Harper's EU Trade Agreement - April 28, 2012

Here is a link to Harpers new trade agreement with the EU: http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/harper-government-highlights-benefits-british-columbia-potential-canada-eu-trade-agreement-1649861.htm.

Comments on the aquaculture measures:

1. This sector employs nearly 5,500 British Columbians. Wrong. Aquaculture has only 2100 jobs says BC Stats while the industry says there are only 820 actual jobs. This sector will only grow once fish farms are out of the water on dry land as the BC public are against in-ocean open-net fish farms. It has to be exported as Canadians won't eat it.

2. BC sold $55 million in farmed aquaculture products to the EU. This ignores that the value of recreational sport fishing is worth $1 Billion annually to the BC economy. We do not want the destruction of BC's pristine waters and wild salmon by such a very small industry, and destroying a much larger economic driver with 15,500 employees.

3. The eliminated tariff barrier of 5.5% will increase sales of BC farmed Atlantics in the EU. WRONG. This is selling ice cubes to the Inuit because Europe is where farmed fish come from. What is happening right now is that Norway is going after BC farmed fish’ most important market: the USA - 85% of BC farmed fish is sold in the USA - because they have been relieved of a 26% duty for dumping farmed fish. And Chile now has overcapacity to 700,000 metric tonnes, which they sell mostly to the US market.

4. Fish prices have already started dropping due to over supply.

5. There is nothing world class about BC farmed salmon. They use the ocean as a free open sewer. One meal of farmed salmon has enough PCBs in it that it will stay in the body for 50 to 75 years.

6. In-ocean fish farms lead to a drop in employment after a short period of being set up. They install lighting systems and automatic feeding which reduces employment.