B.C. open to new fish farms
Following the findings of a CAD$ 27 million (~€ 18 million) investigation into the well-being of wild salmon in the province, the federal fisheries department says salmon farms are not to blame for fluctuations in wild salmon
Opinion, Odd Grydeland, FishfarmingXpert, January 17
The same conclusion has been reached by a series of previous investigations into the potential risk from salmon farming to the environment and to stocks of “wild” salmon populations in British Columbia and Alaska- many of which come from hatcheries using the same technology as the commercial salmon farming industry.
In a recent notice to First Nations in B.C.- many of whom have a good working relationship with the salmon farming companies operating within their traditional territories- the Federal Minister of Fisheries Gail Shea gave a clear signal for the orderly expansion of the industry which is vital as a provider of employment and business opportunities for many coastal communities. As expected, the usual suspects of salmon farming critics rose to the occasion and flooded the mainstream media- most of whom (both critics and media) don’t know the slightest thing about salmon farming. Media darlings the likes of Alexandra Morton, who doesn’t have a single higher educational degree in anything to do with marine biology except for an honourary doctorate issued by the Simon Fraser University in Vancouver- and professor John Reynolds of the same institution – all were invited as “experts” by media outlets in Vancouver and elsewhere. Both of them have co-authored papers predicting the ultimate demise of wild fish like pink salmon along the coast of B.C. if the salmon farming industry is allowed to continue.
With headlines like “Ottawa opens door to fish farm expansion, and applications flood in- Critics say wild salmon at risk as 11 companies apply to expand or build new farms” fronting an article on the front page of the Vancouver Sun, journalist Peter O’Neil demonstrates his ignorance of the industry. There are essentially only 3 companies farming Atlantic salmon in B.C.- the species of most public concern. But these concerns are hard to justify, given the stacks of scientific documents produced by credible scientists. Judge Bruce Cohen who conducted the investigation into the potential reasons for a dismal return of sockeye salmon to the Fraser River in 2009 said in his final report among else that:
“I am also satisfied that marine conditions in both the Strait of Georgia and Queen Charlotte Sound in 2007 were likely to be the primary factors responsible for the poor returns in 2009. Abnormally high freshwater discharge, warmer-than-usual sea surface temperatures, strong winds, and lower-than-normal salinity may have resulted in abnormally low phytoplankton and nitrate concentrations that could have led to poor zooplankton (food for sockeye) production.” He also said that: “…data presented during this Inquiry did not show that salmon farms were having a significant negative impact on Fraser River sockeye…”.
In a release by the B.C. Salmon Farmers Association shortly after Judge Cohen issued its report, some of the 75 recommendations regarding (salmon) aquaculture and their implications were listed:
- Farming is allowed to continue in all areas of British Columbia- including the Discovery Islands
- New farms are allowed in appropriately sited and planned areas
- The quality and quantity of our farmers' information and data collection is impressive
- More research on farmed/wild interactions in the Discovery Islands area should be undertaken and production levels be capped in this area at current levels during this period
- The Wild Salmon Policy apply to our farm practices- which our operations already exceed the standards of
On one of the afternoon radio programs by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), former Fisheries Department employee and long-time fish farming critic Otto Langer was allowed to uncritically regurgitate out-dated figures about the use of fish meal and fish oil to feed farmed salmon. Like Professor Reynolds from the Simon Fraser University, he insisted that it takes 4-5 times the amount of wild fish resources to produce one amount of farmed salmon, and that people would be better off eating the wild fish in the first place. That is wrong- salmon farmers have been able to reduce the amount of wild fish resources in fish feed by substituting these raw materials with ingredients based on plant protein. And most of the fish meal and oil comes from Peru, where there has been a concerted effort- which continues today- in trying to convince more people to eat these small, bony fish that are used to make fish feed today. Until this effort is met by more success, both Langer and Reynolds should embrace the fact that salmon farmers are able to convert a resource that nobody wants to eat to a high quality, health- promoting and reasonably priced product.
And about that predicted demise by Morton and others of pink salmon populations in B.C., the Fisheries Department of Canada (DFO) recently stated that “The pink salmon run of 2013 has exceeded all expectations in many areas of the West Coast, with pinks in many rivers returning in numbers not seen in more than 50 years”.
DFO also states that its B.C. Aquaculture Regulatory Program “.. is designed to ensure that aquaculture in B.C. is sustainable, and that it is conducted in a manner that minimizes the risks to wild fish stocks”. Contrary to the assertions by Langer and Reynolds that there are few if any inspections of fish farms in B.C., DFO says that “In 2012 Conservation & Protection staff alone dedicated more than 11,626 hours to monitoring the aquaculture industry”.
