BC Salmon Farmers Fearless of Cohen Report
By Carmen Weld, HQ Comox Valley, Monday, November 5, 2012
The Discovery Island fish farms generate thousands of jobs for the North Island and the freeze on fish farming recommended by the Cohen report has some worried. But, the BC Salmon Farmers Association’s Board Member Clare Backman says there is nothing to worry about.
“It is not going to affect any of our existing levels of production or jobs. It is simply using the precautionary principle step, while this information is gathered, and we continue to report out on our good fish health management and our freedom from disease problems,” explained Backman.
He adds that there are no current or future jobs on the line that he can see.
“Things are not going to stop, we want to continue to provide working opportunities and year round jobs for folks here in the Campbell River and the surrounding area, and we are committed to continuing doing that,” added Backman.
In fact he thinks the Cohen report really showed how the fish farm industry is not a bad thing at all and supports the BCSFA claims.
“We were really pleased to find that the report found that there was little evidence of disease concerns, and that farmed and wild salmon can coexist. Cohen really just requires more of the high quality information we have already been supplying and wants it to go on longer,” said Backman.
And, as for the 11 recommendations in the report aimed at fish farms, they are also not a concern to the BCSFA.
“If the recommendations are adopted by government, we will cooperate with them, because we think providing more of our good fish health management information is a good thing and people want to see that,” stated Backman.
The Cohen report recommends that no new farms be added in the Discovery Islands until 2020, so that further research on their possible effects on wild salmon can be done.
“Based on the recommendations of the report and if they are enacted by government, we are not pessimistic at all, we think this will only provide more solid information about the positive way that our industry operates in BC,” elaborated Backman
