The Rise of Non-Veggie Vegetarian

Vegetarianism used to be simple - its protagonists foreswore the flesh
of any dead animal. Today there are "veggies" who eat fish, and people
who eat no meat but don't call themselves vegetarians. What happened?
...
The conversation usually goes something a bit like this:

"Yeah, I'm a vegetarian."

"But that looks like fish you're eating."

"Oh yeah, I eat fish."

Confusion, perplexity and occasionally heated debate can follow as the
"vegetarian" and their interrogator cover the issue of what is an
animal and whether fish feel pain. But the Vegetarian Society, which
has acted as the custodian of British vegetarianism since 1847, has a
simple definition.

"A vegetarian does not eat any meat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish or
crustacean, or slaughter byproducts," it says. They can make that even
more pithy: "We don't eat dead things."

The society tackles the issue of fish-eating vegetarians with a page
headed in red capitals: "VEGETARIANS DO NOT EAT FISH."

Juliet Gellatley, director of the vegan and vegetarian group Viva, is
also clear on the issue of whether fish eaters can use the term
vegetarian.

"They cannot. The definition is very clear. It's someone who doesn't
eat anything from a killed animal.
...
Fish-eating vegetarians used to have their own term - "pescetarian" -
although it seems not to be in common use today. But, Ms Gellatley
says, there is a rise in the use of a new term for the
part-vegetarian.

"The name 'flexitarian' is coming into use. It's fairly meaningless really."

But for vegetarian activists, anybody taking on the vegetarian badge
can be a positive, even if they fall short of the strict definition,
says Ms Gellately, alluding to a virtual vegetarian escalator.

"People are moving along a pathway - the positive thing is that they
see vegetarianism as aspirational."

--
full story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8341002.stm

Stop Massive World Bank (IFC) Supported Expansion of PNG Industrial Tuna Fish Harvest

ACTION ALERT
PLEASE SHARE WIDELY!

Stop Massive World Bank (IFC) Supported Expansion of PNG Industrial Tuna Fish Harvest

By Asples PNG (People of Papua New Guinea), a project of Ecological Internet
October 15, 2009

Over-fishing comes to Madang, Papua New Guinea, as local peoples prepare to resist 10 tuna canneries. Support indigenous South Pacific coastal peoples as they are peacefully protesting right now!

TAKE ACTION HERE NOW:
http://www.ecoearth.info/shared/alerts/send.aspx?id=png_tuna


In the peaceful South Pacific town of Madang, Papua New Guinea (PNG), the local indigenous people are being inundated with foreign industrial "development" projects -- mines, logging and fisheries -- for which they have not been properly consulted, have not given their informed consent, and from which they are unlikely to meaningfully benefit. This includes the PNG government's and World Bank/IFC's plans with China and Japan's governments to facilitate and invest in the construction of ten new tuna fish canneries and a large central warehouse and worker settlement along Madang's beautiful coconut lined north coast. A tranquil village culture -- living simply but well from small-scale fishing -- will be decimated.
A US$300 million (K990m) Pacific Marine Industrial Zone (PMIZ) is planned that will greatly increase industrial harvest of Madang, PNG and the Pacific Islands' rich tuna resources. Canneries and dock and storage facilities are to be constructed to service foreign fishing vessels that would dump their tuna catch. It will bring tens of thousands of unskilled Asians into Papua New Guinea when local unemployment is high. And it most certainly will lead to fishery depletion and collapse. Unless this expansion of an already socially and ecologically failed industrial tuna industry is resisted, overfishing and piracy will destroy PNG and most of the world's remaining tuna and other fisheries.

WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO:
"Surviving the Cannery"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLkUPCci2QA&feature=player_embedded


MORE INFORMATION AND TAKE ACTION NOW:
http://www.ecoearth.info/shared/alerts/send.aspx?id=png_tuna


DISCUSS THIS ALERT:
http://www.ecoearth.info/blog/

THE BENEFITS OF MARINE RESERVES CAMPAIGN! NEW ZEALAND

Where marine reserves have been established, there are many benefits for the environment and for all of us to enjoy:

Crayfish, Photo: Ian Skipworth
Crayfish Flourishing
The number and size of crayfish has increased significantly inside some of our marine reserves (e.g. Te Angiangi, Tonga Island, Piopiotahi reserves).
At Te Whanganui-a-Hei Marine Reserve, crayfish are 15 times more abundant than those in non-reserve areas.

Jewel anenomies, Kapiti island marine reserve. Photo: Ian Skipworth
Starfish, Snapper & Sea Squirts Thriving
By not taking marine life inside marine reserves, food webs and habitats can return to more natural states. At Cape Rodney-Okakari Point Marine Reserve, increasing numbers of crayfish and snapper are eating kina, whose number had exploded along the heavily fished coast and reduced the abundance of seaweed, which they eat. With fewer kina, seaweeds and other creatures living on and around it, such as starfish, sponges, byrozoans and ascidians, have bounced back.

To read more,please visit the website:

http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/what-we-do/campaigns/we-love-marine-reserves/the-benefits-of-marine-reserves

SHARK RESCUE CAMPAIGN!(NZ)

Painted as predatory, blood-thirsty creatures in headlines and horror films, sharks are one of the world's most misrepresented creatures. Now they're in trouble of being lost from our oceans forever.
Shark Pledge
So far over 4500 people have signed our shark pledge. Click here to sign the pledge and support a ban on finning in NZ
Pre-dating dinosaurs, sharks have swum through our waters for more than 400 million years and have evolved not just five senses, but seven.
Sharks have an incredibly highly developed sense of smell and night vision that rivals cats - and a reputation among divers as being remarkably shy.
They are so sensitive to electric fields that some scientists believe that they can detect the Earth’s magnetic field, and they use this to navigate during long migrations.
Long-lived and slow to mature and breed, these ancient creatures are incredibly vulnerable to over-fishing. Over the last 10 years or so, shark fishing has increased dramatically, largely because their fins are a prized ingredient in shark fin soup.
Finning - stripping a dead shark of its fins and dumping its body - is banned in several countries, including Australia, the EU, the USA, South Africa, Ecuador, Mexico and Brazil. However finning is still legal in New Zealand waters.
Once stripped from the body of the shark, fins are lightweight, compact and highly lucrative (fins can reach $US700 per kilo), making them a very attractive by-catch. It is estimated that 100 million sharks are killed each year worldwide – in the time it takes you to read this article more than 1800 sharks will have been killed.
The New Zealand situation – why is finning still allowed?
New Zealand has 112 species of shark recorded in our waters. Of these 79 species are known to be caught in our fisheries, including 28 that are listed as threatened by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). Only one threatened shark species – the Great White Shark – is protected in New Zealand.
On average 24,000 tonnes of shark are caught each year in New Zealand (Ministry of Fisheries figures) - the equivalent of 300,000 people.
Most of the shark species landed in our fisheries are used for their meat. And to avoid waste, the fins of some species are used. However, seven percent of all sharks landed are taken just for their fins according to Ministry of Fisheries data. A further 1% are taken just for their livers – to extract liver oil.
Finning live sharks is illegal in New Zealand under the Animal Welfare Act, but if the shark is dead it is legal.


Anecdotal reports suggest that shark fins are an increasingly common target among commercial fishers because of soaring demand and prices for the fins, and recent newspaper reports indicate that live finning (video) occurs in New Zealand waters, even though this practice is illegal.
In October 2007 the Ministry of Fisheries released a draft National Plan of Action for sharks. Calls to ban the practise of finning in New Zealand were made by Forest & Bird, other Environmental NGOs, leading shark scientists, the NZ Recreational Fishing Association, the Big Game Fishing Council, chefs, food critics and thousands of New Zealanders outraged that we condone such a practise.
Despite our efforts in October 2008, the 5 year NPOA-Sharks was signed off by the outgoing government condoning the practise of shark finning.
Sharks: we don’t know enough
The Ministry of Fisheries has good records on the population figures of only three shark species, despite the fact 79 species are caught in our fisheries.
Claims that our fisheries Quota Management System are sufficient to protect shark stocks are therefore clearly unjustified. With such a lack of data it is hard to determine the degree of damage we are inflicting on our shark populations and what levels of action are needed to protect them.
However, data on recent by-catch numbers and anecdotal reports form recreational and game fishers suggest that shark populations are declining.
Keep our sharks in our oceans and out of the soup
As the guardians of a sea area that is more than 15 times bigger than New Zealand’s land mass, New Zealanders have an international obligation to protect sharks from extinction, and prevent the inevitable ecological disruption that will be created if these ancient creatures are wiped out.
To stop the decimation of our shark population Forest & Bird believes we must follow South Africa, the USA, the EU and others and make it mandatory that sharks be landed whole as a disincentive to stop the lucrative and wasteful business of shark finning.
STOP SHARK FINNINGSo that:• Any sharks taken must be landed with the whole carcass.* * Forest & Bird supports some processing (bleeding and gutting) at sea to prevent ammoniation of the flesh of some shark species.
For Forest & Bird's full position on shark finning - clickhere
Campaign Details
More campaigns in this region
National
Take Action!
What You Can Do In 5 minutes
Support Forest & Bird’s campaign by organising a public display or awareness event. To help you contact our marine conservation advocate Kirstie Knowles (k.knowles@forestandbird.org.nz
Make a pledge to support the banning of shark finning.
Say no to shark fin soup and other shark products.
Share the knowledge - tell your friends about your concerns about shark finning.
What You Can Do In 20 minutes
Email the Minister of Fisheries (phil.heatley@parliament.govt.nz
and Minister of Conservation (tim.groser@parliament.govt.nz
or write to them (Parliament Buildings, Wellington - freepost) asking for a ban on shark finning and better protection for our threatened sharks.
Visit your local MPs asking them to push for a ban on shark finning.

SAVE THE ALBATROSS CAMPAIGN!FOREST AND BIRDS-(NZ)

An ocean wanderer with wings spanning over 3 metres, the royal albatross reaches speeds of up to 80 kilometres per hour riding the currents that circle the Southern Oceans.
Fast Facts

Effortless gliders, the albatross’s flying ability was admired by many early aviators, and spawned countless “flying machines.”
After fledging, alabatrosses can spend up to five years flying. When they return to land many find they can’t stand up, because their legs are temporarily unable to support their weight.
Whille nesting they can last three weeks without touching a drop of water or food.
If threatened while on their nest, albatrosses vomit up a jet of fishy oil that has a projectile distance of several metres.
If you wish to help save our albatross click here to support our appeal
Long admired by aviators, they transport their great bulk (9-12kg) using an energy -efficient gliding method that exploits polar currents.
At sea for years on end, albatrosses are well equipped for a sea-faring life - they drink sea water and have spectacular eyesight allowing them to pinpoint prey.
Known as the “albatross capital of the world,” New Zealand has become a breeding ground and nursery for more than half of the world’s 22 albatross species.
However six species found in New Zealand, including the royal albatross, are now facing population decline from fishing threats such as long-lining and trawling.
Long-lining
For millions of years albatrosses have dined on squid & fish, but today many of the squid have hooks in them - attached to the long-lines at the back of fishing boats.
Stretching for kilometres and planted with many thousands of hooks, long-lines are the biggest human threat to the albatross’s survival.
Albatrosses are attracted to the dead squid or fish used as bait. As the bait hits the water during the setting of the long-line, albatrosses attempt to seize and swallow them.
Used to catch tuna, Patagonian tooth-fish, snapper and ling, long-line fishing has become a huge industry in our southern oceans.
Every year up to 10,000 albatrosses and petrels have drowned on tuna long-line hooks within New Zealand’s 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone.
Trawling
Trawling also threatens albatrosses, due to the large amount of non-target catch or offal which is discarded into the sea and attracts hordes of scavenging birds, including albatrosses. Tussles ensue, and often albatrosses hit cables, breaking their wings, or drown after becoming entangled in cables that drag them underwater.
Slow breeders
Most albatrosses don’t become sexually mature until they are five, and some don’t breed till the age of 10.
Albatrosses form pairs for life, and if they find themselves widowed it takes them a long time to re-establish pair bonds.
As late, infrequent breeders, albatrosses are particularly vulnerable to extinction.
Measures to prevent albatrosses being killed
Because New Zealand is a nursery ground for these vulnerable species, fishers in areas where albatrosses breed have to be especially vigilant.
Several measures are now in place to reduce the unwanted deaths of albatrosses. From February 2008, long-line fishers have to employ two of the three methods below.
Streamers - streamers or tori lines attached to the stern (or back) of long-lining boats deter albatrosses from coming too close to the hooked long-lines. Albatrosses don’t like going close to these flapping streamers for fear that they may injure themselves.
Night fishing – albatrosses are not generally active at night, so night-time fishing prevents unnecessary deaths, except during the full moon.
Weighting – Albatrosses can only dive to a few metres, so weighting long-lines prevents them from getting caught and drowning.
Currently the only restrictions placed on trawlers are requirements to use streamers or similar scaring devices. Forest & Bird would like to see restrictions placed on fishers that requires them to:
Dispose of offal/non-target catch in bigger, less-frequent batches
Transport the offal/non-target catch back to land, rather than dump it at sea where it attracts seabirds.
Save the Albatross - campaign goals
Forest & Bird is campaigning to promote seabird-friendly fishing practices to save albatrosses from extinction.
We advocate for the implementation by the New Zealand Government and fishing industry the following measures to limit seabird by-catch:
All long-line fishing boats in New Zealand waters must adopt international best practice measures to reduce seabird by-catch, including area and seasonal closures, night setting, weighted hooks and the use of tori lines and preventing discharge of offal.
Seabird by-catch limits need to be set and enforced, and these limits reduced over time. When by-catch limits are exceeded in an area a fishery should be required to put more measures in place. More stringent measures could include requiring fishers to use all three measures listed above; better offal management, or potential seasonal closures. In order to enforce these measures, adequate monitoring by observers is also required.

Campaign Details
More campaigns in this region
National
Take Action!
What You Can Do In 5 minutes
Check Forest & Bird’s Best Fish Guide to ensure that the fish you’re eating didn’t contribute to the unnecessary death of an albatross.
Check this page regularly for information on submissions you can contribute to.
Donate to Forest & Bird to help us lobby for better protection for our seabirds.
What You Can Do In 20 minutes or more
Take part in monitoring of seabirds in your region.
Get in touch with your local Forest & Bird branch and help us set up breeding colonies for petrels in your area.

SEA LIONS OF NEW ZEALAND!INFORMATION AND CAMPAIGN UPDATES

Our sea lion is a champion deep-sea diver, reaching depths of 600 metres and clocking up dives of up to 12 minutes.

NZ Sea Lion Facts
Find out how many sea-lions have been killed this season by clicking here.
Repeatedly hunted throughout history for their skin, meat & blubber, New Zealand sea lion populations were on the verge of extinction by the 1800s.
Most New Zealand sea lions live in the sub-Antarctic islands.
Sea lions travel huge distances for food – up to 175km from the coast.
Sea lions once ranged throughout the North, South and Chatham Islands, but numbers have been drastically reduced due to hunting.
Only recently have sea lions started breeding on the Otago Peninsula.
In the last 10 years, squid trawl nets have killed between 14 and 123 sea lions every year.
In 2001, sea lion exclusion devices (SLEDs) were introduced into the squid trawl fishery to assist sea lions to escape from nets. However, the effectiveness of SLEDs in increasing sea lion survival is unknown.
As well as holding the title as the deepest diver amongst sea-lions, these marine mammals can lay claim to a less trumpeted title - as one of the world's most endangered sea-lions.

The population demise of our sea-lions began in the 1800s, when they fell victim to sealers’ clubs bringing them to the brink of extinction and leaving only scattered populations on remote sub-Antarctic islands.

These populations have not been able to recover due to disease and continued pressure from the modern squid fishery, as many sea lions are killed as by-catch in nets.

Today, New Zealand sea lions are estimated to number between 10,200 and 13,600 individuals, including just 5000 adults. Most breeding (86%) occurs on the Auckland Islands.

Such concentrated populations of nursing mothers make these sea lions particularly vulnerable to epidemics such as the devastating bacterial infections that swept through these populations in 1998, 2002 and 2003. The worst of these events in 1998 killed more than 50% of pups and 20% of the adult population.

Over the last eight years, the number of pups produced has declined significantly – thought to be a knock-on effect from a decline in the number of breeding adults.

The seal specialist group of the Species Survival Commission (a group of 7000 international specialists) of IUCN (the World Conservation Union), ranks the New Zealand sea lion as a vulnerable threatened species (see http://www.redlist.org


Threats : Trawlers
As well as suffering a huge population blow from these recent epidemics, each year dozens of sea lions die in the gigantic trawl nets of the Auckland Islands squid trawl fishery. The nets resemble giant socks, with openings between 4 - 60 metres high and stretching 150-200 metres in length.

Since the squid fishing season coincides with the sea lions' breeding season, many of the victims are pregnant and nursing mothers. Unborn pups follow the fate of their pregnant mothers, and pups are left to starve onshore, significantly increasing the death toll from trawl fishing.

In 2006, all females captured in the squid trawl fishery had recently given birth and were pregnant again. And in the 2008-09 season, scientists on New Zealand’s sub-Antarctic islands reported a 31% decrease in the amount of sea-lion pups being born, heightening fears about the impact of by-catch deaths.

In the last 10 years, more than 700 sea lions are estimated to have been killed in the sub-Antarctic squid trawl fishery alone – this does not include pups on shore and unborn babies. And these are the recorded deaths from the squid fishery alone - there are other fisheries in the Auckland Islands area that also catch sea lions, but they are not restricted under current fisheries management.

Save our sea lions: what is being done.
Sea Lion Distribution



Zoom in
IN 1995, a Marine Mammal Sanctuary (MMS) was established in the Auckland Islands to help protect sea lions. Stretching for 12 nautical miles from nearest shore, this sanctuary will allow the government to implement fishing regulations in these areas.

In 2003, an overlapping no-take marine reserve was establishing in this area, giving further protection to our sea lions. However, neither the marine reserve nor the marine mammal sanctuary covers the whole range of any NZ sea lion.

Forest & Bird believe that the MMS should be extended so that it protects the areas where the only breeding strong hold of NZ sea lions are found.

The sanctuary should be extended to the 500m continental shelf edge. The fishing method of jigging, which does not harm sea lions, would still be allowed.

Extending the sanctuary would not only increase protection for New Zealand sea lions, but also enhance the protection of 52 breeding marine bird species – many of which are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. It would also protect New Zealand fur seals, southern elephant seals and threatened southern right whales, all of which forage and/or breed around the Auckland Islands.

Forest & Bird also supports:
Establishment of a marine mammal sanctuary around the Campbell Islands to protect another small breeding population of sea lions.
Reduction of sea lion deaths to zero in all fisheries. (This season, 113 sea-lions are legally allowed to be killed as by-catch - this is 40% more than the previous year. For a pictorial representation of this click here. Update: A 30% decrease in the amount of sea-lion pups for this season has prompted fisher ).
Transfer of squid quota in the Auckland Islands trawl fishery to other areas or to jig fisheries, which do not harm sea lions.
Current Policies
Ministry of Fisheries: Operational Plan. Each year an Operational Plan for the Auckland Islands squid trawl fishery (SQU6T) is set under the Fisheries Act to avoid, remedy or mitigate the effects of the fishery on New Zealand sea lions. This plan establishes an allowable ‘kill quota’ or number of sea lions allowed to be killed by the fishery each year. Submissions on the 2008-09 Operational plan are due on 31 October 2008
- Draft SQU6T Operational Plan
- F&B Submission on the 2008-09 Operational Plan (Word Document)
The Department of Conservation is working on a new policy to protect New Zealand sea lions. This would take the responsibility of protecting sea lions out of the direct control of the Minister of Fisheries and into the hands of the Minister of Conservation (with the agreement of the Minister of Fisheries). Forest & Bird submissions are as follows:
Submission by Forest & Bird on: Draft population management plan for New Zealand sea lion (Dec 2007)(PDF)
Submission by Forest & Bird on: Draft New Zealand sea lion species management plan: 2007-2017 (Dec 2007)(PDF)
Campaign Details
Branches working on this campaign
DunedinSouthlandMore campaigns in this region
National
For further details visit:http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/what-we-do/campaigns/save-our-sea-lions

Feds ban krill fishing to save it for the whales

Feds ban krill fishing to save it for the whales
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/50687252.html


by JEFF BARNARD AP Environmental Writer
Originally printed at http://www.komonews.com/news/local/50687252.html


No one fishes for krill off the West Coast, and federal fisheries managers want to keep it that way so the tiny shrimp-like creatures remain as plentiful as possible as food for whales, salmon, and seabirds.

NOAA Fisheries Service on Monday issued a final rule barring krill fishing inside the 200-mile limit in the Pacific off California, Oregon and Washington.

Krill are taken primarily off Antarctica, where scientists have raised concerns the fishery has upset the food web, making life tougher for penguins and other marine life. A smaller fishery has been going since the 1970s off British Columbia. The catch is processed into food for salmon farms, as well as home aquariums, and an oil consumed by people.

The idea to save krill for marine life originally came from managers of the national marine sanctuaries off California, who became concerned in 2003 after rockfish populations declined, and later in 2005 when a downturn in krill populations was blamed for starving sea birds and other West Coast marine life.

"Krill is a critical prey for a huge number of vertebrate species there," including whales, salmon and rockfish, said William Douros, NOAA's West Coast regional director of marine sanctuaries.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council sets ocean fishing limits, and staffer Mike Burner said they shared the sanctuary managers' concerns.

The council has had to severely cut back harvests of rockfish and salmon, both of which depend on krill for food, and it made no sense to further reduce that food supply by opening a new fishery, Burner said.

The decision was praised by environmentalists as a new approach to fisheries management based on maintaining the overall health of an entire ecosystem, rather than just focusing on population numbers of one species at a time.

"It's proactive and precautionary taking action now before there is a crisis, rather than waiting for a big problem to occur and then having to deal with it," said Oceana spokesman Ben Enticknap.


__________________________________________________________________________________

http://www.animalsinthewild.org

MASSIVE SKI DEVELOPMENT THREATENS BC COMMUNITY,WILDLIFE ENVIRONMENT!TAKE ACTION NOW!

MASSIVE SKI DEVELOPMENT THREATENS BC COMMUNITY, WILDLIFE, ENVIRONMENT

Grizzly bears, wolverine, wolves, mountain goats, salmon at risk

A massive ski resort proposal near Squamish, British Columbia would threaten the quality of life for area residents, wildlife, and the environment. The planned development, Garibaldi at Squamish (GAS), could adversely impact an array of wildlife including grizzly bear, wolverine, mountain goat, and salmon and steelhead.

Until recently, Squamish had been a relatively sleepy town. But expansion of the Sea-to-Sky Highway that connects Vancouver to Squamish has ushered in unprecedented and unplanned development. Local residents have grown increasingly concerned about how urban sprawl is affecting wildlife. A recent spike in encounters with cougars has focused attention on the connection between sprawl and the displacement and change of behavior of the big cats and other large predators. Driving these species from their territory is a recipe for disaster for Squamish and wild animals.

The GAS plan, first submitted to the BC’s Environmental Assessment Office in 1997 and recently resurrected, would cover an area roughly half the size of Squamish. The development would include two golf courses, 25 ski lifts, 98 km of new roads, hotels, and nearly 6,000 new homes, apartments, and condominiums. The proposed development encompasses land that has been identified as prime habitat for endangered or at risk species such as peregrine falcon, wolverine, and marbled murrelet. The GAS area also includes a threatened grizzly bear population unit that has been designated for recovery by the province. The project has come under especially intense fire because of its potential impacts on Brohm River, one of the most productive salmon and steelhead streams in the province. The development calls for expansive water management, including sewage and storm water discharge, irrigation for golf courses and potable water, extractions of water for snowmaking, and as many as five dams.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
*Urge provincial and local officials to reject the Garibaldi at Squamish ski resort proposal. For your convenience, Big Wildlife has included a sample letter below. Email your letter to the following officials:

Environmental Assessment Office: eaoinfo@gov.bc.ca

Premier Gordon Campbell: premier@gov.bc.ca
West Vancouver - Garibaldi MLA - Joan McIntyre: joan.mcintyre.mla@leg.bc.ca
Local MP - John Weston: westoj@parl.gc.ca
NDP Leader - Carole James: carole@bc.ndp.ca
Green Party - Jane Sterk: info@greenparty.bc.ca
Conservative Party - Wilf Hanni: leader@conservativesbc.com

District of Squamish
Mayor Greg Gardner: ggardner@squamish.ca
Councillor Bryan Raiser: braiser@squamish.ca
Councillor Corinne Lonsdale: clonsdale@squamish.ca
Councillor Doug Race: drace@squamish.ca
Councillor Patricia Heintzman: pheintzman@squamish.ca
Councillor Paul Lalli: plalli@squamish.ca
Councillor Rob Kirkham: rkirkham@squamish.ca

SAMPLE LETTER:
Dear Public Official:

I urge you to reject the planned Garibaldi at Squamish (GAS) ski resort. The development, which would include two golf courses, 25 ski lifts, 98 km of new roads, hotels, and nearly 6,000 new homes, apartments, and condominiums, would erode the quality of life for area residents and adversely impact prime habitat for endangered and at risk species, such as peregrine falcon, wolverine, and marbled murrelet. The GAS area also includes a threatened grizzly bear population unit that has been designated for recovery by the province.

In addition, the GAS proposal would degrade Brohm River, one of the most productive salmon and steelhead streams in the province. The ski development calls for extensive water management, including sewage and storm water discharge, irrigation for golf courses and potable water, extractions of water for snowmaking, and as many as five dams.

Expansion of the Sea-to-Sky Highway has ushered in unprecedented and largely unplanned development. Local residents have grown increasingly concerned about how urban sprawl is affecting wildlife. A recent spike in encounters with cougars has focused attention on the connection between sprawl and the displacement and change of behavior of the big cats and other large predators. Driving these animals from their territory is a recipe for disaster for Squamish, wildlife, and the environment.

Again, I urge you to reject the GAS ski resort plan. Thank you.

Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
ADDRESS
PHONE
EMAIL