The Russians Tour Northwest Communities Feb 10th – 17th to Discuss the Impacts of LNG on Salmon
The Wild Salmon Centre is helping bring three scientists and a conservationist to the Skeena to discuss the impacts of an LNG facility on salmon and the environment. Sakhalin is a large island north of Japan off the Russian Coast. The LNG facility was built by Shell 10 years ago on the South coast in a large bay called Aniva Bay. Aniva Bay once has the 3rd largest runs of Pink salmon in the world; since the LNG facility was built the salmon runs in this area have collapsed. The Russian scientists have studied the impacts extensively and will discuss their findings, with specific knowledge on dredging, light, and noise pollution. Petronas’ LNG project proposed for the mouth of the Skeena would have similar concerns.
Viktor Afanasev is a geomorphologist and is head of the Department of State Environment Expert Committee for Protection of Environment and Natural Resources in Sakhalin Oblast, Russia. He has extensive experience in coastal environmental protection surveys and coastal pipeline safety for natural gas pipelines and Liquefied Natural Gas facilities in the Sakhalin Island region of Russia.
Alexander Vedenev is the Head of the Ocean Noise Laboratory, P. P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences (SIO RAS), Moscow. He received his doctorate in oceanology from P. P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology in 1986. In 2002 he was expert of the State Environmental Expertise on the Sakhalin-1 project, was the first who constructed and applied an autonomous bottom buoys with digital recording of industrial noise from oil facilities sited on Sakhalin shelf. Since 2004 Dr Vedenev was a member of the all WGW panels convened by IUCN. Currently his Laboratory is widely involved in an international collaboration on 7FP Projects of the European Commission related to conservation efforts of the marine mammals in European Seas.
Aleksandr Shubin is a salmon ecologist living in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia. He has been working as a researcher in the Sakhalin Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography Department since 1982, and has extensive experience studying the effects of natural gas development on salmon and salmon habitat.
Dmitry Lisitsyn is the Director of Sakhalin Environment Watch and lives in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Sakhalin Island. Dmitry has been working on nature and salmon conservation in Sakhalin Island since 1990s. During the last 15 years Dmitry has been working with industry and governments to mitigate impacts to salmon habitat from the Sakhalin II Liquefied Natural Gas facility, natural gas pipelines in the Sakhalin Island region. Dmitry is also a recipient of the prestigious Goldman Environmental Award he received in San Francisco in 2011 for his outstanding achievements in protecting Sakhalin Island’s critically endangered ecosystems.
You are invited to attend one (or all) of the public events scheduled on the Russian tour of the Northwest:
February 12th, 7-9pm @ The Lester Centre, Prince Rupert – hosted by the Cane Island Elders
February 13th, 12-3pm Hazelton Location TBA, hosted by the Gitxsan Watershed Authority
February 15th, 7-9pm @ The Old Church, Smithers hosted by Friends of Wild Salmon
February 16th, 7-9pm @ Kitsumkalum Hall hosted by Wild Salmon Cent
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