Nuxalk launched farmed fish boycott of Safeway supermarkets

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Nuxalk launched farmed fish boycott of Safeway supermarkets

Turtle Island Native Network
http://www.turtleisland.org


April 3, 2003

Nuxalk Nation launched a boycott of Safeway supermarkets where farmed Atlantic salmon are sold.

http://www.nuxalk.org

Nuxalk Nation Hereditary Chiefs explained, "Wild salmon is a gift from the Creator Tau Tau and with this gift is the responsibility to care for and protect it. This gift which shaped the Nuxalk traditional way of life is being destroyed by Salmon Farming industry."

The Nuxalk say Marine Harvest is trucking farmed salmon through their territory and Omega is building an atlantic salmon hatchery in their traditional territory.

Both companies received numerous condemnations from the Nuxalk Nation Hereditory chiefs, but "our wishes have continuously been ignored. It is our duty and responsibility to tell Safeway, which buy from the salmon farming industry, and their customers to stop buying farmed salmon."

As part of the launch of their boycott, the Nuxalk planned a demonstration at Safeway 1780 East Broadway /Broadway and Commercial in Vancouver, British Columbia.


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BACKGROUND


http://www.nuxalk.org

Atlantic Salmon Hatchery Threatens Wild Salmon Stocks

Once again the Nuxalk nation is threatened by the encroachment of the development of Atlantic salmon hatchery in our traditional territory. Omega fish farms is in the process of building a Atlantic salmon hatchery in Ocean Falls on the mid coast of B.C.

The Hereditary Chiefs and Elders do not want the Atlantic salmon hatchery or fish farms in our territory.


Head Chief Nuximlayc

First of all we must acknowledge Tau Tau our Heavenly Father for everything that is provided for us. Our most precious resource is water and the salmon. Our people rely on the salmon for survival. Now they want to take the salmon from us. The development of the Atlantic Salmon Hatchery in Ocean Falls will devastate the wild salmon stocks. Our way of life is threatened once again. They brought disease's like small pox and tuberculosis that decimated our people. Now they want to do the same to the salmon. The Atlantic salmon are in cages and will develop different disease's. These disease's will then be passed on to the wild salmon and the wild stock will eventually die off. It will be like the Ooligan that were decimated by a commercial fishery and now the ooligan has not returned to our rivers for that past three years. Our peoples way of life is threatened by Industry for the creation of economic development.


Elder Amanda Siwallace

It is the heavenly father who gave us the salmon. No human being can replace the heavenly father. It is he who gave us everything the deer the ducks and all living creatures. It is for us to use and to take care of and we must not allow them to take the heavenly fathers place.


Chief Snuxyaltwa

It is our responsibility to the Creator Tau Tau our Heavenly Father to protect Mother Earth and her gifts to the people. We are the salmon people and our people rely on the salmon for survival. We know that the Atlantic salmon will bring disease to the wild stock. Our people do not want the Hatchery in Ocean Falls and we will do what is necessary to stop it. We have caught eight of the Atlantic salmon this year that have escaped from nearby fish farms. We do not want these contaminated salmon in our waters.