Bücher von Scott Renyard

The mighty Fraser River sockeye populations are in trouble. In the early 1990s, millions of fish started to disappear, and fisheries scientists and managers were stumped as to why. Was it because of climate change? Poaching on the high seas? A fluke of nature? In a desperate effort to solve the mystery¿-¿or at least appease the public¿-¿the Canadian Government commissioned an inquiry, which later became known as the Cohen Commission or Cohen Inquiry, and put the decline of the Fraser River sockeye on trial. Dozens of lawyers representing multiple stakeholders appeared at the Inquiry to present their theories, their views, and the results of numerous scientific studies.The Inquiry was recorded on camera by an independent filmmaker¿-¿perhaps a first in the history of Canadian federal inquiries. That filmmaker was often the only outside witness during the Inquiry's most riveting and revealing testimony. This book peels back the testimony of scientists and bureaucrats who revealed previously undisclosed information, much of it shocking¿-¿and all of it enlightening.The Inquiry was criticized for not finding the smoking gun. But the terms of reference set by the Government insisted that no blame should fall on anyone. This requirement itself suggests that politics may play a larger role than anything else in the demise of the iconic Fraser River sockeye.

BackgroundThe Squamish Streamkeepers, whose reason for existence is to help wild salmon populations in the Squamish River watershed, began to wonder if they should expand their work to include Pacific herring. Herring used to spawn in great numbers in the estuary at the mouth of the Squamish River and is a major source of food for young salmon migrating out of the river and into Howe sound. So in 2006, the streamkeepers began formulating a plan to help bring herring populations back to their former levels of abundance.The DiscoveryIn 2008, while trying to encourage herring to spawn on hemlock boughs near the Squamish Terminals, the streamkeepers found dead herring eggs on the pilings of the east dock. They decided to investigate and discovered millions of dead eggs on many of the pilings. They decided to try and wrap the pilings with non-toxic material to protect the eggs from the creosote on the pilings. Initially the plan worked. But the next year, many of the eggs on the wraps died. Time and again the streamkeeper project was thwarted by wind, extreme air temperatures, oil spills, and disease. Even a massive fire at the Squamish terminals that wiped out all of their work did not stop them from trying to help the herring in Howe Sound and False Creek.The Bigger PictureSince contact with European settlers in the late 1800's, herring populations on Canada's west coast have had to survive over zealous fishing pressure, spawning habitat degradation, and now diseases amplified from open net pen fish farms.In spite of the importance to the marine ecosystem, herring and other small pelagic fishes are considered trash fish in some circles because they are not large enough for human consumption. So, they are often caught, ground up and turned into other products like fish meal or fish oil products. The trouble with our use of these fish is they are essential to the functioning of the marine food web. Herring are the main food source for so many species.When I began to make this film over ten years ago, I had to stop production many times because it was difficult getting footage of herring at the different stages of its lifecycle. And as often happened, I would miss getting the crucial shots around spawning times because there might only be 3 to 5 days a year when the spawn happens. Finally, after many years, I got herring footage at the egg, larva, juvenile and adult stages. The result is an amazingly visual experience for the audience.Includes an extensive bibliography and over 105 photos in colour and black and white.

The crash of 19 stocks of Fraser River sockeye over a 15 year period forced the Canadian government to close all fishing from 2007 to 2009. The Canadian government, desperate for answers, or at least looking for a way to deflect criticism, struck an inquiry led by justice Bruce Cohen that would last over a year. The decline was quick and dramatic. It looked like Fraser river sockeye populations were going extinct. For more than 20 years, Alexandra Morton, an independent biologist, has been a vocal campaigner against open net pen fish farms. Her research and subsequent publications outline a case that sea lice and disease from the farms have spread to wild salmon populations. She argues that open net fish farms is the source of the problem. But instead of embracing her findings, government and industry have vilified the whistleblower and tried many things to silence her. Finally, after nearly a year of hearings, Morton appeared at the inquiry for two days. The battle lines were quickly drawn and the inquiry became more like a trial of a witness than an information gathering process. It is rare that partnerships between government and corporate interests are acknowledged in public. It's even more rare to see it in action.Includes an extensive bibliography along with over 50 photos in colour and black and white.

Open net pen fish farms provide ideal conditions for the amplification of parasites and diseases, which has led to widespread crashes of wild fish populations in the north Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. These large-scale drops have, in turn, adversely affected the food chain and impaired the carbon fixing function of the marine ecosystem. Open net pen fish farming therefore plays a critical role in ocean acidification and the climate change crisis.The Pristine Coast: An Illustrated Screenplay traces the evolution of this problem and explores the public policy decisions taken¿-¿and not taken¿-¿that have contributed to the destruction of the marine biological pump and its crucial role in moderating atmospheric greenhouse gases.The commonly held theory is that commercial fishing was the sole cause of the collapse of the northern Atlantic cod stocks and other key species. Scott Renyard challenges us to look again at this issue and asks, Were diseases introduced and then amplified in open net pen fish farms the real cause of the decline?Includes an extensive bibliography and over 80 photos in colour and black and white