"There is good science in the campaign of course. All campaigns
at the David Suzuki Foundation begin with good science."
Please read: Copyright Notice & Disclaimer
The question raised here is this: Why did the David Suzuki Foundation remove a large number of web-pages about salmon farming on or about Feb. 3, 2010? Was this because concerns were raised that this material contained statements that are inaccurate, selective or false? If so, why did the David Suzuki Foundation remove this information so quietly? Why wasn't there a retraction or any type of effort to inform the public that some of the information that the foundation has provided - on one of Canada's longest running environmental controversies, was flawed?
Background:
Since the spring of 2007, I have been writing a series of letters to Dr. David Suzuki, in which I have expressed my concern, opinions and questions about the information that he and his foundation are providing to the public about farmed salmon and salmon farming. In my opinion, much of this information is inaccurate, out-dated and selective. While some of what is said is true, so much of truth is missing that, as a whole, what has been presented by the David Suzuki Foundation, is misleading, in my opinion.
Over the course of 13 letters sent since May of 2007, I have appealed to Dr. Suzuki to please make ammends for the inaccurate, selective and false information that, in my opinion, he and his foundation have been providing about farmed salmon, and salmon farming. In particular, I am concerned about the information that the David Suzuki Foundation and the campaigns with which it is involved, have been providing with regards to PCBs in farmed salmon, and sea lice - and I am particularly concerned about how false information about high levels of PCBs in farmed salmon has been targeted to pregnant women.
By way of background, here are two papers in which I have raised questions about the findings and American funding for research on PCBs in farmed salmon, and sea lice:
Using a search engine for internet archives, in early March of 2011 it came to my attention that the David Suzuki Foundation removed 15 press releases and 8 web-pages about PCBs in farmed salmon, and sea lice, and that the last day that this information was on-line, according to the Way Back Machine, was Feb. 3, 2010. That's the same day that I sent a rather to-the-point, open letter to Dr. Suzuki. Weeks later, on Feb. 22, 2010, I met with the CEO of the David Suzuki Foundation in order to appeal to him to please make ammends for the false and misleading information that the foundation has been disseminating for years about farmed salmon and salmon farming. What I didn't know when I met with the CEO of the David Suzuki Foundation is that the web-pages about which I was concerned had apparently been taken off of the foundation's web-site - well before our meeting.
In hindsight, I believe that it is fair to ask why the David Suzuki Foundation quietly removed so much of its on-line material about farmed salmon and salmon farming. If the David Suzuki Foundation retracts information that it has previously disseminated about such a high profile, controversial issue, why hasn't the public been told?
Internet Archives Showing Web-Pages Were Longer On-Line As of Feb. 3, 2010
According to information from an internet search engine called The Way Back Machine, the web-pages about salmon farming, listed below, were last seen on the web-site of the David Suzuki Foundation on February 3, 2010. Below, links are provided to the information at the web-site of the Way Back Machine which suggests to me that the last day that this material was on-line, was, indeed, February 3, 2010. Excerpts showing the date on which these web-pages were last seen, are also shown below. On the basis of this information, it seems to me that the David Suzuki Foundation may have removed all of this on-line material about salmon farming on February 3, 2010. The question is, why? And why wasn't the public informed?
.pdf files:
Below, here are .pdf files for each of the eight web-pages about salmon farming as they were last seen at the web-site of the David Suzuki Foundation, as of February 3, 2010.
Links to the web-pages in the Internet Archive of the Way Back Machine:
IMPORTANT NOTE: These pages are very slow to load because they are being accessed not directly through the David Suzuki Foundation's web-site, but rather, through the 150 billion pages of internet archives that are housed by the Way Back Machine. Below, there are excerpts of each of these eight pages, and .pdf files of the complete information that was at these links, according to the Way Back Machine.
The following links show that these web-pages were seen on February 3, 2010 and apparently, they have not been seen since by the search engine of the Way Back Machine.
Below, here are excerpts of web-pages about salmon farming as they are found in the internet archives of the Way Back Machine.
Below, here are excerpts from information provided by the Way Back Machine, which suggests to me that the David Suzuki Foundation may have removed all eight web-pages about salmon farming, on February 3, 2010:
Comments