Latest Updates
Environmental Protection Laws at Stake as Deadline Looms to Charge Imperial Metals
This August marks 5 years since Imperial Metals’ Mount Polley mine disaster. To date, Imperial Metals has not been held accountable for causing 25 billion litres of toxic mining waste to flood into Hazeltine Creek, Quesnel Lake, and the Fraser River watershed. All within the territory of the Secwepemc First Nation, the area is one of the largest salmon spawning grounds in the world. Legal charges under Canada’s Fisheries Act remain a possibility until August 4, 2019. So what’s at stake here?...
Celebrating the 35th Anniversary of the Meares Island Tribal Park Declaration
The 35th anniversary of the Meares Island Tribal Park Declaration of 1984 was celebrated over the Easter long weekend. Chief Moses Martin, elected Chief of Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, was also the elected chief 35 years ago. In April 1984, he declared Meares Island in Clayoquot Sound near Tofino a “Tribal Park” during a blockade to stop Canadian forestry company MacMillan Bloedel from logging the area’s ancient forests. “35 years ago. It seems like yesterday. I remember so vividly that day we...
Free Public Summer Presentations: “Striking Balance Together”
Friends of Clayoquot Sound and Tribal Parks Allies present a multimedia exploration of environmental conservation solutions in Clayoquot Sound. "Striking Balance Together": Film and Photo Presentations Wednesdays in July (July 3, 10, 17, 24, & 31) & August (August 7, 14, 21, & 28) Clayoquot Sound Community Theatre 380 Campbell St. Tofino 8 PM Free
2019 Summer Newsletter is here!
The summer 2019 edition of our twice-yearly newsletter is out, with articles including: Assessing the Wild Salmon Emergency The Green New Deal & Global Climate Strike August Deadline for Imperial Metals Charge Remembering Meares Island plus updates on our campaigns, and action items for you to take forward. Take a read and please share! Click here to download (PDF): FOCS Summer 2019, or find print copies at many outlets in Tofino and around BC. Contact us if you are interested in helping...
Sea Lice Monitoring Update
For another year out-migrating wild juvenile salmon in Clayoquot Sound have been put at risk by sea lice infestations. Juvenile salmon in Clayoquot Sound migrate from their natal streams beginning in the early spring. In May at our continual juvenile salmon monitoring sites, we found that there was a major spike in sea lice prevalence and abundance on smolts. We observed 70-100% prevalence of infected salmon and we were seeing a weekly average of 3 and 12 lice per fish during May at these...
Assessing the Wild Salmon Emergency
A Deadly Virus: Piscine Orthoreovirus (PRV) In a recent study, Department of Fisheries and Oceans scientist, Dr. Kristi Miller, found that migratory Chinook salmon are at risk of disease from exposure to the high levels of piscine orthoreovirus (PRV) occurring on salmon farms. PRV causes red blood cells in Chinook salmon to rupture, spreading toxins that damage the kidney and liver, weakening the wild salmon. Early in 2019, Canada’s Federal Court overturned the Department of Fisheries and...
Salmon Solidarity Movement Converging in Tofino
On Sunday, June 9th in Tofino, an alliance of Tla-o-qui-aht, Ahousaht, and Hesquiaht people, the Nuuchahnulth Salmon Alliance, held the “Salmon: Talking Circle and March.” The talking circle was held in front of the totem pole that Joe David raised in Tofino. Honoured guests included Chiefs from the Broughton Archipelago, Alexandra Morton, and the crew of Sea Shepherd’s Martin Sheen Research Vessel. Many people shared their perspectives on the value of wild salmon, and the damage done by...
Hands Across the Sand
Friends of Clayoquot Sound are partnering with Surfrider Pacific Rim for Hands Across the Sand, a global event that brings together individuals and organizations to promote a clean energy future across the world; ending our dependence on fossil fuels. Through this event, thousands of people across the planet come together to draw a line across the sand against fossil fuels that threaten our future. Our event is taking place on May long weekend on Clayoquot Island, the only weekend of...
A New Era For Reconciliation: Supporting the Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks Allies Initiative
Indigenous governments, with their strong rights enshrined in the Canadian constitution and International law, are a power force in environmental politics. In B.C., Indigenous Nations have halted the Trans Mountain pipeline, defended the Great Bear Rainforest and the Sacred Headwaters of the Stikine, Nass, and Skeena rivers from extractive development. In Clayoquot Sound the protected old growth forests of Wanachus/Hilthuu’is (Meares Island) have secured Tofino’s clean drinking water. All of...
Kwispaa LNG: A New Carbon Bomb For BC?
Steehead LNG (liquified natural gas) recently submitted a description for its proposed Kwispaa LNG project to the Canadian and BC environmental assessment agencies. Next door to Clayoquot Sound and about 45 kilometres south-southwest of Port Alberni, a 730 hectare natural gas liquefaction and export facility is proposed for Sarita Bay in Barkely Sound. Split two-thirds on land, one-third floating on the ocean, the facility would export an estimated 24 million tons of liquid natural gas per...
The Radicals Film Pacific Rim Tour Recap
On his 60th birthday at the film screening on the tour, it was awesome to hear Chief Willie Moon discuss the recent legal challenges launched by his Nation against the federal and provincial governments for the fish farms in Dzawada'enuxw territory that continue to operate with no consent. Thanks to the Beyond Boarding crew Tamo, Jasper, and Carissa for bringing The Radicals Film to the Pacific Rim and the community protectors in the film who attended and shared their stories Karissa,...
Fish Farms Face 2022 Deadline For Indigenous Consent + DFO Approval
Over the summer, the B.C. government announced that starting in 2022 all fish farms in B.C. will have to fulfill two requirements when an existing fish farm tenure comes up for renewal or when applying for a new fish farm tenure. First, applications will have to demonstrate they have agreements in place with Indigenous Nations in whose territories they propose to operate. Additionally, federal approval is required from the Department of Fisheries and Ocean who must agree that the fish farm’s...
Celebrating & Protecting Salmon!
Clayoquot Salmon Festival was an awesome week! From September 1-7th, we had 8 public events and hundreds attended!! Salmon swimming upstream to spawn. The Festival kicked off with a welcome and introduction from Terry Dorward of Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations. We screened the latest film of Nat Geo Explorer, Josh Thome, called “Hear The Call: Salmon Nation”. Star of the film and Swanson Island Occupation Leader, Ernest Alfred, shared his experience holding the line to protect wild salmon in the...
Victoria Ecotourism Outfitter and Environmental Advocates Invite Trudeaus to Bear Witness to Orcas’ Wake
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, August 3, 2018 Victoria / Tofino – Justin Trudeau and his family have vacationed on Vancouver Island in Tofino for the past three summers since he became the Prime Minister of Canada. Days after the Trudeau family’s current vacation started, on July 24th marine biologists observed a member of the endangered Salish Sea orcas, known as J35 or Tahlequah, swimming around carrying her dead newborn calf on her back. Nine days later and the pod of endangered orcas...
“No Means No Crudeau!” Rally Builds Solidarity Across West Coast While Trudeau Vacations in Tofino
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, July 31, 2018 Tofino - Since becoming Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau has vacationed in Tofino for the past three summers. West-coasters are disappointed and upset with Trudeau for approving and spending billions of taxpayer dollars to buy the Trans Mountain tar sands pipeline. The pipeline would increase oil tanker traffic on the west coast 700% and result in Canada failing global climate change reduction commitments. “Trudeau talks about reconciliation...
