Category Archives: Nova Scotia

Salmon Wars Campaign #2

You undoubtedly have heard that the  NS government has given the Norwegian aquaculture giant, Cermaq, the option to explore putting open-net pens in St. Margaret’s and Mahone Bays. Open-net fish farms, which are being eliminated in BC, threaten our environment through disease, parasites, toxic chemicals and more. Opposition to having open-net pens in our waters is mounting.

Our chapter has joined the Twin Bays Coalition which is a very active organization  working with the St. Margaret’s Bay Stewardship Association, Friends of Nature, Ecology Action Centre, as well as interested individuals to oppose open-net fish farming.

If you are concerned about this issue, here are a few opportunities for action and education. 

We are sorry that due to an overflow crowd at our public meeting on January 26, people had to be turned away.  We now have a clean ‘edited’ version of the presentations.  You can watch it by going to the youtube channel and searching for twinbayscoalitionrally.  It is in 8 short episodes. You can also watch it on the Twin Bays facebook page. 

Representatives from the Twin Bay Coalition have been making presentations to municipal councils. There has been a misunderstanding and the  presentation to the Town of Lunenburg Council will not take place on Tuesday, February 11 at 5:15 pm. Stay tuned for notification of the new date for this presentation. 

Councillor Michael Ernst is moving this motion at the regular MODL council meeting on Tuesday, February 11. “Request that the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg not support the development of open pen fish farms in District 8, Mahone Bay, as defined on the attached map.” The meeting begins at 9 am and when necessary continues after the lunch break and this item is near the end of the agenda. It is important to have supporters in attendance but it is not possible to give an accurate time. You can check with the municipal office to see if they have a better idea of the time frame. Councillor Ernst has also stated that “If other Councillors representing coastal areas of the Municipality wish to amend this motion to include the coastal areas in their districts they may do so.” In light of this it is important that you contact your councillors before Tuesday and urge them to amend the motion to include your district.

Here’s a terrific op-ed in the January 31  Chronicle Herald, from Helga Guderley.  Read it here

We will have an info table at the Lunenburg Farmers Market on Thursday, February 27th. Contact us if you are able to work a 1.5 hour shift or if you are at the market stop by and have a chat with us.

The Twin Bays Coalition has organized a second public meeting, this time in Tantallon.  It will be held on Sunday, March 1st at 2pm at St. Margaret’s Centre in Upper Tantallon.  Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/twinbays/

Finally, consider joining the Twin Bays facebook group:  twinbayscoalition.  And visit the website: twinbays.ca.  Links to petition, opportunities for action and lots more information. 

We know that Cermaq is doing an excellent job of lobbying our elected officials.  We need to work equally hard to convince our elected officials that open-net fish farming is not the answer for our communities, our economy, or the environment. Write and/or call your local councillor, MP and MLA to register your concern.

Thank you for your support!

Salmon Wars Campaign Update

Dear Friends:

Since our last salmon update we, through Twin Bays coalition, have:

  • Presented to four local Municipal Councils
  • Co-hosted a public session in Mahone Bay with the Council of Canadians. It’s posted on the TwinBays.ca Face Book page
  • Opened  up a separate FON bank account to handle banking for Twin Bays Coalition
  • Participated in a CBC interview, written several op-eds, and put ads in two local papers.
  • Met face to face with Cermaq

Upcoming activities are:

  • Meeting with Hugh MacKay on Monday
  • Round two with the Chester Council this Thursday, Feb 6 at 0900. We will be listening to presentations from Cermaq and the Aquaculture Association and asking them questions. If you could attend to show your support, that would be terrific.
  • Round two with MODL (Municipality of the District of Lunenburg) on Tuesday Feb 11 at 0845.
  • Presentation to the Town of Lunenburg at 5:15 pm, same Tuesday.

Here’s what you can do the help:

  • Attend all three council presentations
  • Visit TwinBays.ca and sign the petition
  • Write to all the politicians you can think of, and to the papers. Draft letters will soon appear on TwinBays.ca.
  • Tell all your friends to get educated and write letters too.
  • Mark your calendars for two upcoming events:
    • Sunday, March 1: public meeting at St Margaret’s Centre at 2:00 pm
    • Wednesday March 11 or Thursday, March 12 (to be determined): FON AGM at 7:00 pm with a speaker on salmon as the main event.

Best regards and thanks

Syd Dumaresq , Chair, Friends of Nature

 

Silver River Wilderness Area: https://www.novascotia.ca/nse/protectedareas/wa_silverriver.asp

Nova Scotia Parks and Protected Areas: Public Input

Silver River Wilderness Area: https://www.novascotia.ca/nse/protectedareas/wa_silverriver.asp

Dear Friends of Nature Members,

There is currently a great opportunity for our Friends of Nature members and all Nova Scotians to participate in helping conserve and protect more of our threatened natural landscapes. The Department of Environment/Protected Areas Branch is currently seeking public input into the designation of 6 more protected areas, part of the effort to get to the 13% goal. This is an excellent time to participate, and the time for input ends on March 9, 2020.

I would ask that you take a few moments and visit the website at https://novascotia.ca/parksandprotectedareas/ to learn more and to view these wonderful natural areas that would offer unique habitats that would protect vulnerable flora and fauna into perpetuity. It only takes a few moments to do so and the government needs to hear from folks like us who understand the importance of land protection.

Submit comments by 9 March, 2020 to protectedareas@novascotia.ca.

You can also share comments by mail or phone:
Protected Areas and Ecosystems
PO Box 442
Halifax, NS B3J 2P8

Telephone: 902-476-4012

Thank you to everyone for taking the time to help conserve some more ecologically significant landscapes across the province.

Regards,
Brad Armstrong,
Conservation Director,FO

Salmon Wars Campaign

Dear Friends:

We find ourselves yet again in opposition to our own government and the aquaculture industry. Cermaq, a giant multi-national aquaculture firm (owned by Mitsubishi) has been granted options to install industrial size open pen salmon farms in the pristine waters of St Margaret’s Bay, Mahone Bay, Lunenburg Bay, the mouth of the LaHave River, St Mary’s Bay and large parts of  Guysborough and Richmond Counties.

Friends of Nature is proud to be a co- founder of the Twin Bays Coalition. I encourage you to have a look at: TwinBays.ca.

Our campaign includes meeting with government at all levels. Upcoming municipal council presentations are listed below. It is very important that we fill the visitor’s gallery at each of these and I urge you to attend as many as you can.

1.   Tuesday, Jan 21, 0900 Municipality of the District of Lunenburg, (located in Bridgewater) council presentation.

2.   Sunday, Jan 26, 2:00 pm, Council of Canadians Public meeting, Mahone Bay Centre

3.   Monday, Jan 27, 6:00 pm, Town of Bridgewater, council presentation.

4.   Thursday Jan 30, 9:00 am, Chester Municipality, council presentation.

5.   Thursday Jan 30, 7:00 pm, Town of Mahone Bay, council presentation.

6.   Tuesday,  Feb 11, 5:15 pm, Town of Lunenburg, council presentation

In addition, Friends of Nature will be participating in the following event, which I hope you can also attend:

The South Shore Chapter of the Council of Canadians, in partnership with the Twin Bays Coalition, is presenting a meeting, “There’s still time to protect our bays: Say No to open-net fish farming”. In light of the NS government’s giving an option to Japanese aquaculture giant, Cermaq, to explore putting open-net pens in St. Margaret’s and Mahone Bays, this public meeting will examine the risks associated with open-net fish farming. Open-net pens, which are being eliminated in BC, threaten our environment though disease, parasites, toxic chemicals and more.

The event will include presentations from the Ecology Action Centre, the Twin Bays Coalition, Protect Liverpool Bay, St. Mary’s Bay Protectors, and the Association for the Preservation of the Eastern Shore. Excerpts of the film, Salmon Wars: Wild Fish, Aquaculture and the Future of Communities, will be shown; a short film on a Nova Scotia land-based alternative to open-net pens will also be presented. There will be opportunities for discussion among panelists and questions / comments from the audience will be encouraged as we address an issue that is a concern in communities throughout the province.

The event will be held on Sunday, January 26, 2020, 2 pm at the Mahone Bay Centre (45 School St., Mahone Bay). Light refreshments will be served. Admission is free, but donations will be gratefully received to cover costs. Everyone is welcome to attend.

With best wishes,

Syd Dumaresq

Chair, Friends of Nature

“The Mill” documentary to be shown on CBC

Dear Friends of Nature:

With the Pictou mill so much in our thoughts, I highly recommend Joan Baxter’s recent book “The Mill”.

There is also a documentary on “The Mill” which will be on CBC at 10:00 pm AST this Thursday, August 29.

Here is a link to an article about the documentary in Truro News: https://www.trurodaily.com/news/regional/the-mill-documentary-to-be-shown-on-cbc-343664/

Best wishes

Syd Dumaresq, Chair, Friends of Nature

Legal Action for Nova Scotia’s Species at Risk

Dear Friends:

Jamie Simpson, one of our board members, is acting for Bob Bancroft and three other groups in launching this action to require the NS Government to  live up to their legislated requirement to protect species at risk.

Friends of Nature fully supports this action. Great work Jamie and Bob!


Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moose
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moose

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 24, 2019   Halifax, Nova Scotia

Wildlife biologist Bob Bancroft and nature organizations launch legal action for Nova Scotia’s species at risk

Mr. Bob Bancroft and three of Nova Scotia’s naturalists’ societies say it is time to ask the courts to intervene on behalf of Nova Scotia’s most at-risk wildlife and plants.

“The Department of Lands and Forestry has mandatory legal obligations under the Endangered Species Act that have not been fulfilled,” explains retired Acadia University biology professor Dr. Soren Bondrup-Nielsen, president of Blomidon Naturalists Society, one of the parties to the legal proceedings.  “We’re simply asking the Court to tell our government to do what it is already required to do by law.”

In court documents filed today, the applicants allege that the Department of Lands and Forestry (formerly the Department of Natural Resources) has failed to meet its legal obligations with respect to 34 species, including mainland moose, wood turtle, bank swallow, and a host of other species designated at risk in Nova Scotia.

“The Department has not yet identified core habitat for our mainland moose, a requirement that is now over-due by more than a decade,” says wildlife biologist Bob Bancroft, president of the Federation of Nova Scotia Naturalists (also known as Nature Nova Scotia).

The legal documents allege that the Department of Lands and Forestry has not yet identified a single acre of core habitat of threatened and endangered species, despite the legal requirement to do so under the Endangered Species Act.

Other short-comings noted in the documents include failures to appoint recovery teams and create recovery plans within the time-frames required under the Act.

“This is a rule of law case,” notes Jamie Simpson, lawyer for the applicants.  “The Act requires the Minister of Lands and Forestry to do certain things towards the recovery of species at risk in Nova Scotia.  We are asking the Court to uphold the rule of law and require the Department to abide by the Act.”

The Department’s short-comings with respect to species at risk has been reported several times.  In 2015, the East Coast Environmental Law Association published a report calling on the Department to address the alleged violations of the Species at Risk Act.  In 2016, the Office of the Auditor General of Nova Scotia published a review of the Department’s track-record on species at risk, noting the alleged failure to fulfill mandatory requirements under the Act.

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For more information:

Bob Bancroft: 902 386 2501 , wild1@eastlink.ca

Soren Bondrup-Nielsen: 902-582-3971,  soren@bondrup.com

Jamie Simpson: 902 817 1737, jamie@juniperlaw.ca

 

Lahey Report Critiques

Dear Friends:

Our colleague Ray Plourde from the Ecology Action Centre has released a detailed critique of the Lahey Report on forestry practices.

The Lahey report was released to Government in August of this year. As of today no comments have been received from Government.

Here are links to Ray’s critique, a critique from Healthy Forests Coalition and the Lahey Report itself.

Excellent reading.

With thanks to Ray and also the Health Forest Coalition.

Syd Dumaresq, Chair, Friends of Nature

No Pipe Protest Pictou

Friends of Nature was well represented at last Friday’s No Pipe Protest in Pictou.

Brad Armstrong and Syd Dumaresq from the Friends of Nature Board were there as well as many of our members and friends from sister organizations. Congratulations to Ray Plourde and the EAC and others for getting thousands of people and 300 boats to Pictou to protest this incredibly backward proposal.

No Pipe Protest Pictou, Nova Scotia

Imagine if the mill decided to dump 70 to 80 million liters of effluent into Pictou Harbour every day. There would be blood in the streets. What makes them think the solution is merely to pipe said affluent out into the Strait, mid way between NS & PEI?

Here is a terrific article by Ray Plourde from Friday’s paper: http://thechronicleherald.ca/opinion/1582218-opinion-northern-pulp%E2%80%99s-pipe-plan-is-an-ask-too-far

No Pipe Protest Pictou, Nova Scotia

Stop the madness!

Forest Alerts – NOPIPE – Pictou Mill Rally – July 6

Dear Friends,

Friends of Nature strongly supports this No Pipe Rally. The idea of piping that pollution from the mill in Pictou into the Northumberland Strait is ludicrous. Keep reading below for more information.

Best regards
Syd Dumaresq, Chair, Friends of Nature.

The Healthy Forest Coalition Presents: Forest Alerts

No Pipe Rally in PictouNo Pipe Rally in Pictou

Your help is needed! Please make plans to attend the big No Pipe Rally in Pictou – July 6 – Noon to 2 PM. And please help spread the word far and wide. What happens next will affect our land, water, air and forests for years to come. Please come and bring lots of friends!

The Healthy Forest Coalition strongly supports the Friends of Northumberland Strait and Northumberland Fisherman’s Association in their efforts in the organization of this rally and we urge you to take part. These two groups have also made efforts to spread of awareness about some of the consequences that can be associated with not only the proposed straight effluent pipe, and it’s subsequent impacts on the surrounding marine ecosystems, but also the impacts of the excessive reliance on clearcut practices on our forests.

The following has been published on the Friends of Northumberland Strait Facebook event for the #NOPIPE: Land and Sea Rally.

Protect Our Strait!
Be a voice politicians cannot ignore!
Northern Pulp’s proposal to discharge 70-90 million litres of treated pulp waste into the Northumberland Strait daily has drawn broad concern from fishermen, citizens, businesses, municipalities, tourism associations, sport fishing groups and environmental organizations. They all say too much is at stake:

– ​Health of the Northumberland Strait and its many marine species
– $2 billion in fish exports annually
– $200 million in Northumberland Shore tourism revenue annually
– $56+ million sport fishing industry annually
– Small business
– Property values
– Social well-being and quality of life

Make July 6th a day to raise your voice for No Pipe in Our Strait. Join us to be a force that politicians cannot ignore.

RALLY BY LAND
12:00 pm Citizen March
Gather at Pictou Exhibition Grounds & bring your favourite NO PIPE sign! March will take approximately 15 minutes.

1:00 pm Rally Centre Stage, Hector Quay Marina
Cheer fishing boats into harbour, listen to messages of support, show we are united and strong.

RALLY BY SEA
All boats welcome!
12:30 pm All boats meet at the mouth of Pictou Harbour
12:30 pm Small watercraft to gather along Pictou waterfront shore
– If you have a VHF radio, switch to channel 68 for further instructions and to hear Land Rally activities.
– RCMP and Coast Guard will be in the harbour to ensure everyone’s safety. Boat Safely!
– Any passengers wishing to join rally activities on land, may be dropped off at Hector Quay Marina before 12:30pm.

For more information, please visit:
https://www.nopiperally.com/
https://www.friendsofthenorthumberlandstrait.ca

Please attend this pivotal rally in support of the both sustainable fisheries and forestry in Nova Scotia! Large number of attendees are essential to demonstrate that these are issues that Nova Scotians care about and are willing to stand up for.

Recruit your friends to join you and don’t just share the link on social media, or over mass emails, please call your friends, spread awareness about the issues and invite them to join you at this essential rally!

Let us know if you will be driving to Pictou and are willing to bring others along with you, or if you are looking for a ride yourself. You can get in touch with us by replying to this email.

A group calling themselves “Our Rising” will also be providing a small bus to take folks from Halifax. You can get in touch with them over Facebook here.

Everyone is also invited to stay after the event and join us for lobster and refreshments at the Pictou Lobster Carnival!