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Remove conflict from salmon industry

Prime Minister Stephen Harper needs to expedite Justice Cohen's recommendations about the DFO.
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A letter-writer urges Prime Minister Stephen Harper to implement recommendations from Justice Bruce Cohen to protect sockeye salmon in the Fraser River.

Well, Stephen Harper, I hope you’re familiar with the expression “fish or cut bait.”

Now that Justice Bruce Cohen has laid out 75 recommendations to help protect the Fraser River sockeye, what are you going to do? Are you going to act on his recommendations or fritter away more time hoping the problem will solves itself?

The first thing you should do, assuming you really are interested in saving the wild salmon stocks, is get the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) out of the business of promoting B.C. fish farms.

In case you are not familiar with the expression “conflict of interest” (and some of your previous actions indicate you’re not), here’s what it means: a situation in which a person has a duty to more than one person or organization, but cannot do justice to the actual or potentially adverse interests of both parties.

I know you’re familiar with the expression “cutting red tape,” Mister Harper. If you cut more red tape and cut fewer DFO jobs, maybe you’ll be able to expedite Justice Cohen’s recommendations.

Lloyd Atkins, Vernon