Conservatives use photo of wrong type of salmon in campaign ad
Tories draw laughs after misidentifying Atlantic salmon as Pacific
Stephen Harper announced a $15 million plan to protect salmon habitat in B.C last week, but the Tories made a bit of a blunder rolling out the news online. The Conservatives used a picture of an Atlantic salmon instead of a Pacific salmon in posts touting the plan on social media and on the party website.
The photo is easily searchable on the iStock online photo database, where it is listed with the keyword "Atlantic Ocean".
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The Conservatives quickly deleted the photo and replaced it with one of a Pacific salmon, but not before it caught the notice of the Ottawa Citizen and users on Twitter.
Psst. Harper. Your picture is of an Atlantic salmon. You're welcome! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cdnpoli?src=hash">#cdnpoli</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/elxn42?src=hash">#elxn42</a> <a href="http://t.co/2gyNVBmrgb">pic.twitter.com/2gyNVBmrgb</a>
—@PeterKelly74Atlantic Salmon make it the Pacific - thanks Steve Harper!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canada?src=hash">#Canada</a> <a href="http://t.co/njAjee8ppg">http://t.co/njAjee8ppg</a>
—@greenroofsuk<a href="https://twitter.com/RobertJensen2">@RobertJensen2</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/stephenlautens">@stephenlautens</a> did the ark salmon swim through the Panama Canal, the NW passage or the Straights of Megellan? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cdnpoli?src=hash">#cdnpoli</a>
—@KINGUNENEVP<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/hairgate?src=hash">#hairgate</a> This fish is here to tell the trout, the whole trout and nothing but the trout so help me cod. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cdnpoli?src=hash">#cdnpoli</a> <a href="http://t.co/spwzoCrEdv">pic.twitter.com/spwzoCrEdv</a>
—@lulexThe Green Party was quick to jump on the error.
.<a href="https://twitter.com/CPC_HQ">@CPC_HQ</a> we fixed your graphic - if you actually want to defend our coastline, just vote <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GPC?src=hash">#GPC</a> <a href="http://t.co/eXGRAREwks">http://t.co/eXGRAREwks</a> <a href="http://t.co/TaUU2VA8km">pic.twitter.com/TaUU2VA8km</a>
—@CanadianGreensHysterical. "<a href="https://twitter.com/RobertJensen2">@RobertJensen2</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/stephenlautens">@stephenlautens</a> Harper's BC salmon, temporary foreign worker. <a href="http://t.co/v17bFQP3EK">http://t.co/v17bFQP3EK</a> <a href="http://t.co/V92cMZudV8">pic.twitter.com/V92cMZudV8</a>"
—@ElizabethMayOthers pointed out how big of an offence it is to mistake a salmon in B.C.
.<a href="https://twitter.com/glen_mcgregor">@glen_mcgregor</a> It's actually a pretty big deal in BC-this faux pas will irk a lot of people that already Q Harper's 'west' cred
—@mssinenomine<a href="https://twitter.com/Raffi_RC">@Raffi_RC</a> Harper uses pic of Atlantic Salmon to say he's protecting BC salmon. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cdnpoli?src=hash">#cdnpoli</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bcpoli?src=hash">#bcpoli</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/thewrongfish?src=hash">#thewrongfish</a> <a href="http://t.co/cvFwRz9Zyg">pic.twitter.com/cvFwRz9Zyg</a>
—@kindorgo7It turns out the "wrong fish" was not even from Canada at all. It's actually from the U.K.
The Ottawa Citizen found out the photo was taken by photographer Lee Sutterby in Hexham, a market town in the north east part of the U.K.
The Gargoyle - Conservative ad on B.C. salmon fishery uses photo of Atlantic salmon -- sourced from the U.K. <a href="http://t.co/VIbIsYV58s">http://t.co/VIbIsYV58s</a>
—@glen_mcgregorAnd that revelation brought it back full circle to another government program.
Justin Trudeau's top adviser Gerald Butts was among those who made cracks about the temporary foreign workers program.
Someone just suggested the Atlantic salmon in Harper's BC poster is a Temporary Foreign Worker. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/lol?src=hash">#lol</a>
—@gmbutts<a href="https://twitter.com/stephenlautens">@stephenlautens</a> Apparently Harper's BC salmon was a temporary foreign worker. <a href="http://t.co/JMwHWdxM4b">http://t.co/JMwHWdxM4b</a> <a href="http://t.co/IFutobE14b">pic.twitter.com/IFutobE14b</a>
—@RobertJensen2Some were wondering why the Conservatives didn't just ask the Scouts.
There was more to the salmon announcement than the photo faux pas. The campaign stop also introduced the world to the 'Middle Kid' — a scout who sassily stood beside Harper and became a social media star.
“<a href="https://twitter.com/CanadianGreens">@CanadianGreens</a>: I bet middle kid knew it was an Atlantic salmon with all those badges on his arm <a href="http://t.co/rtJkaTTUnu">http://t.co/rtJkaTTUnu</a>
—@mssingaboutA spokesperson for Scouts Canada says it is against scouts policy to have anyone in a uniform involved in political activities. Some on Twitter combined this confusion with the misidentified fish.
Harper apologizes for using <a href="https://twitter.com/scoutscanada">@scoutscanada</a> in photo op, says he was told they were Pacific Salmon <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/elxn42?src=hash">#elxn42</a>
—@BenPowlessAnd of course, it wouldn't be #elxn42 if that angry old Tory supporter didn't make an appearance too.
<a href="https://twitter.com/mssinenomine">@mssinenomine</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/glen_mcgregor">@glen_mcgregor</a> ... <a href="http://t.co/EnhVswUKlk">pic.twitter.com/EnhVswUKlk</a>
—@DogBoyBlue