Push on to limit ship speeds to save endangered right whales
Protecting the North Atlantic right whale population requires a mandatory slowdown for vessels in the Cabot Strait, says Oceana Canada.
In early 2020, Transport Canada introduced a voluntary slowdown to protect the critically endangered species, but the majority of vessels are not complying, Oceana Canada found.
There are now fewer than 366 right whales left in the world, according to researchers, and there have been 21 known right whale deaths in Canadian waters between 2017 and 2020.
“It is the collisions with these vessels that are killing these whales,” said Sean Brillant, senior conservation biologist at the Canadian Wildlife Federation. “We need to be a bit more aggressive in a situation like this with a species that is so close to extinction and that is so clearly shown to be affected by vessels and vessel traffic.”
Slowing vessels to 10 knots or less can reduce the lethality of a collision by 86 per cent, according to a 2013 study of collision-related mortality in right whales, which is why Oceana Canada is calling on Transport Canada to make the slowdown mandatory. Newer research has shown collisions with large ships are often lethal even at lower speeds, but limiting speed still helps reduce the risk, said Brillant.
Global Fishing Watch data revealed 64 per cent of vessels failed to comply with the 10-knot voluntary slowdown in Cabot Strait from April 28 to May 4, the first week the measure was in place in 2021.
In areas with mandatory speed restrictions, compliance is high, with only 44 out of 600 vessel movements exceeding the restrictions, according to Transport Canada.
There's no good reason why they shouldn't make it mandatory," said NDP fisheries critic, Gord Johns. "Timing is of the essence given the state of right whales... they're on the brink of extinction."
Transport Canada issued a statement to Canada’s National Observer saying the slowdown will remain voluntary for 2021 and that it “has increased outreach to mariners and vessels transiting the Cabot Strait.” It says making the restriction mandatory will require increased monitoring of right whales, as well as “evaluating and weighing safety considerations, economic impacts, and ongoing detection data to ensure the measure is effective at protecting the North Atlantic right whales and mariners.”
Transport Canada also noted its results of this year’s trial voluntary slowdown in Cabot Strait are indicating increased participation rates over those reported by Oceana Canada.
“The cumulative participation rate for the first three weeks of the 2021 spring trial is 52 per cent compared to a cumulative participation rate of 46 per cent in the first three weeks of the 2020 spring trial,” reads the statement.
Transport Canada said participation rates may be affected by factors like weather, vessel timetables, logistics, delivery schedules, and contractual obligations.
Oceana’s analysis doesn’t account for weather and some of these factors, said Kim Elmslie, campaign director for Oceana Canada. She said sometimes adverse weather conditions cause restrictions to be lifted for the safety of vessels, which “is understandable and unavoidable.”
“However, the risk of vessel strike to the whales remains — which makes it even more important to have strong, mandatory measures in place when vessels can safely slow down,” said Elmslie.
Although speed restrictions are important and useful, they aren’t the solution to preventing lethal strikes on whales, Brillant said. A 2020 study, which he co-authored, found large ships going 10 knots still have an 80 per cent chance of killing a whale if one is struck.
Ideally, Brillant said, we would try to move our vessels away from the whales, but this poses a challenge in the Cabot Strait.
“In this case, speed restrictions may be the best tool we have to dial down the possibility of lethal ship strikes on whales,” he said.
Transport Canada’s introduction of the voluntary speed restriction and other monitoring techniques in the area are all good steps, said Elmslie. “But we want them to go even further than what they're doing.”
Oceana Canada also wants the voluntary speed restrictions to come into effect before April 28 because right whales have previously been spotted in the strait days before the slowdown kicks in, including one sighting this year on April 26.
Oceana Canada will continue to meet with Transport Canada and the shipping industry to try to make the speed restrictions mandatory, she said. “I feel confident that we can find some common ground.”
She says Canadians can support a mandatory speed restriction by signing Oceana Canada’s petition.
“This is the critical moment where we have to pull out all the stops and do everything that we can,” said Elmslie. “We don't really have the luxury to pilot and trial and take a few years to see if we can educate and do other things. I think that those are noble efforts, but the whales just don't have that much time.”
Natasha Bulowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, National Observer
Friday, May 28, 2021
USA
Take Five: A looming labour crunch?
© Reuters/AMIRA KARAOUD
© Reuters/AMIRA KARAOUD
Career center reopens for in-person appointments in Kentucky
(Reuters) -
1/PRIME TIME PAYROLLS
How fast is the U.S. recovery? Friday's U.S. monthly jobs report will add fuel to the debate.
In April, U.S. job growth unexpectedly slowed, possibly because of shortages of workers and raw material. Non-farm payrolls added a mere 266,000 jobs compared to predictions for more than 3-1/2 times that.
Optimism over jobs has offset concerns about rising inflation and diminishing government financial support, lifting May U.S. consumer confidence to a 14-month high.
For May jobs, a Reuters poll predicts a 621,000 rise. Strong data could again raise concerns of an earlier-than-expected stimulus unwind by the Fed.
-U.S. hiring takes big step back as businesses scramble for workers, raw materials
Graphic - US nonfarm payrolls: https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/qzjvqbrgmpx/Pasted%20image%201622048114220.png
2/ PRICE WATCHING
Tuesday's euro zone flash inflation is sure to grab attention as the next European Central Bank meeting nears.
Inflation in the bloc is approaching its 2% target - the fastest in years - thanks to higher spending and base effects stemming from the 2020 oil price crash. Strong data could spark excitement or fear that a new era of inflation is dawning.
Not so fast, others argue. ECB Chief Economist Philip Lane, for one, has pushed against the inflation-is-back narrative, stressing labour markets will take years to return to pre-crisis levels and that stimulus is still needed to secure the recovery.
The data could pave the way for a lively June ECB meeting.
- Too early for ECB to taper emergency bond buys: Panetta
Graphic - The ECB and elusive inflation: https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/xklvywaobvg/THEME2605.PNG
3/ OPEC & THE IRAN QUESTION
OPEC and its allies, the OPEC+ grouping, are expected to stick to the gradual easing of oil supply curbs at their Tuesday meeting, pinning hopes on a strong demand recovery.
Since OPEC+ decided to taper cuts by 2.1 million barrels per day in April, oil has extended its 2021 rally and is currently up over 30% and closing in on $70 a barrel.
One factor limiting oil price upside is the prospect of higher Iranian output should its nuclear deal with world powers be revived. If a deal is struck, Iran could add as much as 2 million bpd to supply.
-Uncertain about Iranian oil, OPEC+ likely to stick to policy
Graphic - Brent crude oil: https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/yzdpxmynavx/Brent%20crude%20oil.PNG
4/POLICY DOWN UNDER
The Reserve Bank of Australia meets on Tuesday and focus is on whether it will provide any hawkish hints, given a strong economic rebound and moves from peers towards slowing stimulus.
Few expect Australia to follow neighbour New Zealand, which signalled a potential rate hike in 2022. But investors are seeking clues on the RBA's asset-purchase plans ahead of its July meeting when it is due to decide whether to expand its quantitative easing programme.
Australia's pluses? A relatively low COVID-19 caseload and rising commodity prices. China's yuan at a three-year highs and signs of Beijing's comfort with the exchange rate bodes well for commodity exports too. The risk? A weaker Australian dollar versus the yuan, potentially spelling higher inflation.
- Australia c.bank to keep cash rate at 0.1% through mid-2023
Graphic - Chinese offshore yuan vs U.S. and Australian dollars: https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/xlbpgkrbapq/yuan.PNG
5/ YUAN ON A TEAR
China's yuan is at the highest since 2018 but the People's Bank of China seems to show no discomfort with the recent gains. That's got markets guessing how policymakers in the world's second-largest economy plan to navigate economic recovery, the commodity price gains and inflation pressures.
Friday's official guidance rate -- the strongest since May 2018 and set above the psychologically important 6.4 per dollar level -- seemed like a tacit acceptance of a stronger yuan.
But officials have also become more vocal in recent days on pledges to crack down on forex market manipulation, warning on Friday against one-way yuan bets. They reiterated, however, there was no change to the country's currency policy.
-Chinese regulators vow to crack down on yuan exchange manipulation
Graphic - China yuan: https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/ygdvzxrnnvw/Pasted%20image%201622192718173.png
(Reporting by Vidya Ranganathan in Singapore, Dhara Ranasinge, Tommy Wilkes and Ahmad Ghaddar in London, Lewis Krauskopf in New York, Compiled by Karin Strohecker, Editing by Catherine Evans)
(Reuters) -
1/PRIME TIME PAYROLLS
How fast is the U.S. recovery? Friday's U.S. monthly jobs report will add fuel to the debate.
In April, U.S. job growth unexpectedly slowed, possibly because of shortages of workers and raw material. Non-farm payrolls added a mere 266,000 jobs compared to predictions for more than 3-1/2 times that.
Optimism over jobs has offset concerns about rising inflation and diminishing government financial support, lifting May U.S. consumer confidence to a 14-month high.
For May jobs, a Reuters poll predicts a 621,000 rise. Strong data could again raise concerns of an earlier-than-expected stimulus unwind by the Fed.
-U.S. hiring takes big step back as businesses scramble for workers, raw materials
Graphic - US nonfarm payrolls: https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/qzjvqbrgmpx/Pasted%20image%201622048114220.png
2/ PRICE WATCHING
Tuesday's euro zone flash inflation is sure to grab attention as the next European Central Bank meeting nears.
Inflation in the bloc is approaching its 2% target - the fastest in years - thanks to higher spending and base effects stemming from the 2020 oil price crash. Strong data could spark excitement or fear that a new era of inflation is dawning.
Not so fast, others argue. ECB Chief Economist Philip Lane, for one, has pushed against the inflation-is-back narrative, stressing labour markets will take years to return to pre-crisis levels and that stimulus is still needed to secure the recovery.
The data could pave the way for a lively June ECB meeting.
- Too early for ECB to taper emergency bond buys: Panetta
Graphic - The ECB and elusive inflation: https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/xklvywaobvg/THEME2605.PNG
3/ OPEC & THE IRAN QUESTION
OPEC and its allies, the OPEC+ grouping, are expected to stick to the gradual easing of oil supply curbs at their Tuesday meeting, pinning hopes on a strong demand recovery.
Since OPEC+ decided to taper cuts by 2.1 million barrels per day in April, oil has extended its 2021 rally and is currently up over 30% and closing in on $70 a barrel.
One factor limiting oil price upside is the prospect of higher Iranian output should its nuclear deal with world powers be revived. If a deal is struck, Iran could add as much as 2 million bpd to supply.
-Uncertain about Iranian oil, OPEC+ likely to stick to policy
Graphic - Brent crude oil: https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/yzdpxmynavx/Brent%20crude%20oil.PNG
4/POLICY DOWN UNDER
The Reserve Bank of Australia meets on Tuesday and focus is on whether it will provide any hawkish hints, given a strong economic rebound and moves from peers towards slowing stimulus.
Few expect Australia to follow neighbour New Zealand, which signalled a potential rate hike in 2022. But investors are seeking clues on the RBA's asset-purchase plans ahead of its July meeting when it is due to decide whether to expand its quantitative easing programme.
Australia's pluses? A relatively low COVID-19 caseload and rising commodity prices. China's yuan at a three-year highs and signs of Beijing's comfort with the exchange rate bodes well for commodity exports too. The risk? A weaker Australian dollar versus the yuan, potentially spelling higher inflation.
- Australia c.bank to keep cash rate at 0.1% through mid-2023
Graphic - Chinese offshore yuan vs U.S. and Australian dollars: https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/xlbpgkrbapq/yuan.PNG
5/ YUAN ON A TEAR
China's yuan is at the highest since 2018 but the People's Bank of China seems to show no discomfort with the recent gains. That's got markets guessing how policymakers in the world's second-largest economy plan to navigate economic recovery, the commodity price gains and inflation pressures.
Friday's official guidance rate -- the strongest since May 2018 and set above the psychologically important 6.4 per dollar level -- seemed like a tacit acceptance of a stronger yuan.
But officials have also become more vocal in recent days on pledges to crack down on forex market manipulation, warning on Friday against one-way yuan bets. They reiterated, however, there was no change to the country's currency policy.
-Chinese regulators vow to crack down on yuan exchange manipulation
Graphic - China yuan: https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/ygdvzxrnnvw/Pasted%20image%201622192718173.png
(Reporting by Vidya Ranganathan in Singapore, Dhara Ranasinge, Tommy Wilkes and Ahmad Ghaddar in London, Lewis Krauskopf in New York, Compiled by Karin Strohecker, Editing by Catherine Evans)
Scientists are zapping clouds with electricity to make it rain
With a harsh, desert climate and an average rainfall of just four inches (10 cm) a year, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) needs more freshwater. In search of a solution, it has been funding science projects from around the world to try to make it rain.
With a harsh, desert climate and an average rainfall of just four inches (10 cm) a year, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) needs more freshwater. In search of a solution, it has been funding science projects from around the world to try to make it rain.
© From Account Director/UAEREP Drones will give clouds an electrical charge in an attempt to create rainfall.
By Stephanie Bailey, CNN
One of these projects involves using catapults to launch small unmanned aircraft which zap clouds with an electric charge.
A team of scientists from the University of Reading, in the UK, initially proposed the idea in 2017. Now, the custom-built drones will soon begin tests near Dubai.
The idea is that charging droplets in clouds will make them more likely to fall as rain.
"There's been a lot of speculation about what charge might do to cloud droplets, but there's been very little practical and detailed investigation," says Keri Nicoll, one of the core investigators on the project. The aim is to determine if the technology can increase rainfall rates in water-stressed regions.
One of these projects involves using catapults to launch small unmanned aircraft which zap clouds with an electric charge.
A team of scientists from the University of Reading, in the UK, initially proposed the idea in 2017. Now, the custom-built drones will soon begin tests near Dubai.
The idea is that charging droplets in clouds will make them more likely to fall as rain.
"There's been a lot of speculation about what charge might do to cloud droplets, but there's been very little practical and detailed investigation," says Keri Nicoll, one of the core investigators on the project. The aim is to determine if the technology can increase rainfall rates in water-stressed regions.
© Courtesy Keri Nicoll The unmanned aircraft carry sensors and charge emitters.
Nicoll's team started by modelling the behavior of clouds. They found that when cloud droplets have a positive or negative electrical charge, the smaller droplets are more likely to merge and grow to become big raindrops.
The size of the raindrops is important, says Nicoll, because in places like the UAE which has high clouds and high temperatures, droplets often evaporate as they fall.
"What we are trying to do is to make the droplets inside the clouds big enough so that when they fall out of the cloud, they survive down to the surface," says Nicoll.
The proposal was chosen to receive a $1.5 million grant distributed over three years by the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science, an initiative run by the National Center of Meteorology.
To test out the model, Nicoll and her team built four aircraft with a wingspan of two meters. These are launched from a catapult, have a full autopilot system, and can fly for around 40 minutes.
Each aircraft has sensors for measuring temperature, charge, and humidity, as well as charge emitters -- the part that does the zapping -- that were developed with the University of Bath in the UK.
So far, testing has been conducted in the UK and Finland, and ground-based measurements of cloud properties taken in the UAE. The research has been published in the Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology.
Because the pandemic meant Nicoll's team couldn't travel to the UAE, they have trained operators from a flight school in Dubai to use their aircraft. They're now waiting for the right weather conditions to complete the tests.
Cloud seeding
As climate change alters weather patterns, causing severe droughts in some places and floods in others, there is a growing interest in how to control the weather. According to the World Wildlife Fund, two thirds of the world's population may face water shortages by 2025.
While the University of Reading project is coming to an end this year, Nicoll wants future projects to combine charging clouds with cloud seeding -- an existing weather modification technique where drones inject particles of silver iodide or salt into clouds to encourage them to rain or snow.
Nicoll says using charged salt particles could make cloud seeding more efficient.
Alya Al Mazroui, director of the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science, says the organization is already experimenting with cloud seeding. "An increasing number of countries have invested in weather modification research and applications, particularly those in arid regions such as the UAE," she says.
The UAE conducted 242 cloud seeding missions in 2017, according to the National Center of Meteorology. In 2018, Al Mazroui told CNN that rain enhancement could offer a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution to water security than alternatives like desalination, where salt is removed from seawater. The UAE has one of the largest desalination operations in the world, with huge quantities of brine produced as a byproduct. But discharging brine into the sea can harm marine life.
Other countries that have heavily invested in cloud seeding include the US and China. The latter announced last December that it would expand its weather modification program to cover an area of over 5.5 million square kilometers.
While cloud seeding as a concept has been around for decades, there has been little research showing its effectiveness. One study funded by the US National Science Foundation in early 2020 found that seeding with silver iodide could increase snowfall.
But there are questions over whether seeding clouds in one location might take rain away from another location, and the long-term environmental impacts of silver iodide. The process is also very expensive.
"There's still a long way to go to definitively see how effective cloud seeding weather modification is at enhancing rainfall," says Nicoll.
But we may soon be one step closer to finding out how effective cloud zapping can be.
Nicoll's team started by modelling the behavior of clouds. They found that when cloud droplets have a positive or negative electrical charge, the smaller droplets are more likely to merge and grow to become big raindrops.
The size of the raindrops is important, says Nicoll, because in places like the UAE which has high clouds and high temperatures, droplets often evaporate as they fall.
"What we are trying to do is to make the droplets inside the clouds big enough so that when they fall out of the cloud, they survive down to the surface," says Nicoll.
The proposal was chosen to receive a $1.5 million grant distributed over three years by the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science, an initiative run by the National Center of Meteorology.
To test out the model, Nicoll and her team built four aircraft with a wingspan of two meters. These are launched from a catapult, have a full autopilot system, and can fly for around 40 minutes.
Each aircraft has sensors for measuring temperature, charge, and humidity, as well as charge emitters -- the part that does the zapping -- that were developed with the University of Bath in the UK.
So far, testing has been conducted in the UK and Finland, and ground-based measurements of cloud properties taken in the UAE. The research has been published in the Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology.
Because the pandemic meant Nicoll's team couldn't travel to the UAE, they have trained operators from a flight school in Dubai to use their aircraft. They're now waiting for the right weather conditions to complete the tests.
Cloud seeding
As climate change alters weather patterns, causing severe droughts in some places and floods in others, there is a growing interest in how to control the weather. According to the World Wildlife Fund, two thirds of the world's population may face water shortages by 2025.
While the University of Reading project is coming to an end this year, Nicoll wants future projects to combine charging clouds with cloud seeding -- an existing weather modification technique where drones inject particles of silver iodide or salt into clouds to encourage them to rain or snow.
Nicoll says using charged salt particles could make cloud seeding more efficient.
Alya Al Mazroui, director of the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science, says the organization is already experimenting with cloud seeding. "An increasing number of countries have invested in weather modification research and applications, particularly those in arid regions such as the UAE," she says.
The UAE conducted 242 cloud seeding missions in 2017, according to the National Center of Meteorology. In 2018, Al Mazroui told CNN that rain enhancement could offer a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution to water security than alternatives like desalination, where salt is removed from seawater. The UAE has one of the largest desalination operations in the world, with huge quantities of brine produced as a byproduct. But discharging brine into the sea can harm marine life.
Other countries that have heavily invested in cloud seeding include the US and China. The latter announced last December that it would expand its weather modification program to cover an area of over 5.5 million square kilometers.
While cloud seeding as a concept has been around for decades, there has been little research showing its effectiveness. One study funded by the US National Science Foundation in early 2020 found that seeding with silver iodide could increase snowfall.
But there are questions over whether seeding clouds in one location might take rain away from another location, and the long-term environmental impacts of silver iodide. The process is also very expensive.
"There's still a long way to go to definitively see how effective cloud seeding weather modification is at enhancing rainfall," says Nicoll.
But we may soon be one step closer to finding out how effective cloud zapping can be.
MANDATORY SELF REGULATION
Food industry groups come together to develop 'breakthrough' code of practice
© Provided by The Canadian Press
Food industry groups come together to develop 'breakthrough' code of practice
© Provided by The Canadian Press
Food industry groups come together to develop 'breakthrough' code of practice
OTTAWA — A group of associations representing food producers and retailers has agreed to work together to develop a food industry code of practice, a collaboration one industry insider is calling a "breakthrough" for ensuring a reliable and affordable food supply in Canada.
The associations have come together to form the Canadian Food Industry Collaborative Alliance to develop a framework for food industry leaders to develop the code.
The move follows the creation of a working group by federal, provincial and territorial agriculture and food ministers last year to look at the grocery industry, including the imposition of unilateral costs on suppliers, fining suppliers for shortages and offloading operating costs onto suppliers.
The industry alliance, which includes the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers, the Canadian Produce Marketing Association, Food and Beverage Canada, the Retail Council of Canada and others, say a code of practice would help ensure transparency and contractual certainty in commercial transactions.
It would also promote fair dealings in negotiations, particularly where there is a significant disparity in negotiating power and provide an effective dispute resolution process.
"We are all committed to supporting a strong food supply chain in Canada and ensuring that small, mid, and large companies can continue to grow within the food sector," said Diane J. Brisebois, president and CEO of the Retail Council of Canada.
"There's been a lot of coverage of some of the disputes between very large grocers and large (consumer packaged goods) manufacturers. There's been a proposal about a regulated code and so we decided as a group of associations to come together and see if we could find a solution that would bring everybody to the table to discuss what needs to be fixed."
The code of practice would not be embedded in regulation but participation would be mandatory, according to a press release issued by the alliance.
Last year, Loblaw Companies Ltd. and Walmart Canada imposed higher fees on suppliers. In response, United Grocers Inc., a national buying group that represents multiple companies including Metro Inc., issued a letter to suppliers saying it expected the same costs as its competitors.
Then in March, Empire Company Ltd., the parent company of Sobeys and Safeway in Canada, and Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada, which represents food manufacturers agreed to a draft grocery code of practice they say takes aim at unfairness in the market.
The proposed code put forward by Empire was panned by the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers for its failure to mention small, independent grocery operators.
But Gary Sands, senior vice-president of public policy for the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers, said the organization supports the new alliance and its commitment to develop a code.
"This is a big breakthrough because now you have bigger chains aligning with the smaller players to say we need this," he said.
"It's now no longer a question of if we'll have a grocery code, it's when."
Sands added: "The code has to be a collaborative process and has to be inclusive. All the industry has to be involved in developing it to get that buy in."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 27, 2021.
Companies in this story: (TSX:EMP.A, TSX:L, TSX:MRU)
The Canadian Press
OTTAWA — A group of associations representing food producers and retailers has agreed to work together to develop a food industry code of practice, a collaboration one industry insider is calling a "breakthrough" for ensuring a reliable and affordable food supply in Canada.
The associations have come together to form the Canadian Food Industry Collaborative Alliance to develop a framework for food industry leaders to develop the code.
The move follows the creation of a working group by federal, provincial and territorial agriculture and food ministers last year to look at the grocery industry, including the imposition of unilateral costs on suppliers, fining suppliers for shortages and offloading operating costs onto suppliers.
The industry alliance, which includes the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers, the Canadian Produce Marketing Association, Food and Beverage Canada, the Retail Council of Canada and others, say a code of practice would help ensure transparency and contractual certainty in commercial transactions.
It would also promote fair dealings in negotiations, particularly where there is a significant disparity in negotiating power and provide an effective dispute resolution process.
"We are all committed to supporting a strong food supply chain in Canada and ensuring that small, mid, and large companies can continue to grow within the food sector," said Diane J. Brisebois, president and CEO of the Retail Council of Canada.
"There's been a lot of coverage of some of the disputes between very large grocers and large (consumer packaged goods) manufacturers. There's been a proposal about a regulated code and so we decided as a group of associations to come together and see if we could find a solution that would bring everybody to the table to discuss what needs to be fixed."
The code of practice would not be embedded in regulation but participation would be mandatory, according to a press release issued by the alliance.
Last year, Loblaw Companies Ltd. and Walmart Canada imposed higher fees on suppliers. In response, United Grocers Inc., a national buying group that represents multiple companies including Metro Inc., issued a letter to suppliers saying it expected the same costs as its competitors.
Then in March, Empire Company Ltd., the parent company of Sobeys and Safeway in Canada, and Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada, which represents food manufacturers agreed to a draft grocery code of practice they say takes aim at unfairness in the market.
The proposed code put forward by Empire was panned by the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers for its failure to mention small, independent grocery operators.
But Gary Sands, senior vice-president of public policy for the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers, said the organization supports the new alliance and its commitment to develop a code.
"This is a big breakthrough because now you have bigger chains aligning with the smaller players to say we need this," he said.
"It's now no longer a question of if we'll have a grocery code, it's when."
Sands added: "The code has to be a collaborative process and has to be inclusive. All the industry has to be involved in developing it to get that buy in."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 27, 2021.
Companies in this story: (TSX:EMP.A, TSX:L, TSX:MRU)
The Canadian Press
CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M
FirstEnergy fires another executive over consulting contract
CLEVELAND (AP) — A FirstEnergy senior vice president was fired Thursday for her “inaction” regarding a 2015 amendment to a “purported” consulting contract with someone who was later appointed as Ohio's top utility regulator, the company announced in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
Eileen Mikkelsen's dismissal makes her the sixth high-ranking FirstEnergy executive fired since the U.S. Department of Justice alleged last July that the company had secretly funded a $60 million bribery scheme aimed at winning legislative approval of a bailout of two nuclear power plants operated at the time by a wholly-owned FirstEnergy subsidiary.
CEO Chuck Jones and two other vice presidents were fired in October for what FirstEnergy said were violations of company policies and its code of conduct. Two of the company's top attorneys were fired the following month. FirstEnergy did not specify the reason for their dismissals.
Jones was appointed CEO in 2015.
A message seeking comment was left for Mikkelsen on Thursday. A FirstEnergy spokesperson declined to comment about the firing.
While FirstEnergy has not named the regulator in question, it has not been disputed that it was Samuel Randazzo, appointed by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine in early 2019 as chair of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. Randazzo resigned last November after the FBI searched his Columbus townhome and FirstEnergy disclosed it had paid him $4.3 million before his appointment to end a consulting contract in place since 2013.
“FirstEnergy continues to believe that payments under the consulting agreement may have been for purposes other than those represented within the consulting agreement," according to Thursday's SEC filing.
FirstEnergy has been engaged in damage control over the last year as it tries to restore is corporate reputation, emphasizing efforts the company has made to strengthen its internal controls. FirstEnergy officials have said the company is cooperating with investigations by the DOJ, SEC and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and that it has discussed a deferred prosecution agreement with DOJ attorneys.
The Legislature earlier this year repealed the $1 billion bailout in the wake of the scandal and the plants' new owner, Energy Harbor, indicating it did not want the subsidy worth about $150 million a year. Energy Harbor took control of the plants and other assets of the FirstEnergy subsidiary in February 2020 as part of a deal struck in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
Two sets of lawsuits seeking certification as class action complaints have been filed against FirstEnergy since July. Outside attorneys representing the company have said in recent motions to dismiss the lawsuits that FirstEnergy's actions regarding its contributions to dark money groups controlled by former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder were legal.
Householder and four others were indicted on racketeering charges shortly after the DOJ unveiled criminal complaints against them in July. Householder has pleaded not guilty.
Mark Gillispie, The Associated Press
FirstEnergy fires another executive over consulting contract
CLEVELAND (AP) — A FirstEnergy senior vice president was fired Thursday for her “inaction” regarding a 2015 amendment to a “purported” consulting contract with someone who was later appointed as Ohio's top utility regulator, the company announced in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
Eileen Mikkelsen's dismissal makes her the sixth high-ranking FirstEnergy executive fired since the U.S. Department of Justice alleged last July that the company had secretly funded a $60 million bribery scheme aimed at winning legislative approval of a bailout of two nuclear power plants operated at the time by a wholly-owned FirstEnergy subsidiary.
CEO Chuck Jones and two other vice presidents were fired in October for what FirstEnergy said were violations of company policies and its code of conduct. Two of the company's top attorneys were fired the following month. FirstEnergy did not specify the reason for their dismissals.
Jones was appointed CEO in 2015.
A message seeking comment was left for Mikkelsen on Thursday. A FirstEnergy spokesperson declined to comment about the firing.
While FirstEnergy has not named the regulator in question, it has not been disputed that it was Samuel Randazzo, appointed by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine in early 2019 as chair of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. Randazzo resigned last November after the FBI searched his Columbus townhome and FirstEnergy disclosed it had paid him $4.3 million before his appointment to end a consulting contract in place since 2013.
“FirstEnergy continues to believe that payments under the consulting agreement may have been for purposes other than those represented within the consulting agreement," according to Thursday's SEC filing.
FirstEnergy has been engaged in damage control over the last year as it tries to restore is corporate reputation, emphasizing efforts the company has made to strengthen its internal controls. FirstEnergy officials have said the company is cooperating with investigations by the DOJ, SEC and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and that it has discussed a deferred prosecution agreement with DOJ attorneys.
The Legislature earlier this year repealed the $1 billion bailout in the wake of the scandal and the plants' new owner, Energy Harbor, indicating it did not want the subsidy worth about $150 million a year. Energy Harbor took control of the plants and other assets of the FirstEnergy subsidiary in February 2020 as part of a deal struck in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
Two sets of lawsuits seeking certification as class action complaints have been filed against FirstEnergy since July. Outside attorneys representing the company have said in recent motions to dismiss the lawsuits that FirstEnergy's actions regarding its contributions to dark money groups controlled by former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder were legal.
Householder and four others were indicted on racketeering charges shortly after the DOJ unveiled criminal complaints against them in July. Householder has pleaded not guilty.
Mark Gillispie, The Associated Press
Abandoned oil and gas wells will be cleaned up despite backlog: Alberta regulator
© Provided by The Canadian Press
Abandoned oil and gas wells will be cleaned up despite backlog: Alberta regulator
EDMONTON — There's lots of life in Alberta's conventional oil industry and plenty of resources and political will to clean up the mess it leaves behind, says the head of the province's energy regulator.
"Will there be halcyon-days growth in the sector? Probably not," said Alberta Energy Regulator president Laurie Pushor.
"We still see an industry that is healthy and anticipating relatively stable production."
Pushor spoke to The Canadian Press after his first year on the job, a year that saw 20 per cent layoffs at his agency at a time when the government is asking it to do more. There are also growing worries over the industry's environmental liabilities and concern about the growth of coal mining in the Rocky Mountains.
"This organization has had a profound amount of change," he said Thursday.
Pushor acknowledged problems with how Alberta ensured industry has cleaned up after itself.
A recent report from the University of Calgary found more than half the province's wells no longer produce, but remain unreclaimed. The regulator's own predictions suggest such wells will double between 2019 and 2030.
The regulator wasn't making sure companies that bought old wells had the wherewithal to operate and close them safely, Pushor said. Companies would pass the regulator's tests, then collapse anyway.
"We were seeing failures of companies that had positive ratings."
That's changed, he said. The regulator can now look at a much broader range of factors, including whether it's honouring lease payments to landowners and tax obligations to municipalities — in arrears by $245 million.
"How they treat their partners on the land is a pretty clear and strong indication of their performance in protecting the land," Pushor said.
"We think there will be an opportunity for us to be more diligent in protecting the interests of Albertans if a company is in failure."
New rules are coming in the fall that will force operators to spend a certain slice of their estimated clean-up costs every year.
"That's the key tool here. We start it out at whatever percentage (and) monitor the data to see whether we're making gains or not."
Similarly with the tailings ponds, said Pushor, who noted policies are in place.
The province's auditor general has said the amount of surety Alberta holds to guarantee the remediation of the oilsands is inadequate. That amount hasn't changed since 2016.
But that's because Alberta doesn't require payments to accelerate until near the end of mine life — which, in some cases, is decades into the future.
"We would have full financing held six years prior to end of (mine) life," said Pushor.
The regulator's recent move to base security requirements on a company's own revenue projections won't affect that, he said.
Pushor said the regulator is also on top of ensuring environmental impacts of coal exploration in the Rockies are dealt with. Although the regulator does not collect any deposits to make sure the work is done, Pushor said clean-up requirements are part of the licence.
"We expect the reclamation to follow right on the heels as their permit requires. We stay pretty diligent to ensure exploration projects are being reclaimed."
Stock prices for some of those mining companies plummeted after the government's decision to pause all activity on those leases in response to public concerns. Pushor said the regulator doesn't have concerns about them not being able to meet their obligations.
"It's hard for me to speculate on what might happen. We will be diligent in holding the companies to account."
Pushor said, despite losing 200 staff and more than 10 per cent of its now-$206 million budget, the Alberta Energy Regulator has a handle on things. He said it has come along in regaining public trust after facing conflict-of-interest investigations into its previous leadership.
"We probably slid a bit," he said.
"The challenge before us is to continually work to regain that. And that's probably not good enough — we probably want to continue to grow and build that confidence."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 27, 2021.
— Follow Bob Weber on Twitter at @row1960
Bob Weber, The Canadian Press
EDMONTON — There's lots of life in Alberta's conventional oil industry and plenty of resources and political will to clean up the mess it leaves behind, says the head of the province's energy regulator.
"Will there be halcyon-days growth in the sector? Probably not," said Alberta Energy Regulator president Laurie Pushor.
"We still see an industry that is healthy and anticipating relatively stable production."
Pushor spoke to The Canadian Press after his first year on the job, a year that saw 20 per cent layoffs at his agency at a time when the government is asking it to do more. There are also growing worries over the industry's environmental liabilities and concern about the growth of coal mining in the Rocky Mountains.
"This organization has had a profound amount of change," he said Thursday.
Pushor acknowledged problems with how Alberta ensured industry has cleaned up after itself.
A recent report from the University of Calgary found more than half the province's wells no longer produce, but remain unreclaimed. The regulator's own predictions suggest such wells will double between 2019 and 2030.
The regulator wasn't making sure companies that bought old wells had the wherewithal to operate and close them safely, Pushor said. Companies would pass the regulator's tests, then collapse anyway.
"We were seeing failures of companies that had positive ratings."
That's changed, he said. The regulator can now look at a much broader range of factors, including whether it's honouring lease payments to landowners and tax obligations to municipalities — in arrears by $245 million.
"How they treat their partners on the land is a pretty clear and strong indication of their performance in protecting the land," Pushor said.
"We think there will be an opportunity for us to be more diligent in protecting the interests of Albertans if a company is in failure."
New rules are coming in the fall that will force operators to spend a certain slice of their estimated clean-up costs every year.
"That's the key tool here. We start it out at whatever percentage (and) monitor the data to see whether we're making gains or not."
Similarly with the tailings ponds, said Pushor, who noted policies are in place.
The province's auditor general has said the amount of surety Alberta holds to guarantee the remediation of the oilsands is inadequate. That amount hasn't changed since 2016.
But that's because Alberta doesn't require payments to accelerate until near the end of mine life — which, in some cases, is decades into the future.
"We would have full financing held six years prior to end of (mine) life," said Pushor.
The regulator's recent move to base security requirements on a company's own revenue projections won't affect that, he said.
Pushor said the regulator is also on top of ensuring environmental impacts of coal exploration in the Rockies are dealt with. Although the regulator does not collect any deposits to make sure the work is done, Pushor said clean-up requirements are part of the licence.
"We expect the reclamation to follow right on the heels as their permit requires. We stay pretty diligent to ensure exploration projects are being reclaimed."
Stock prices for some of those mining companies plummeted after the government's decision to pause all activity on those leases in response to public concerns. Pushor said the regulator doesn't have concerns about them not being able to meet their obligations.
"It's hard for me to speculate on what might happen. We will be diligent in holding the companies to account."
Pushor said, despite losing 200 staff and more than 10 per cent of its now-$206 million budget, the Alberta Energy Regulator has a handle on things. He said it has come along in regaining public trust after facing conflict-of-interest investigations into its previous leadership.
"We probably slid a bit," he said.
"The challenge before us is to continually work to regain that. And that's probably not good enough — we probably want to continue to grow and build that confidence."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 27, 2021.
— Follow Bob Weber on Twitter at @row1960
Bob Weber, The Canadian Press
BC
Forestry crew at loggerheads with Fairy Creek activists
Warning: There is offensive language in the following article
Investigations are underway after a heated confrontation between loggers and old-growth activists with the Fairy Creek blockade on southern Vancouver Island was captured on video this week.
A group of forestry workers can be seen swearing, yelling and flinging threats and racist taunts, as well as allegedly assaulting a young First Nations man filming the incident, in two videos released by the Rainforest Flying Squad (RFS) on Wednesday afternoon.
The tense standoff involving a group of about 10 forestry workers didn’t occur at roadblocks preventing crews from working in Fairy Creek, said RFS spokesperson Erika Heyrman.
Instead, the conflict took place Tuesday at a residential camp in the Walbran Valley in Tree Forest Licence (TFL) 44, which is near the Fairy Creek region, she said.
“This was a targeted attack,” said Heyrman, saying the loggers had to go out of their way to drive to the camp where several First Nations youth were.
“The people who were camping had not previously had any interaction with those people.”
The conflict took place in the region around Port Renfrew where tensions are rising with the ongoing blockades against logging company Teal-Jones that were set up in August to protect the pristine Fairy Creek watershed in TFL 46.
“Go home and collect your welfare cheque that we pay for,” one forestry worker can be heard saying in one video.
“You and your f***king teepees,” yelled another.
In addition to telling activists to go home or “there’d be trouble to pay,” angry forest contractors accused the activists of threatening their jobs.
“You’re f***king with our livelihood,” said one worker.
“We’ve got kids to feed,” yelled another.
At one point, a forestry worker smacks a cellphone out of the hand of one of the protesters, and a scuffle can be heard with shouts for someone to “grab the phone” in the background.
The situation is being treated with the utmost seriousness and urgency, according to a shared statement issued by Western Forest Products via its TFL 44 Limited Partnership — a joint operation with the Huu-ay-aht First Nations-owned company Huumiis Ventures.
“The behaviour of the individuals in the video is completely unacceptable and is entirely at odds with our shared values,” said the statement issued by John Jack, chair of Huumiis Ventures LP, and Shannon Janzen, the chair of TFL 44 LP.
“The use of racist language, intimidation, and acts of violence have no place in our society or our workplaces, and we have zero tolerance for such behaviour.”
The men belonged to a contracting crew, and the company involved has been directed to conduct a full investigation into the role the employees played in the incident, the statement added.
Forestry activity in the area is paused, and the RCMP and WorkSafe BC have also been notified.
“We appreciate that there may be disagreements about how our forests are managed in British Columbia, but we expect those disagreements to be addressed in a respectful manner, free from violence and racism,” TFL 44 LP said.
Teal-Jones was granted a court injunction against the blockades in its TFL last month. But RCMP had not arrested or removed protesters as of Friday. The RFS applied to the court this week seeking an appeal to the injunction.
RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Chris Manseau said Friday that although police had not been contacted by anyone involved prior to the video’s release, after seeing it, members of the Lake Cowichan detachment headed to the area to talk to witnesses and victims to determine the next steps.
“I haven’t heard any updates yet,” Manseau said, adding it was concerning to see the yelling and alleged assault of a youth in the video. But an investigation will also be necessary to determine what events happened before and after the filming, he said.
[embed][/embed]
The young man who was recording the incident wasn’t badly hurt, but suffered cuts to his knee and his phone was reportedly broken and stolen, Heyrman said.
It’s not immediately clear if the witnesses and victims will take the matter forward with the RCMP, she added.
“My understanding is that they're thinking about it, but they haven't made a decision.”
The onus should be on the forestry companies to deal with the unprovoked aggression from their workers, Heyrman said.
It’s unfortunate that tension exists between people protecting old-growth forests and workers since both groups pay the price of poor forestry management and corporate greed, she said, noting the RFS isn’t against logging second-growth forests.
“I don’t want to talk about this as an escalation,” Heyrman said.
“This isn't really an issue between workers and protesters, this is an issue of government regulations and industry practices.”
Rochelle Baker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, National Observer
Forestry crew at loggerheads with Fairy Creek activists
Warning: There is offensive language in the following article
Investigations are underway after a heated confrontation between loggers and old-growth activists with the Fairy Creek blockade on southern Vancouver Island was captured on video this week.
A group of forestry workers can be seen swearing, yelling and flinging threats and racist taunts, as well as allegedly assaulting a young First Nations man filming the incident, in two videos released by the Rainforest Flying Squad (RFS) on Wednesday afternoon.
The tense standoff involving a group of about 10 forestry workers didn’t occur at roadblocks preventing crews from working in Fairy Creek, said RFS spokesperson Erika Heyrman.
Instead, the conflict took place Tuesday at a residential camp in the Walbran Valley in Tree Forest Licence (TFL) 44, which is near the Fairy Creek region, she said.
“This was a targeted attack,” said Heyrman, saying the loggers had to go out of their way to drive to the camp where several First Nations youth were.
“The people who were camping had not previously had any interaction with those people.”
The conflict took place in the region around Port Renfrew where tensions are rising with the ongoing blockades against logging company Teal-Jones that were set up in August to protect the pristine Fairy Creek watershed in TFL 46.
“Go home and collect your welfare cheque that we pay for,” one forestry worker can be heard saying in one video.
“You and your f***king teepees,” yelled another.
In addition to telling activists to go home or “there’d be trouble to pay,” angry forest contractors accused the activists of threatening their jobs.
“You’re f***king with our livelihood,” said one worker.
“We’ve got kids to feed,” yelled another.
At one point, a forestry worker smacks a cellphone out of the hand of one of the protesters, and a scuffle can be heard with shouts for someone to “grab the phone” in the background.
The situation is being treated with the utmost seriousness and urgency, according to a shared statement issued by Western Forest Products via its TFL 44 Limited Partnership — a joint operation with the Huu-ay-aht First Nations-owned company Huumiis Ventures.
“The behaviour of the individuals in the video is completely unacceptable and is entirely at odds with our shared values,” said the statement issued by John Jack, chair of Huumiis Ventures LP, and Shannon Janzen, the chair of TFL 44 LP.
“The use of racist language, intimidation, and acts of violence have no place in our society or our workplaces, and we have zero tolerance for such behaviour.”
The men belonged to a contracting crew, and the company involved has been directed to conduct a full investigation into the role the employees played in the incident, the statement added.
Forestry activity in the area is paused, and the RCMP and WorkSafe BC have also been notified.
“We appreciate that there may be disagreements about how our forests are managed in British Columbia, but we expect those disagreements to be addressed in a respectful manner, free from violence and racism,” TFL 44 LP said.
Teal-Jones was granted a court injunction against the blockades in its TFL last month. But RCMP had not arrested or removed protesters as of Friday. The RFS applied to the court this week seeking an appeal to the injunction.
RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Chris Manseau said Friday that although police had not been contacted by anyone involved prior to the video’s release, after seeing it, members of the Lake Cowichan detachment headed to the area to talk to witnesses and victims to determine the next steps.
“I haven’t heard any updates yet,” Manseau said, adding it was concerning to see the yelling and alleged assault of a youth in the video. But an investigation will also be necessary to determine what events happened before and after the filming, he said.
[embed][/embed]
The young man who was recording the incident wasn’t badly hurt, but suffered cuts to his knee and his phone was reportedly broken and stolen, Heyrman said.
It’s not immediately clear if the witnesses and victims will take the matter forward with the RCMP, she added.
“My understanding is that they're thinking about it, but they haven't made a decision.”
The onus should be on the forestry companies to deal with the unprovoked aggression from their workers, Heyrman said.
It’s unfortunate that tension exists between people protecting old-growth forests and workers since both groups pay the price of poor forestry management and corporate greed, she said, noting the RFS isn’t against logging second-growth forests.
“I don’t want to talk about this as an escalation,” Heyrman said.
“This isn't really an issue between workers and protesters, this is an issue of government regulations and industry practices.”
Rochelle Baker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, National Observer
BC
Toxic illicit drugs deadly for men in tradesIsland Health and the construction industry want to drive down the alarming number of men — particularly those working in the trades and transport — dying alone in their homes while using toxic street drugs.
The health authority launched a targeted eight-week awareness campaign Tuesday to prevent overdose deaths and deconstruct the silence and shame around men using drugs.
British Columbia is being ravaged by deaths from toxic illicit street drugs. There have been more than 7,000 fatal overdoses since a public health emergency was declared in April 2016. The pandemic has only compounded people's pain and isolation, and five people are now dying from toxic drugs on a daily basis.
And, overwhelmingly, men are the victims. Many of whom have money in their pockets and a roof over their heads.
Men account for 80 per cent of the fatal overdoses in 2021, with 86 per cent taking place indoors, and 56 per cent in private homes, according to the BC Coroners Service latest report.
Last year in the Island Health region, 263 people died from toxic illicit drugs. Of those deaths, 225 were men — and 126 of them occurred in a private residence.
“We know that among those who die from toxic drug poisoning, men who use alone are at greatest risk,” said Dr. Richard Stanwick, Island Health’s chief medical health officer, in a statement.
“We want them to know their lives matter and there are supports and treatments to help keep them alive.”
The awareness campaign is especially aimed at men working in the construction and transportation industries who represent a significant number of the toxic drug fatalities, said Island Health medical health officer Dr. Sandra Allison.
More than half the men who died from toxic drugs were employed, and of those, 55 per cent worked in the trades and transport industry, 2018 data indicated.
Many men in the prime of their careers, or those who have exited the trades, may suffer from work injuries that make them reliant on pain medication, Allison said.
“Unfortunately, at times, they may seek that substance or a similar substance through illicit pathways,” she said.
Most individuals (79 per cent) who died from toxic drugs had contact with the medical system in the year prior to their death, with over half reporting pain problems or mental health issues, according to the 2018 data.
People who use drugs or live with addictions may hide their usage to avoid judgment and discrimination, but using alone puts them at greater risk of death from toxic drugs, Allison said.
Taking drugs in the presence of someone who can administer naloxone or call for medical help is a safer option, Island Health said.
But the campaign will also point men to local overdose prevention sites (OPS), or drug testing or harm reduction services.
The LifeGuard app or the National Overdose Response Service hotline are tools to help monitor people who use drugs alone, and can call for medical help if an illicit drug poisoning occurs.
The awareness campaign hopes to normalize conversations around drug use, how to stay safe and shift the stigma around the issue making it OK to seek help, Allison said.
The health authority has also partnered with the Vancouver Island Construction Association (VICA) to reduce the number of illicit drug deaths in the trades while improving workers' access to harm reduction or treatment supports.
The Tailgate Toolkit Project is developing resources and initiatives for both employers and workers to tackle stigma and provide people in the industry with the help and direction they need, said Rory Kulmala, the CEO of VICA.
Kulmala agreed some workers in the trades self-medicate at home to overcome pain associated with their physically demanding jobs, while others may be running the risk of taking poisoned drugs recreationally during their downtime.
“We're creating the toolkit now that allows both employers and individuals to access resources that they might not otherwise know about,” Kulmala said, adding VICA is firmly entrenched in the construction industry and in a good position to do outreach and education.
“We can't be trying to solve this (problem) in silos. There's got to be collaboration with industry,” he said, adding the campaign materials are being assembled and will launch soon.
“This is a matter of organizing and conveying a message that we're here to help. We're here to support you as a worker”
Rochelle Baker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, National Observer
Profit orphanages: The human rights crisis that's flying under the radar
© Provided by CNN kenya nairobi orphanage
Every year, thousands of well-meaning individuals make the decision to travel to developing countries on short-term visits, setting their sights on aiding vulnerable children. However, the destination for many of these travelers is an orphanage.
Orphanage volunteering and the industry that has emerged to support it have contributed to a system in Kenya and other parts of the world that creates a demand for institutions and children.
The perfect "buyers" are fee-paying voluntourists -- well-intentioned individuals who want to help. Preying on these good intentions, orphanages claim to provide care for "orphans," but in reality, these organizations are often sources of profit for sometimes unscrupulous operators who recruit children to orphanages and exploit them for financial gain. What volunteers and donors who give their time and money often don't know is that the majority of the children living in institutions have families.
Children are separated from families for a variety of reasons in Kenya, and usually not because they have no one to care for them. Many families are simply unable to provide for education and other basic needs due to poverty. Even when children are in fact orphans, or in need of care and protection, institutions like orphanages should be temporary places of last resort, and family and community-based alternatives should be prioritized.
The Government of Kenya suspended the registration of new orphanages in November 2017, citing inappropriate placement of children in institutions rather than family-based care options, and expressed concerns about possible child trafficking. The moratorium on registering new orphanages -- known in Kenya as Charitable Children's Institutions (or CCIs) -- is still in effect.
Children are recruited by institutions from vulnerable families, many of which could care for their children with the right support. After being recruited, children are often instructed to claim they are orphans and required to sing and dance for volunteers -- a form of forced begging. In addition to this façade of pageantry, children's images and stories are frequently used unethically to garner online donations or attract fee-paying volunteers. In some cases, children are purposely kept in deplorable conditions to increase donations.
This practice has immense and harrowing consequences for children, no matter how nice the orphanage appears. Children who grow up in institutions suffer long-term developmental, emotional, and psychological harms. The very rotation of volunteers also has a negative impact and adversely affects a child's ability to form healthy relationships in the future.
Demanding accountability
At the Stahili Foundation, we focus on developing solutions to the problem of orphanage trafficking and family separation in Kenya. Over the years, we've worked alongside partners in Kenya to support the efforts of the Kenyan government, which has committed to changing the way it cares for children by ensuring they grow up in families and communities.
To enact lasting change, former volunteers are also demanding accountability. For example, a lawsuit brought in Chicago by attorney Beth Fegan is using the US civil courts to hold a religious-based organization accountable for allegedly raising money to enrich itself through activities that violate international and Kenyan law, including exploiting children, misleading voluntourists and donors, and harassing and threatening a whistleblower from reporting or disclosing allegations.
We can realize this change, and it starts with each of us committing to end orphanage trafficking when travel reopens. This means a personal pledge to not go on orphan trips, which drive demand for these institutions and separate children from their families.
Instead, we should redirect our passion and commitment to help vulnerable children by advocating in our schools, colleges, churches and communities to support organizations that offer solutions to keep families together at the outset. We can also encourage the orphanages we support to be part of the change and direct our resources to enable safe family reintegration.
Finally, as we continue to fight this insidious and sometimes invisible issue, we need to raise awareness of how well-meaning volunteers and donors who continue to support orphanages are inadvertently harming children and families. Orphanages do not offer long-term and sustainable solutions. The time is always right to find ways to safely bring children home to families and communities.
© Provided by CNN kenya nairobi orphanage
Every year, thousands of well-meaning individuals make the decision to travel to developing countries on short-term visits, setting their sights on aiding vulnerable children. However, the destination for many of these travelers is an orphanage.
Orphanage volunteering and the industry that has emerged to support it have contributed to a system in Kenya and other parts of the world that creates a demand for institutions and children.
The perfect "buyers" are fee-paying voluntourists -- well-intentioned individuals who want to help. Preying on these good intentions, orphanages claim to provide care for "orphans," but in reality, these organizations are often sources of profit for sometimes unscrupulous operators who recruit children to orphanages and exploit them for financial gain. What volunteers and donors who give their time and money often don't know is that the majority of the children living in institutions have families.
Children are separated from families for a variety of reasons in Kenya, and usually not because they have no one to care for them. Many families are simply unable to provide for education and other basic needs due to poverty. Even when children are in fact orphans, or in need of care and protection, institutions like orphanages should be temporary places of last resort, and family and community-based alternatives should be prioritized.
The Government of Kenya suspended the registration of new orphanages in November 2017, citing inappropriate placement of children in institutions rather than family-based care options, and expressed concerns about possible child trafficking. The moratorium on registering new orphanages -- known in Kenya as Charitable Children's Institutions (or CCIs) -- is still in effect.
Children are recruited by institutions from vulnerable families, many of which could care for their children with the right support. After being recruited, children are often instructed to claim they are orphans and required to sing and dance for volunteers -- a form of forced begging. In addition to this façade of pageantry, children's images and stories are frequently used unethically to garner online donations or attract fee-paying volunteers. In some cases, children are purposely kept in deplorable conditions to increase donations.
This practice has immense and harrowing consequences for children, no matter how nice the orphanage appears. Children who grow up in institutions suffer long-term developmental, emotional, and psychological harms. The very rotation of volunteers also has a negative impact and adversely affects a child's ability to form healthy relationships in the future.
Demanding accountability
At the Stahili Foundation, we focus on developing solutions to the problem of orphanage trafficking and family separation in Kenya. Over the years, we've worked alongside partners in Kenya to support the efforts of the Kenyan government, which has committed to changing the way it cares for children by ensuring they grow up in families and communities.
To enact lasting change, former volunteers are also demanding accountability. For example, a lawsuit brought in Chicago by attorney Beth Fegan is using the US civil courts to hold a religious-based organization accountable for allegedly raising money to enrich itself through activities that violate international and Kenyan law, including exploiting children, misleading voluntourists and donors, and harassing and threatening a whistleblower from reporting or disclosing allegations.
We can realize this change, and it starts with each of us committing to end orphanage trafficking when travel reopens. This means a personal pledge to not go on orphan trips, which drive demand for these institutions and separate children from their families.
Instead, we should redirect our passion and commitment to help vulnerable children by advocating in our schools, colleges, churches and communities to support organizations that offer solutions to keep families together at the outset. We can also encourage the orphanages we support to be part of the change and direct our resources to enable safe family reintegration.
Finally, as we continue to fight this insidious and sometimes invisible issue, we need to raise awareness of how well-meaning volunteers and donors who continue to support orphanages are inadvertently harming children and families. Orphanages do not offer long-term and sustainable solutions. The time is always right to find ways to safely bring children home to families and communities.
Genetically modified salmon head to US dinner plates
© Provided by The Canadian Press
Genetically modified salmon head to US dinner plates
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The inaugural harvest of genetically modified salmon began this week after the pandemic delayed the sale of the first such altered animal to be cleared for human consumption in the United States, company officials said.
Several tons of salmon, engineered by biotech company AquaBounty Technologies Inc., will now head to restaurants and away-from-home dining services — where labeling as genetically engineered is not required — in the Midwest and along the East Coast, company CEO Sylvia Wulf said.
Thus far, the only customer to announce it is selling the salmon is Samuels and Son Seafood, a Philadelphia-based seafood distributor.
AquaBounty has raised its faster-growing salmon at an indoor aquaculture farm in Albany, Indiana. The fish are genetically modified to grow twice as fast as wild salmon, reaching market size — 8 to 12 pounds (3.6 to 5.4 kilograms) — in 18 months rather than 36.
The Massachusetts-based company originally planned to harvest the fish in late 2020. Wulf attributed delays to reduced demand and market price for Atlantic salmon spurred by the pandemic.
“The impact of COVID caused us to rethink our initial timeline ... no one was looking for more salmon then," she said. “We're very excited about it now. We’ve timed the harvest with the recovery of the economy, and we know that demand is going to continue to increase.”
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The inaugural harvest of genetically modified salmon began this week after the pandemic delayed the sale of the first such altered animal to be cleared for human consumption in the United States, company officials said.
Several tons of salmon, engineered by biotech company AquaBounty Technologies Inc., will now head to restaurants and away-from-home dining services — where labeling as genetically engineered is not required — in the Midwest and along the East Coast, company CEO Sylvia Wulf said.
Thus far, the only customer to announce it is selling the salmon is Samuels and Son Seafood, a Philadelphia-based seafood distributor.
AquaBounty has raised its faster-growing salmon at an indoor aquaculture farm in Albany, Indiana. The fish are genetically modified to grow twice as fast as wild salmon, reaching market size — 8 to 12 pounds (3.6 to 5.4 kilograms) — in 18 months rather than 36.
The Massachusetts-based company originally planned to harvest the fish in late 2020. Wulf attributed delays to reduced demand and market price for Atlantic salmon spurred by the pandemic.
“The impact of COVID caused us to rethink our initial timeline ... no one was looking for more salmon then," she said. “We're very excited about it now. We’ve timed the harvest with the recovery of the economy, and we know that demand is going to continue to increase.”
Although finally making its way to dinner plates, the genetically modified fish has been met by pushback from environmental advocates for years.
The international food service company Aramark in January announced its commitment to not sell such salmon, citing environmental concerns and potential impacts on Indigenous communities that harvest wild salmon.
The international food service company Aramark in January announced its commitment to not sell such salmon, citing environmental concerns and potential impacts on Indigenous communities that harvest wild salmon.
The announcement followed similar ones by other major food service companies — Compass Group and Sodexo — and many large U.S. grocery retailers, seafood companies and restaurants. Costco, Kroger, Walmart and Whole Foods maintain that they don’t sell genetically modified or cloned salmon and would need to label them as such.
The boycott against AquaBounty salmon has largely come from activists with the Block Corporate Salmon campaign, which aims to protect wild salmon and preserve Indigenous rights to practice sustainable fishing.
“Genetically engineered salmon is a huge threat to any vision of a healthy food system. People need ways to connect with the food they’re eating, so they know where it’s coming from," said Jon Russell, a member of the campaign and a food justice organizer with Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance. “These fish are so new — and there’s such a loud group of people who oppose it. That's a huge red flag to consumers.”
Wulf said she’s confident there's an appetite for the fish.
“Most of the salmon in this country is imported, and during the pandemic, we couldn’t get products into the market,” Wulf said. “So, having a domestic source of supply that isn’t seasonal like wild salmon and that is produced in a highly-controlled, bio-secure environment is increasingly important to consumers.”
AquaBounty markets the salmon as disease- and antibiotic-free, saying its product comes with a reduced carbon footprint and none of the risk of polluting marine ecosystems like traditional sea-cage farming carries.
Despite their rapid growth, the genetically modified salmon require less food than most farmed Atlantic salmon, the company says. Biofiltration units keep water in the Indiana facility’s many 70,000-gallon (264,979-liter) tanks clean, making fish less likely to get sick or require antibiotics.
The FDA approved the AquAdvantage Salmon as “safe and effective” in 2015. It was the only genetically modified animal approved for human consumption until federal regulators approved a genetically modified pig for food and medical products in December.
In 2018, the federal agency greenlit AquaBounty’s sprawling Indiana facility, which is currently raising roughly 450 tons (408 metric tons) of salmon from eggs imported from Canada but is capable of raising more than twice that amount.
But in a shifting domestic market that increasingly values origin, health and sustainability, and wild over farmed seafood, others have a different view of the salmon, which some critics have nicknamed “Frankenfish.”
Part of the domestic pushback revolves around how the engineered fish is to be labeled under FDA guidelines. Salmon fishermen, fish farmers, wholesalers and other stakeholders want clear labeling practices to ensure that customers know they're purchasing an engineered product.
USDA labeling law directs companies to disclose genetically-modified ingredients in food through use of a QR code, an on-package display of text or a designated symbol. Mandatory compliance with that regulation takes full effect in January, but the rules don’t apply to restaurants or food services.
Wulf said the company is committed to using “genetically engineered” labeling when its fish are sold in grocery stores in coming months.
In November, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria in San Francisco affirmed that the FDA had the authority to oversee genetically engineered animals and fish. But he ruled that the agency hadn't adequately assessed the environmental consequences of AquaBounty salmon escaping into the wild.
The company argued that escape is unlikely, saying the fish are monitored 24 hours a day and contained in tanks with screens, grates, netting, pumps and chemical disinfection to prevent escape. The company’s salmon are also female and sterile, preventing them from mating.
“Our fish are actually designed to thrive in the land-based environment. That's part of what makes them unique,” Wulf said. “And we’re proud of the fact that genetically engineered allows us to bring more of a healthy nutritious product to market in a safe, secure and sustainable way."
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Casey Smith is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Casey Smith, The Associated Press
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