Blaming Farmers for Fish Kills.(17th July)

I wrote the above headline in my blog on the 17th July 2012. It was in response to a letter in the Guardian that appeared on the 16th July. The author was a Summerside lawyer and I assume he was the one who defended a farmer charged in the fish kill. He won the case! stating no proof of pesticides found in the river or the fish. It was enough to make a dog laugh. He went on to point out that this farmer had had the courage (he obviously had the money too) to fight the charge and because of that won his case. At the time I considered it just so much nonsense, fish kills are common place on the island and in every case the cause is farm pesticide run off. I suggested this lawyer (like so many)found a loop hole and that was how this farmer dodged the charge. Well well well!!!guess what I read in yesterdays Guardian, the same farmer is now facing
new charges for the same fish kill where thousands of fish died. Hopefully the long arm of the law will this time prove its case. I should point out these fish kills are not due to the small family farmers . It is the big potato farmers with huge acreage of potato crops, where large sums of money are involved and big contracts with firms like the Irving’s etc. A two or three thousand dollar fine means little to these guys when they stand to make millions. To them money is more important than the environment. Just my thoughts!!!
Cheers and keep reading.