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May 3^rd PR

WWF & T Buck Suzuki

About 75 people gave up a ‘sunny Saturday’ afternoon to hear ‘both sides’ of debate. Though no show from industry weakened the balance

David Lane moderator standing center John Volpe far left, Rashid Sumail, and M Patterson (hidden) then Maren Esmark & Rod Sam

Web sites

(or see WWF intro PDF+ abstracts)

Michele Patterson, Marine Program Director, WWF in BC

Bob Hill,

President of Tsimshian Tribal Council

David Lane,

Executive Director T ‘Buck’ Suzuki.

John Volpe

UA Biologist

Maren Esmark

WWF Norway

Rashid Sumaila

UBC fisheries economist

Rod Sam

Ahousaht perspective

JOBS Jobs Jobs

The audience was mainly ‘working class’ – no civic or business leaders showed up. The tone was one of concern – many 1^st nations people wondered if fish farms would harm traditional foods etc, Volpe (left) along with his science ended with a graph of Norwegian jobs and production per worker—and suggested BC would have to become ‘more competitive’ i.e. more output/ employee. (200 tonnes/ employee vs 24 for BC

Ahousaht spokesman Rod Sam had an ambivalent view—from being militant they have now signed a protocol with fish farms allowing monitoring but more importantly guaranteed jobs (as % of total). When asked about commercial fishing --- ‘we only have 8 licenses now’, but 67 employed on fish farms

Community organizing & 1^st Nations

Hope??

Along with the anger, the despondency that ‘common people’ could have effective voice in a pro Business New Era --- there was signs of a different possible future—On left is a man speaking for the Haida Nation – and above is an activist from Port Alberni – Both are defending a way of life that is threatened by globalized commodity production – but neither sounded helpless. It is too soon to tell if they can be heard by multi-nationals looking for cheap , clean marine waters

See This web site for many scientific documents etc that the woman above was speaking for