First Nations rights, fossil fuel development, and salmon biodiversity
In a Letter to Science, Jon Moore, along with fisheries experts from the Skeena Fisheries Commission and BC First Nations, highlight the mismatch between environmental decision-making and ecological connections (PDF).
The controversial proposal by industry and government to develop oil and gas infrastructor in the Skeena River estuary, Canada's second-largest salmon producer, fails to consider upstream impacts on salmon and First Nation fisheries. The proposed development area has been shown to be particularly important habitat for juvenille salmon, which support First Nations fisheries throughout the Skeena watershed (Carr-Harris et al. 2015).
The letter also emphasizes the challenge in identifying the proper spatial scale at which to assess environmental and human impacts. Science should be used to inform environmental policy and the scale at which decision-makers determine risks to both environment and people.
“The Flora Bank region in the Skeena estuary is like Grand Central Station for salmon”
- Allen Gottesfeld
Photo Credit: Tavish Campbell
Media Coverage Highlights
Global and Mail: "B.C.'s LNG project poses threat to salmon habitat, study" - read the article here
Vancouver Sun: "Proposed LNG plant near Prince Rupert on doorstep of important salmon estuary" - read the article here
CBC: "Petronas LNG terminal set in salmon's 'Grand Central Station'" - read the article here
More information about the paper and media coverage HERE