___ MAILBOX

Wednesday. October 31, 1990 - North Shore News - 7

VOTE FOR
EXPERIENCE
AND COMMITMENT
RE-ELECT

Fish farms defended | sarBARA HOWARD &

Dear Editor:

With reference to Bob Hunter’s
Oct. 10 column. the B.C. Salmon
Farmers Association would like to
respond with further information
in order to cerrect: some of the
inaccuracies presented.

The fish farming industry has
been incorrectly portrayed as the
perpetrator of some cculogical
problems. Those perpetrating this
myth have confused ‘cause and
effect.**

First off, the growth of salmon
farming in Norway has not led to
the demise of wild salmon stocks
in that country. Atlantic salmon
stocks throughout Europe have
been greatly depleted by decades
of overfishing.

The ‘‘ceriain parasites and
diseases’? causing problems with
certain wild stocks in rivers in
Norway (specifically gyrodactylus
salaris) did not originate from
‘captive’ stocks of farmed salm-
on. This is well documented in
scientific literature. The parasite
was in fact transmitted from gov-
ernment hatcheries which were
stocking rivers in an effort to
rebuild wild stocks. These salmon
weren't escapees from fish farms.

With regard to fish health on
this coast, all diseases currently
affecting cultured salmon stocks
in B.C. are native to B.C. and
orginated from the wild popula-
tion. Most have been documented
by researchers in wild stocks long
before salmon farming arrived on
the scene.

There are no indications in Brit-
ish Columbia that diseases spread
from cultured or SEP-produced
fish to wild stocks. All fish trans-
fers in British Columbia are
reviewed prior to authorization by
a government Transplant Com-
mittee in accordance with strict
disease protection regulations.

Canada’s Fish Health Protec-
tion Regulations are among the
most comprehensive in the world.
Elaborate care is taken to prevent
the introduction of non-native
disease.

Salmon farming is a legitimate,
sustainable complement to DFO’s
own stock management and
rebuilding effort. As a new, young
and growing industry, we expect
to be placed under public scrutiny
and have to prove ourselves be-
fore we will be an accepted
member of the coastal resource
user community.

We have no problem in accep-
ting this challenge.
tributed in the order of $90 mil-
lion to the B.C. economy with
over 12,000 tonnes of production
in 1989. We are now self-suffi-
cient in smolt production, and our
private hatcheries produced over
20 million smolts in 1990.

We supply fresh fish to B.C.
consumers 12 months a year, and
utilize both the processing piants
and fishing vessels for transport
when they would otherwise be
idle. We provide a solid source of
jobs in coastal communities.

Because high standards of water
quality are necessary for survival,
fish farms are akin to an in-
surance policy on environmental
quality up and down the coast.

We are committed, along with
the government, to contribute to
the protection and supplementa-
tion of wild stocks, not to their

We con-.

destruction. We'd be happy to
provide you with any additional
infermation on our industry and
its efforts,

Alan Archibald

Executive Director

B.C. Salmon Farmers Association
Vancouver

{Climate Controls}
: from
GOODSYEAR .
AND .

| KAL@TIRE |

“2848 0,
OUR LOWEST PRICED
«ALU SEASON RADIAL,
{.. STARTING AT

< HIGHT TRUCK
"ALL SEASON:

HURRY!

Prices Expire Nov. 3rd

Ask about Kal Tire’s Expanded
Customer Protection Policy
We Sell Chains & Batteries

[4508 MAIN ST. |
I NORTH VANCOUVER

986-3437)

SCHOOL TRUSTEE
WEST VANCOUVER

DRAPERIES BY S. LAURSEN

CUSTOM DRAPERIES
AND VALANCES

Labour $7.50 per panel
unlined, $8.50 lined

CUSTOM BEDSPREADS
AND COVERS

Low, low prices on blinds
and tracks
For FREE Estimates
Call 987-2966

Serving the North Shore for 19 years

i DAVIS Reports

By the Hon. Jack Davis, MLA
North Vancouver-Seymour

EDUCATION IN BC. GETS TOP MARKS

British Columbia's educationa! system is first class. It's cosiing more
each year but it’s also getting results. Witness the outstanding
achievement of our teenage scholars in national and international
competitions. They are right up there with the best.

As for cost, we've seen a doubling in provincial outlays on elernentary
and secondary schools over the past four years. Tony Brummet's
Ministry now spends $3 billion annually as opposed to less than $1.5
billion in 1986. Clearly education is a priority item with the Vander
Zalm government in Victoria.

As for performance, the record speaks for itself:

ein a mathematics competition conducted by the University of
Waterloo and open to Grade 12 students across Canada, 25 per
cent of the 12,000 participants were from BC. Of the 100 top-
scoring students, 47 per cent were from this province. Of the top
S0 schools in Canada, more than half were located in BC.

*In the Canadian Mathematical Olympiad for Grade 11 students,
BC. had 10 of the top 50 schools. Only Ontario (with four times
our population) had more. :

ein a similar Grade 10 contest, three of the top 10 schools were
BC. based. Again, on a per-student basis, we are far above the
national average.

* Internationally, B.C. students topped an entire nation in both
science and mathematics. These 13;year-olds were competing
with others of the same age from the United States, the United
Kingdom, Ireland, Spain and Korea.

®And in a recent Commonwealth Essay Competition, four BC.
students were in the top 20. Our Province, with its relatively small
population, did very well competing with 35 countries where
creative writing skills were being evaluated by experts.

These achievements are growing in number, year after year. Our

school system, which has always been good, is now in the excellent

category. So we can join Tony Brummet when he says that:
“These are good news items. They are results in which we can
all take pride. Parents, teachers and students alike. We have quality
education here in BC. as well as quantity. nd we should
congratulate ourselves for it!”

CHRISTMAS FAIRS
COMING SOON!

Tred VOKCE OF WORTIN AND WERT MANCDUSER

Pegutcss:2 STARTING NOV. 2 IN CLASSIFIEDS

To Advertise Call Linda Goodsell

a! 986-6222, local 214

CAP WEEK

Have a Happy, Safe
Halloween

To maximize Halloween fun
Lois Rennie from Early
Childhood Education
recommends these tips to
little ghosts and goblins for a
safe night out:

1) You need ta see and be
seen clearly, so wear a
light, bright colored
costume and use make-up
instead of a mask.

2) Plan a route with your
parents and do not go out
alone.

3) Do not go inside a strange
house or approach a
stranger in a vehicle.

4) Know where the Block
Parent homes are in your
neighborhood.

5) Do not eat your treats
before a parent has
checked them.

,.. Top Students to be
Fe 0 toad
"Honored

Capilano College will honor
the “best of the best” at the
first annual Srudent Awards
Nighr, to be held on
Thursday, November I at
Cap. The awards recognize
exceptional achievements by
63 Cap students. The evening
also pays tribute to the
donors whose generous
contributions to scholarships
help these students reach
their goals.

Applications for Legal
- Secretarial Program

The field of law offers
excellent career opportunities.
Applications are now being
accepted for the Legal
Secretarial program starting
in January 1991. For
information or to arrange an
interview, call 984-4959.

Midlite Daughter's
> Dilemma

You're invited to the fifth
presentation in the Women:
Issues of the ‘90s lecture
series on Wednesday,
November 7. ‘Midlife
Daughter’s Dilemma” will
focus on the challenge of
caring for aging parents while
managing one’s own personal
and career goals. Guest
lecturer Clarissa Green is an
associate professor of nursing
at UBC and a family
therapist. Capilano College
Students’ Lounge, N
Building, room 115. FREE
admission. For information or
to reserve a seat, call

986-1813.

CAPILANO
COLLEGE

2055 Purcel! Way
North Vancouver
British Columbia