害羞草研究所楴amgis First Nation notified the Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) that they are re-activating its judicial review of Fisheries and Oceans Canada害羞草研究所檚 policy to not test for PRV before stocking open net-pen feedlots in B.C.

On Wednesday, May 15, the First Nation announced the resumption of the litigation after suspending it in 2021 while DFO implemented a federal mandate to remove open net-pen feedlots from B.C., which has yet to happen.

害羞草研究所淲e don害羞草研究所檛 really want to be back in court. We害羞草研究所檝e learned the hard way that we have to fight to protect our fish and our rights,害羞草研究所� said Hereditary 害羞草研究所楴amgis Chief Don Svanvik. 害羞草研究所淥ur salmon are intrinsic to our being, they害羞草研究所檙e our sustenance, a critical part of our ceremony, they害羞草研究所檝e been part of who we are since time immemorial. We see the writing on the wall. We see a DFO who has no intention of removing the fish farms as mandated by the prime minister.

PRV, or piscine orthoreovirus, causes heart and skeletal muscle inflammation in farmed Atlantic salmon, and it causes a disease that results in the blood cells of infected wild Chinook salmon to rupture, which can eventually kill the fish.

According to a news release, the PRV policy is one of the risk assessments that DFO relies on to deny that open net-pen feedlots stocked with Atlantic salmon do not harm wild Pacific salmon.

If 害羞草研究所楴amgis is successful and the PRV policy is again found unlawful, the lawfulness of any decisions relying on it will be called into question, including DFO害羞草研究所檚 impending Transition Plan, the renewal of aquaculture licences, and the licences the companies need to stock fish farms.

In 2023, Parliament害羞草研究所檚 Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans asked for an investigation of the value and accuracy of DFO害羞草研究所檚 risk assessments, including the PRV assessment, noting the suppression of scientific evidence noted the release.

The Public Sector Integrity Commissioner is currently investigating two DFO officials for preventing scientists communicating their research to the public, the media, and Parliament.

Bob Chamberlin, chair of the First Nations Wild Salmon Alliance, mentioned court rulings against the DFO in the past 15 years, and the Auditor General害羞草研究所檚 report to the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, which included 害羞草研究所渟cathing comments害羞草研究所� from scientists on DFO害羞草研究所檚 ability to regulate the industry.

害羞草研究所淭hey have a lot of diseased fish in the oceans. They have bowed down to industry for stronger regulations, and somehow, we害羞草研究所檙e supposed to magically trust them this time,害羞草研究所� said Chamberlin.

He also said he and UBC have asked for disease reporting forms about 17 months ago, and have yet to receive a response.

害羞草研究所淚t reflects what they害羞草研究所檝e always done, so there害羞草研究所檚 no faith in DFO to do anything other than to continue to put wild salmon at risk for the blind support of this open ended fish farming industry,害羞草研究所� he said.

UBC害羞草研究所檚 Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries noted in the release that their studies found that PRV-1 originates from the Atlantic Ocean, and in B.C., the virus has been continually transmitted between open-net salmon farms and wild Pacific salmon.

害羞草研究所淲e are not activists, we are First Nations standing up for constitutional rights,害羞草研究所� said Chamberlin. 害羞草研究所淪almon is not a choice for our people. It害羞草研究所檚 who we are, it害羞草研究所檚 vastly tied to our culture, and our traditions, and the lands that we come from.害羞草研究所�

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