Don't blame B.C. aquaculture
Kelly N. Korol / Campbell River Courier-Islander, May 2, 2014
Ray Grigg's article of April 22 appears to be an attempt to blame salmon farming in B.C. for the collapse of fisheries in Senegal. In 2008, we were contracted by the World Bank to conduct an investigation into the collapse of the artisan fisheries in Senegal. We plied the waters of Dakar and conducted many environmental assessment dives to try to answer why the fisheries have been on a downward trend. Grigg is partially correct in that, yes, foreign fishing fleets and rogue pirate fleets are raping the formerly rich fishing grounds off Senegal. What these fleets are doing is criminal but the Senegalese government doesn't have the power to stop them.
We observed these vessels taking all their nets could handle, sorting out the prized species and shoveling all the (now dead) bycatch back into the ocean. That was back in 2008. If they are now keeping that by-catch to turn into fish meal for salmon farms, it is a far better practice than the dumping of the by-catch they were doing.
However, there are a number of other reasons for the decline in fish stock in Senegal including oil refinery pollution and a mis-guided attempt to create artificial reefs for the local fisheries by sinking hundreds of abandoned ships in the local waters. Unfortunately, these artificial reefs worked too well attracting fish and artisan fishers. The local fishers have snagged their nets on these sunken ships, then abandon them to the bottom where they continue fishing as ghost nets, attracting in and then suffocating any fish stock. In addition, the Senegalese government is weak kneed on enforcement of marine protected areas (MPAs), allowing the artisan fishers to clean out the oceans nursery.
While I agree with Grigg that the human species is making an absolute mess of ocean fisheries, his point that B.C. aquaculture is to blame is simply wrong. BC has a sustainable salmon farming industry that satisfies the market for fish and takes pressure off of the wild stock. I dived around and under B.C. salmon farms and have witnessed the excellent health and well being of the local environment and the marked improvement from the bad ol' days of salmon farming in the 80s.
We should be focusing our environmental efforts towards the obscene practices of dragging, shark finning and over-fishing. B.C. aquaculture is a cure, not a problem.
Kelly N. Korol
Director of Operations
DiveSafe International
