Editor:
I read with interest the article in your Wednesday Feb. 24, 2016 on the Russian scientists talk salmon, LNG
When I first heard about this meeting being planned for Smithers, it gave me cause to wonder what the presentation might be. Then on the same day of the meeting I listened to an interview being conducted by CBC with the scientists, who reported in that interview, that there was absolutely no evidence that an LNG facility has any impacts on salmon.
In the article in the newspaper the scientist reports that the LNG facility at Sakhalin Island situated north of Japan, was built ten (10) years ago, that would be around 2005, 2006. Then sometime after 2009 the number of pink salmon collapsed. They don’t say how long after 2009 the collapse occurred or if it is still occurring.
This gave me more reason to wonder? Then I remembered the magnitude-9 earthquake that shook northeastern Japan, unleashing a savage tsunami on March 11, 2011 and the effects of that earthquake was felt around the world.
Today Japan is still recovering from this massive disaster and thousands of people still unable to return home. Who knows how much radioactive water was released into the oceans from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant , which suffered a level 7 nuclear meltdown after the tsunami.
My question beyond “over fishing” that may be taking place, is what have been the impacts of this huge disaster and the radioactive water and debris on the salmon stocks in that area? Just food for thought no pun intended.
Albert Gerow