We British Columbians are proud of our wild salmon. No other province can boast the thousands of kilometers of salmon spawning streams and rivers that B.C. has. Salmon are an important part of human life on the Pacific coast. Salmon are important to feed people, bring tourists to the province, and also to support the rich ecosystem of B.C. wild animals. Salmon are a key part of ecosystem health, and support wildlife such as bears, marine birds, and other fish. Salmon are important to our cultural heritage, and their life cycle is inspiring and fascinating.
But salmon in our Pacific ocean are being threatened by drastic overfishing, toxic contaminants dumped into the ocean, and, potentially - marine oil tankers and oil spills. This issue does not just affect the coast, as salmon travel thousands of kilometers inland, some to the Prince George area, to spawn and they just won't make it if we keep threatening them. Coastal watersheds are among the most productive biological communities on earth. Protecting salmon means protecting these coastal ecosystems.
British Columbians demand better management of our oceans and more marine protected areas, as well as an increased vigilance against overfishing. We are proud of our wild and beautiful province and we want to keep it that way. I call on the newly elected MLA's of Prince George to support ocean protection. We are beautiful B.C. Let's keep it that way.
Sincerely,
Kelly Loewen
