VOICE OF THE PEOPLE FIGHT THE REAL ENEMY

DON’T CLOSE SALMON RIVERS

Recently, it has been suggested Atlantic salmon may come under endangered species status. This would effectively end all fishing in rivers with salmon runs.

While no one would deny that salmon are far less plentiful than in the 1970s and 1980s, many rivers have experienced strong resurgences in numbers.

Taking anglers from the rivers is totally counterproductive, as they are the ones who truly care for the streams, along with some dedicated provincial fishery employees.

Many young people in communities along our beautiful rivers are being denied the opportunity to develop a lifelong passion and connection to nature.

The effects of a catch-and-live-release fishery are negligible; the survival rate is almost 100 per cent.

If salmon do not survive in our streams, it will be because of climate change and other types of environmental degradation, including invasive species.

Anglers monitor the health of the rivers, provide free surveillance and form strong conservation groups protecting all species in the watershed.

Closures deny rivers the protection that would come from the next generation of young, passionate fly fishermen, who develop not only a strong respect for their home river, but for the environment as a whole. Young people should not be denied their opportunity to connect with the natural world in a beautiful setting. It is clear the benefits of rivers open for catch and release greatly outweigh the very questionable benefits of closures.

Harry Kelly, Middle Musquodoboit

CBC NON-ESSENTIAL

CBC CEO Catherine Tait believes continued government funding for the CBC is essential. But is it?

The Bennett government created the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission, forerunner to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, in the 1930s, before television and long before the internet. At that time, it wasn’t profitable for the private sector to provide news and entertainment media outlets via radio to every nook and cranny of our sparsely populated country. It was left to the government to ensure that news reached all citizens, regardless of where they lived.

Alas, times change. Today we can access literally thousands of television, radio, and internet media outlets, which means questioning whether taxpayers must fund a state broadcaster to the tune of $1.3 billion per year. Methinks privatizing this Crown corporation is fiscally responsible, given that it has ceased to be an essential public utility. Perhaps the CBC can carve out a leftwing niche market and crowd-fund. Kris Larsen, East Gore News must be very scarce when the Herald uses half a page to report on a five-person protest in Sydney (Dec. 7). That space could have been better used to highlight some of our front-line workers who are working their butts off to keep our hospitals running.

To the best of my knowledge, our government did not launch this virus, so I am wondering why some folk seem bent on blaming it. Neither the politicians, health-care workers or scientists are the enemy: COVID-19 is. Please set your sights on combating the real enemy.

To the churches that are breaking the law, my advice is this: you are called to spread the word of God, not COVID. You are called to spread the truth, not falsehoods. Yes, I am an active, practising and humble Christian who is proud to worship a loving God.

Ralph Sams, Dartmouth