The Cohen Inquiry is re-opening for three days on Thursday December 15 because we, the public, began looking into the ISA virus.  A fish flu, ISA virus has become a serious problem everywhere salmon are put in farms. The BC and Canadian governments and the salmon farming industry say there is no evidence of ISA virus in British Columbia.  But when we sent samples to non-government labs we found it 600 km apart, in 4 species and two generations. Why the difference? Is this a cover-up?  Justice Cohen has called scientists from all the labs to the stand and so we will get the opportunity to find out if we should trust government when they tell us about the risk of viruses in salmon farms. We will be blogging on this site and on my blog: www.alexandramorton.typepad.com

 

 

The Cohen Commission of Inquiry into the Decline of Sockeye Salmon in the Fraser River will hold three additional days of evidentiary hearings December 15, 16 and 19 in Vancouver to put new information about recent testing for the ISA virus in BC on the commission’s record.

These hearings will be held in the Asia Pacific Hall at the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at 580 West Hastings Street in Vancouver. On December 15, hearings will be held from 9 am to 4 pm. On December 16 and 19 hearings will be held from 10 am to 4 pm. Hearings are open to the public however seating may be limited.

Currently scheduled witnesses are:

Panel 1 (December 15 & 16):

• Dr. Fred Kibenge, Chairman, Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island

• Dr. Are Nylund, Professor, University of Bergen, Norway( Dec. 15 only)

• Mrs. Nellie Gagné, Molecular Biology Scientist and Laboratory Supervisor, DFO, Moncton

• Dr. Kristi Miller, Head Molecular Genetics, DFO, Nanaimo (Dec. 15 only)

Panel 2 (December 16 & 19):

• Dr. Kim C. Klotins, Acting National Manager, Disease Control Contingency Planning, Aquatic Animal Health Division, CFIA, Ottawa

• Dr. Peter Wright, National Manager, National Aquatic Animal Health Laboratory System, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Moncton

• Dr. Simon Jones, Research Scientist, DFO, Nanaimo

• Mr. Stephen Stephen, Director Biotechnology and Aquatic Animal Health Sciences Branch, DFO, Ottawa

-----  (information below was in regards to the Aug, Sept, and Nov portions of the Cohen Commission hearings)-------


Final arguments to Justice Cohen will begin on Friday November the 4th and continue Monday the 7th, 8th 9th and finish on Thursday the 10th. We do not know for sure when Alexandra's lawyer Gregory McDade the Lion will get his final "uninterrupted and un-objected to" say but we will keep you posted. Wild Salmon People will want to hear this.

Past- (but you can read Alexandra's blog for details of what happened and access her 60 page report that was recently released by Justice Cohen)
http://alexandramorton.typepad.com/ 

In August and September the "Commission of Inquiry into the Decline of Sockeye Salmon in the Fraser River" (the 'Cohen Commission') will investigate the impact of infectious diseases from salmon feedlots on wild salmon.  It is important that we attend and bear witness to this process. 

When:  22nd August to 8th September

'Diseases': 22nd, 23rd and 24th August

Dr. Kristi Miller from DFO will appear on 24th August

'Aquaculture': 25th, 26th, 29th, 30th and 31st of August; 1st, 6th, 7th and 8th September 

Alexandra Morton will appear on 7th & 8th September.  For a full list visit the Cohen Commission's web-site.




Where: 701 W Georgia St (corner of Granville St) in Vancouver

Follow via Facebook's 'Salmon Inquiry - Cohen Commission Watch'

Stay informed with transcripts and schedule - click here

 
Read Alexandra Morton's Blog including:

"Here's why I think salmon farms are gatekeepers to Fraser sockeye survival" (30th August)
"Peaceful Wild Salmon Warrior Rally August 30, Tuesday Vancouver Art Gallery" (28th August)
"Day 5 - Not public for the public good" (28th August)
"Day 4 it just gets more interesting" (26th August)
"Day 3 Cohen Inquiry Disease Hearings" (25th August)
"Day 2 Disease/Aquaculture Cohen Inquiry" (24th August)
"Day one - Disease/Aquaculture hearings" (23rd August)
"And so it begins" (19th August)
"Why did Dick do this?" (19th July)
"Who left the door open?" (20th June)
"Voices for Wild Salmon - we have been played for fools" (16th June)
"The Cohen Inquiry is going too far with secrecy" (30th April)
"Gail Shea you were wrong, now what?" (11th April)
"Are you insured for this cover-up?" (30th March)
"DFO - in the business of the truth?" (19th March)
"Dear Dr. Richards inform yourself" (14th March)



Read the Superheroes 4 Salmon blogs:

"Cohen Commission 101 - The A to Z Guide to the Salmon Inquiry" (12th August)
"DFO in the Dock at Cohen Commission in August & September" (29th July)
"Cohen Inquiry sets sights on 'Diseases' and Aquaculture" (25th July)
"DFO's 'shoddy science' revealed at Cohen Inquiry" (13th July)
"Beamish me up Dicky" (8th July)
"Heatwave as Cohen Inquiry Heads for Summer Break" (7th July)
"Cohen's Countdown on Disease Time-Bomb" (29th June)
"Cracking the Cohen Code, Deciphering the Disease Conundrum" (27th June)
"Cohen Clampdown on Confidentiality" (24th June)

Read Elena Edwards' blog 'Cohen Inquiry Notes' including:

"Justice for Wild Salmon" (4th August)
"Inquiry Into the End of the Wild Salmon?" (26th June)
"Inquiry into the Art of Avoidance" (20th March)

Other articles to read as background:

"Cohen commission’s calm hides turmoil behind scenes" (The Globe & Mail, 29th June)
"Fishy commission blackout" (North Shore News, 11th May)
"Not so public public inquiry" (The Courier-Islander, 6th May)
"Rules keep fish findings under wraps" (The Times Colonist, 5th May)
"Cohen called on to release information on salmon virus" (The Globe & Mail, 4th May)
"B.C. salmon inquiry too secretive, participant complains" (The Globe & Mail, 29^th April)
“Hindsight Blurs History of BC’s Salmon Feedlots” (Cohen Inquiry Concerns, 9th April)

Read Mark Worthing's articles:

"Perfect storm of virus and warming water threaten sockeye: scientist" (The Tyee, 9th March)
"Missing Sockeye Salmon – The fate of a British Columbian Icon" (The Martlet, 17th February)

Follow the Cohen Inquiry on Twitter

Follow via Facebook's 'Salmon Inquiry - Cohen Commission Watch'

The Cohen Commission is a federal inquiry into the decline of the Fraser River Sockeye. The impact of salmon farming is one of several causes of decline being investigated.  Follow the latest submissions and the developments of the inquiry via the Cohen Commission's web-site

Get Involved

• Make a public submission - the Commission needs to hear about the impacts of salmon farming on our wild sockeye!
• The Commission commenced October 25, 2010, and is open for the pulic to sit in on hearings each day. The address is 701 West Georgia, on the Northwest corner of Granville St. and Georgia St. For an updated schedule of each day, visit here

• Fish Farms Out Poster