KINGSTON – Dr. David Suzuki will deliver a keynote speech tonight on the future of the Great Lakes, at the biennial meeting of the International Joint Commission (IJC).
The IJC prevents and resolves disputes concerning shared waters between the U.S. and Canada. This week’s conference focuses on the unique issues facing the Great Lakes region.
Dr. Suzuki will discuss the future of the Great Lakes, including the issue of open-net fish farming, currently expanding in Georgian Bay and northern Lake Huron. The threat of fish escapes, decreased biodiversity, and pollution from this unsustainable industry have raised a red flag among conservationists and local residents.
"The Great Lakes are in trouble, and industrial fish farming is only one threat of many," says Dr. Suzuki. "Although Canada holds 20 per cent of the world's fresh water, our seemingly endless water supply is a myth."
The effects of industry, agriculture, aquaculture, hydroelectric facilities, poor sewage treatment, climate change, and weak laws and policies all point to the need for urgent action to preserve the Great Lakes and Canada’s other freshwater environments for future generations.
The David Suzuki Foundation’s 2004 report, Sustainability Within a Generation, outlines solutions, timelines and targets to ensure that Canada’s freshwater resources remain on an environmentally sound footing. See
www.davidsuzuki.org/WOL/sustainability for more information.
Dr. Suzuki speaks tonight at 5:30pm in the Great Hall at Queens University.
For more information, please contact:
Bill Wareham
David Suzuki Foundation
(604) 740-4318