Mr. Speaker, today is Orange Shirt Day, when we honour and remember residential school survivors and bear witness to their healing journey. It is important to recognize the destructive harm of Canadian governments and policies that sought to destroy the cultures, languages and way of life of indigenous people.
True reconciliation requires action. Sockeye salmon are not just an iconic species on the west coast of Canada, they are also sustenance for coastal first nations and a key part of their culture and traditions. True reconciliation demands that we protect wild salmon, but this year salmon stocks have crashed to an all-time low.
Today is also the deadline to implement recommendation 19 of the Cohen Commission report. Despite overwhelming evidence that net-pen salmon farming poses a risk to migrating wild salmon, the government has not shut down these fish farms. It is time for the government to take action to protect wild salmon in B.C.