermen/women fighting to save our coasts. We have inspected salmon farms, and held summits in Chile, Canada and Norway. We conclude that the science is conclusive: open-net cage salmon farming is severely impacting the world’s oceans.
Specifically salmon farming is:
1. Ecologically devastating (e.g.: destabilizing ecosystems by killing wild salmon across the northern hemisphere, discharging invasive species. Depriving wildlife such as bears, eagles, whales as well as human communities of a primary food source, causing massive viral and sea lice epidemics, and genetic pollution)
2. Socially destructive: (e.g.: leading to worker death and labor law infractions in Chile, threatening valuable local economies, degrading traditional food resources and ignoring the rights of Canadian First Nations, Chilean artisanal fishermen, and Norwegian and Sami fisherman)
3. Threatening local food security with drug, feed and feces discharge: (e.g.: chemical net antifoulants, unapproved louse chemotherapeutics, antibiotics, flesh colorants, tons of nitrogen and phosphorous associated with toxic algae blooms)
4. Threatening the global food supply by fishing the North Atlantic and South Pacific to produce aquaculture feed resulting in a net loss of fish supply available to feed people, affecting also the marine food web. We found that the salmon farm corporations, largely Norwegian owned, are denying impact and distracting the public from hearing the truth in all our countries. We found that governments are complicit with the fish farming industry delaying protection of ocean resources and also withholding the truth from the public that salmon farms kill wild salmon and harm other indigenous species.
The United Nations Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries adopted in 1995 states “As a primary goal, aquaculture development should conserve genetic diversity and minimize negative effects of farmed fish on wild fish populations, while increasing supplies of fish for human consumption.” We declare each of these principles violated by today’s global marine salmon farming industry. Ocean ecosystems are essential to life on earth. As such we are resolved to protect our oceans from salmon farming. We are calling for a global moratorium on raising salmon in net pens and an immediate halt to the destruction of public ocean resources by this industry. We invite others to learn more and sign at www.ourglobalocean.org It is our intention to prevent this industry from continuing to devastate our Oceans.
Signed this day November 2, 2008
Following are those who have signed this declaration previous to the launch of the website:
1. Chief Bob Chamberlin Kwicksutaineuk/Ah-kwa-mish, Canadian First Nation.
2. Kurt Willy Oddekalv, Green Warriors, Norway
3. Wolfram Heise Proyecto Pumalin, Chile
4. Alfredo Quarto, Mangrove Action Project, U.S.A.
5. Alexandra Morton, Adopt-a-fry.org, Canada
6. Darren Blaney, Homalco Canadian First Nation
7. Captain Paul Watson, President, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, USA
8. Anne Mosness, Go Wild Campaign, USA
9. Craig Orr, Stan Proboszcz, Watershed Watch, Canada
10. Darlene Schanfald, Olympic Environmental Council, USA
11. Terry Anderson, Wild Salmon Alliance, Canada
12. Anissa Reed, Ocean Aura Design Inc., Canada
13. Don Staniford, USA
14. Brian Gunn, President, Wilderness Tourism Association, Canada
15. Bruce Sandison, Scottish Sporting Services, Scotland
16. Steve Strand, Retired University of California Los Angeles, Marine Biology, Canada
17. Myrna Boulding, President, Strathcona Park Lodge and Outdoor Education Centre.
18. Steve Lawson, First Nations Environmental Network, Canada
19. Bartlett Naylor, Capital Strategies, USA
20. Doug Tompkins
21. Juan Carlos Cardenas, Centro Ecoceanos, Chile
22. Ronald Pfeil Mann, Isla Magdalena Nacional Park, Chile
Upon registration you will be asked if you agree to sign the declaration, Please say yes and you will AUTOMATICALLY add your name to the declaration. Now you should see your name appear in the list of those who have registered and signed the declaration BELOW. Once your registration is complete and you receive your username and password you can log back in to view your personal page if you choose.You do not have to log back in to sign the list.
REGISTER NOW TO SIGN OUR DECLARATION!
The list below are those who have registered on the website to sign the declaration.
YOUR NAME WILL APPEAR HERE(in order of State/Province):
