Canadian scientists are speaking out en masse against possible proposed changes to the Fisheries Act that would remove habitat protection provisions for fish.
More than 625 scientists, including Canada's most senior ecologists and aquatic scientists, have signed a letter urging Prime Minister Stephen Harper to back off on changing the Fisheries Act, and a society of Canadian biologists and ecologists is also writing the government, urging the Conservatives not to rewrite the laws.
"It is surprising to me simply because it's been a long time (since) the scientific community has galvanized itself around an issue," said Jeffrey Hutchings, a biology professor at Dalhousie University who signed both letters.
The scientists are responding to news that the Conservative government may be quietly rewriting a section of the Fisheries Act by removing habitat protection provisions, according to information leaked to Otto Langer, a retired biologist who worked for the federal government for more than three decades. The "Langer leak" suggests the Conservatives are considering removing the term "habitat" from the part of the act that says it's illegal to harm, alter, disrupt or destroy fish habitat. Instead, the proposed change would make it illegal to create adverse effects "on a fish of economic, cultural or ecological value."
Hutchings said if the changes were to go through, it would take Canada back to the '60s and '70s, "before Canadians realized a healthy environment for animals reflects a healthy environment for Canadians."
"This is an incredibly regressive step. I can't imagine for a second that it's consistent with the views of most Canadians," Hutchings said.
In a Mar. 19 letter to Fisheries Minister Keith Ashfield, Hutchings wrote that the Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution had "grave concerns" about the proposed changes. Hutchings is president of the society, a non-profit, non-partisan group of roughly 1,000 ecologists and evolutionary biologists.
"The proposed changes to the Fisheries Act will be considered an abrogation of Canada's global ocean and freshwater stewardship responsibilities," Hutchings wrote.
No one from Ashfield's office was available for immediate comment, but the minister has said the government is reviewing the Fisheries Act and that no decisions have been made.
To read a fuller version of the above story go to www.burnabynow.com. For more letters or the information leaked to Otto Langer, go to Jennifer Moreau's blog at www.burnabynow.com under the Opinion tab.
