Local members of the National Salmon Feedlot Boycott were making some noise at the Chilliwack Walmart Wednesday.
Chants of "Boycott farmed salmon!" and "Wild salmon forever!" were heard across the busy parking lot in the Eagle Landing development.
They were at the local Walmart to again for the second time this year, to ask the big retailer to remove open-pen Atlantic farmed salmon products from their shelves, because of perceived risks to human health and threats to the survival of wild salmon stocks.
"They're too full of toxins that are harmful to our health," said spokesperson Eddie Gardner, a Skwah elder.
"We're warning the customers who come in and out of this store to avoid buying and consuming this crap because it's going to destroy their health. And we're going to keep on doing this until we get this job done.
"We're going to be moving (the boycott) to Superstore, moving to Costco, moving to Safeway, and we're going to ask anyone and everyone to boycott feedlot salmon wherever it is sold."
Another rally against farmed salmon was held last February at the same Chilliwack store, with the same request that it be removed from store shelves.
Ultimately they want all open-net salmon feedlots removed from the migration routes of Fraser River wild salmon in 2013.
The Progress asked Walmart Canada officials if they intended to honour the request of the Feedlot Boycott reps to not sell farmed salmon products. They sent a response via Public Relations.
"At Walmart Canada we’re committed to providing our customers with quality seafood that is harvested in a sustainable manner," wrote Walmart Canada PR manager Rosalie Carneiro in an emailed statement.
Here's their Sustainable Seafood policy : http://walmartcanada.ca/Pages/Sustainable%20Seafood%20Policy/175/236/236
"We work with Marine Stewardship Council, recognized as the global standard for sustainable wild fishery management, to ensure the fisheries we work with are certified."
They also cooperate with fisheries that are not certified but are making progress toward better fishery management through a public fishery improvement project (FIP).
"For farmed salmon, we work with our suppliers to ensure Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) are being followed.
"We work closely with Health Canada with respect to product safety, and we will continue to look to them for strong guidance on issues relating to the safety of consumer products."
jfeinberg@theprogress.com
Twitter.com/chwkjourno