Walker Hook sacrilege: Please express your outrage

Salt Spring News, October 11, 2004

by Jim Scott

In our mind, the desecration of Walker Hook is the most egregious assault on the morality of our island community--and there are many extant today. By several--no, many standards--this development violates the ideals of right human conduct.

Donna Martin writes:

Walker Hook is one of Salt Spring Islands ecological, geological and archaeological treasures. Home to a rich and diverse array of terrestrial and marine plants and animals its worth lies in its stunning natural beauty and habitat value. The tombolo is layered metre deep in middens from coastal first nations peoples who camped, fished and gathered shellfish along its shores for thousands of years. Excavating this area and disturbing and removing the skeletal remains of FN ancestors to accommodate the infrastructure required for the waste management system was cultural vandalism. Walker Hook is designated a high priority protected site by the Federal/Provincial Georgia Basin Ecosystem Conservation Partnership. Environment Canada, the BC Ministry of Water Land and Air Protection and the Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management all agree that 3 rare and sensitive ecosystems are present within Walker Hook.

Sablefin Hatcheries Ltd, is a venture capital company headed by Gidon Minkoff that produces large numbers of juvenile sablefish for net cage farms in our coastal communities. This companies stated intention is to expand and diversify to other species and sell out to a large industry player.This development poses ecological threats not only to Walker Hook but to all the coastal communities that will be the recipients to these net cage pen farms. The very concept of industrial use such as this violates everything that the Trust stands for.There has been loud and strong community opposition to this hatchery development from day one. The Salt Spring Residents for Responsible Land Use together with the Penelakut FN elders and the Canadian Sablefish Association filed joint appeals with the Environmental Appeal Board regarding Sablefin Hatcheries Ltd. temporary waste permit which allows them to pump 619 cubic meters of hatchery effluent into the tombolo each day. We are still awaiting this decision.

Salt Spring Island Residents for Responsible Land Use member, Dr. Kathy Dunster, provide links to more information and urges everyone to write saying they are adversely affected by this proposed discharge. Click on full story to read her submission.