William Shatner was once tasked with going back in time to rescue a humpback whale -- albeit to save the planet because those whales could communicate with a hostile alien race hellbent on destroying Earth. It's not like he would later tie global warming into a public service announcement for the Sierra Club to save the whales that live off screen. Wait a minute...
Now, only 23 years after filming Star Trek IV, he's got a new idea on how to save the planet and the challenge seems significantly smaller. Shatner only wants to save salmon, at least according to a letter he's sent to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
He's asking the Prime Minister to consider removing salmon farms from the wild-migration routes of salmon in British Columbia, Canada. By pushing the farms inland, he argues, the industry could be reshaped into a sustainable endeavor.
It would appear to be another case of art inspiring life choices. Shatner apparently became aware of the current environmental debate while filming an episode of Boston Legal off northern Vancouver Island.
Shatner's letter received a vote of support from Monterey Bay Aquarium
(where, incidentally, some of Star Trek IV was shot), which rates
the farmed salmon as something for sustainability-minded consumers to avoid.
On the flip side, Shatner has faced heavy criticism
from Mary Ellen Walling, executive director of the British Columbia
Salmon Farmers Association. Walling concluded her response to Shatner's
warning with the following comments:
"Mr. Shatner -- when you shot a wild salmon with a shotgun on an episodeIt will be interesting to see how this plays out because it isn't television. Neither side is going to be censored and there are no re-shoots.of Boston Legal -- the salmon you refer to in your letter as 'one of
earths most precious assets', I am pretty sure that's a violation of
the Fisheries Act -- but of course -- it's only TV. Right. Beam me Up
Scotty."
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Shatner must be getting kick backs from the Alaskan Salmon folks...it is interesting that the Americans are so intent on stopping the sale of Canadian farmed salmon and promoting Alaskan Ocean ranched fish! Canadians need to be outraged that the Americans are slandering Canadian product to secure market share. It is sad that the BC Government is more interested in Celebrity Leadership than Political Leadership and probably will fall for these tatics.
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