Aquaculture debate dominates Cohen Commission's C.R. visit
By Dan Maclennan, Courier-IslanderAugust 27, 2010
The federal inquiry into the 2009 Fraser River sockeye collapse turned quickly into a two-and-a-half-hour aquaculture debate Wednesday night in Campbell River.
But amid the predictable rhetoric from both sides was a common dissatisfaction with fisheries management.
Aquaculture biologist Kevin Onclin, a former DFO contractor, had some of the strongest criticism for the $15 million Cohen Commission.
"Setting up proper monitoring and reporting of sockeye populations requires a lot of money, and without the funding, it's guesswork," he told Commissioner Bruce Cohen. "I think a better use of the money from this commission would have been to finance and improve the ongoing monitoring and management of the Fraser River sockeye."
Last year Fisheries experts predicted a return of 10.5 million sockeye to the BC coast, but only 1.5 million came back, one of the worst returns ever.
Established last November, the commission is holding hearings to investigate the collapse. Cohen is to make recommendations for improving the future sustainability of the sockeye fishery, including changes to DFO management of the fishery. Campbell River's was the second of eight public forums scheduled in communities along the sockeye migratory route.
The commission was directed to conduct the inquiry without seeking fault, but there was no shortage of blame to go around at the Campbell River meeting as First Nations, environmentalists and tourism operators blamed fish farm sea lice and disease for the sockeye collapse. These were countered by a succession of aquaculture industry biologists armed with presentations defending industry practices and dismissing the concerns of opponents.
Both sides agreed sockeye information and management is lacking from DFO. Highlighting that theme was Wednesday's news of a massive sockeye return this year - estimated at 25 million - which DFO failed to anticipate.
"It's kind of ironic that we sit here and talk about the declining Fraser stocks when there's a record run, the biggest run in almost a hundred years," said former Homalco First Nation chief councillor Darren Blaney.
"Yes, sockeye returns this year have been pretty good, however if unchecked, another collapse like 2009 could put an end to this key species," said tourism operator Evan Loveless. "Management is lacking at best."
Wilderness Tourism Association president Brian Gunn said far too little is known about the impacts of fish farms on sockeye because fish farmers refuse to release disease information while DFO does nothing to study impacts to wild salmon. In particular, he called for the industry to release information about an IHN virus outbreak on farms in 2007.
"There should be a requirement to find out what's happening to the wild salmon fry around the farms," he said. "What happens to those wild salmon fry get to the farms.
"Judge Cohen, I think one of the things that's important in terms of your recommendations is that we demand that independent sampling be done of the wild salmon."
Onclin said it was time to stop using salmon farms as a scapegoat for every wild salmon health issue. He said historical data shows huge fluctuations are common in salmon returns.
"It is a tough task to convince anyone that there are problems, and to take you seriously, when fishing this year is bountiful and historic runs are showing up," he said. "That is the difficulty and the challenge when a bad year is followed by a great year.
"Do we really need a commission every time we do not get what we want or expect. If history keeps repeating itself, the taxpayers are in for quite a ride."
Onclin and others suggested Cohen should also look outside Canadian waters to the possible impacts of salmon ranching in Alaska, Russia and Japan. Those efforts have vastly increased the numbers of fish competing for food in the Pacific.
Roughly 90 people attended the forum. Cohen thanked them for being "extremely patient."
Cohen spent Thursday morning touring a Marine Harvest fish farm.
