Featured on over 100 fishing and environment sites, River Wide is a fly fishing film about the Skeena River and a current environmental issue that threatens the entire west coast salmon population; the Pentronas (LNG) liquid natural gas  facility on Lelu Island at the base of the Skeena River. 

 

The estuary is the ecosystem where juvenile salmon make the physiologically challenging transition from fresh-to salt-water. Because all salmon must travel through the estuary, all salmon rely on this habitat, even if they spawn hundreds of kilometers upriver. Thus, a productive and intact Skeena River estuary supports salmon populations that support fisheries that operate throughout the watershed.

 

Science has found that estuary ecosystem health is connected to salmon population vitality. Previous research has documented that loss of estuary habitat leads to dramatically lower survival of salmon. A study of 27 estuaries in western North America found that Chinook salmon survival was 1/3 lower in degraded estuaries compared to pristine estuaries.

Along with the water and air pollution at the estuary, the pipeline would cross over 1000 watercourses & with more than 40 ruptures in Canada in the past 25 years, the risk of environmental contamination is high.  

 

LNG facilities also emit nitrogen oxide leading to smog and particulate matter that can cause asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, cardiovascular disease and acid rain. 

 

As of oct 2nd 2015, the petronas proposal is still moving forward, but is facing enormous resistance from lax Kw’alaams first nations members, who are occupying lelu island & exercising their rights to the land.

 

But right now, we have a short amount of time to stop this project from happening.

 

Our new government promised it would protect the environment, respect Indigenous rights and listen to scientists. It promised to put Canadians first -- not profit for foreign corporations. The government has a public comment period open right now, and it if we flood it with comments, we can make sure this disastrous project is never built.

 

How you can help in under 30 seconds.
Share The Film & Speak Up
https://vimeo.com/158591490
Sign the Declaration
www.LeluDeclaration.ca
Sign the SumofUs Petition
action.sumofus.org/a/reject-petronas-lng/?sub=homepage
Learn More or Donate
www.SkeenaWild.org
Produced by arbiter-creative.com
bo@aribter-creative.com 

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More information:

The Stand at Lelu Island: B.C. First Nations vow to halt LNG project, Ricochet, Nov 5, 2015

Open Letter from Donald Wesley, a Hereditary Chief from Lax Kw'alaams First Nation, Nov 9, 2015

 

Produced by Arbiter
arbiter-creative.com

Contributors
Josh Blasman
Bo Roberts-Leung
Ivan Sharko
Brian Niska
Greg Knox
Julia Hill
Quinn Barabash