This is a good point CK. I assume that every fish that dies gets tested for all possible diseases (loss prevention). Is this information available?
Also, how do I get onto one of these tours that you give? I certainly like to rant
about all of the things that I think are wrong with the current norm in salmon aquaculture, but I have never stepped foot on a salmon farm and who better to get a tour from. I've seen and participated in hatcheries, and was first involved in the process when I was about 6. I am seriously not being a smart butt here and would benefit from a tour.
It is a truly interesting dilemma with salmon aquaculture. There is obviously a great amount of knowledge and technology built up around the raising of salmon, but there are natural barriers(waste, disease and parasite incubators) of the open net pen system that stop it from really succeeding. It is trying to completely and artificially control nature rather than enhancing what has evolved over thousands of years and I feel this is the root of the whole problem. Closed containment is better, but still deals with the same flaws of containing too many fish in too small of a space.
If DFO put as much effort and resources as they do for aquaculture support into enhancing wild/hatchery assisted stocks there would be a whole lot more fish around, which in turn has been proven to put more into the local economy that the current system does.
Enough ranting for the night.
Wild Prediction: there will be an attempt in the near future to privatize the hatchery system.
$0.02