In my previous blog, I mentioned that friends of mine were being laid off as a result of the federal budget cuts. One of them is Peter Ross, one of Canada's leading marine toxicologists. Shortly after receiving his lay-off notice, he wrote an opinion piece for Environmental Health News. I offer here the closing paragraph.
"It is with deep regret that I relay news of my termination of
employment at Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the loss of my dream job.
It is with even greater sadness that I learn of the demise of DFO’s
entire contaminants research program – regionally and nationally. It is
with apprehension that I ponder a Canada without any research or
monitoring capacity for pollution in our three oceans, or any ability to
manage its impacts on commercial fish stocks, traditional foods for
over 300,000 aboriginal people and marine wildlife.
Canada's silence on these issues will be deafening this summer and beyond."
