Captain Kirk beams in to back wild salmon protection bill

Fin Donnelly has landed a big fish in hiscampaignto protect B.C.'s wild salmon.

This morning, thePort MoodyCoquitlam M.P. unveiled a video message from William Shatner Captain Kirk himselfencouraging Canadians to rally behind Donnelly'sprivate members bill.

"Wild salmon," said the 85-year-old Canadian actor, "are a national treasure.But their future isin jeopardy.They are under threat from sea lice and disease from open net farming."

Bill C-228proposesthe federal government amend the Fisheries Act to require all open net fin-fish farms on the Pacific Coasttotransition to closed containment systems withinfive years.

Speaking at the the Mossom Creek Hatchery in Port Moody, Donnellyalso said the nascent closed containment fish farmindustry in B.C. needssupport.

"There are over 70licensedclosed containment fin-fish farms in B.C. growing salmon,tilapia,crayfish and trout," he said. "But the federal government needs to act now to see this trend continue."

Also speaking in support of Bill C-228were Chief Bob Chamberlin of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, SFU Professor emeritus and salmon researcher Rick Routledgeand Dr. Andrew Wright of the Willow Grove Foundation.

"Closed containmentallows usto escape the eternal choice of the economy or the environment," said Wright. "It allows wild and farmed salmon economies and ecosystems to thrive."

Donnelly says over 5,000 people have signed the petition in support of his bill and almost 1,000 have written their members of Parliament.

Bill C-228will have a second reading in Parliament in Novemberand could go to a vote before the end of the year.