Concerns about herring kills at B.C. fish farms

Whole in the Water

Well-Known Member
Yet more reasons that the disease spreading, polluting, Atlantic salmon net pen feedlots need to be moved from the ocean to the land to better manage their many negative impacts on marine life and the marine environment!

Herring kills have been a problem from the beginning as the herring move into the nets to get free food. They either die due to disease or lice. The ones that live are harvested and sold by the foreign owned multi-national corps for additional free profit at the expense of the salmon that rely on herring as a main food source. The low reporting of herring kills is do to inaccurate reporting and a lack of proper DFO audits and enforcement.

How many more reason does there need to be to get these feedlots out of the ocean and onto the land??? :mad:

https://www.cheknews.ca/wild-salmon...bout-herring-kills-at-b-c-fish-farms-1180558/

Wild salmon conservation group raises concerns about herring kills at B.C. fish farms​

Posted: Dec. 5, 2023 12:49PM THE CANADIAN PRESS /JONATHAN HAYWARD
A salmon conservation group is raising concerns about reported increases in wild fish deaths, primarily herring, in British Columbia's open-net fish farms. An Atlantic salmon is seen during a Department of Fisheries and Oceans fish health audit at a fish farm near Campbell River, B.C., Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018.

A salmon conservation group is raising concerns about reported increases in wild fish deaths, primarily herring, in British Columbia’s open-net fish farms. Stan Proboszcz, senior scientist at Watershed Watch Salmon Society, says federal data shows more than 817,000 wild fish were killed at B.C. salmon farms in 2022, five times the number of fish deaths reported in previous years.

He says much of the blame for the spike is likely a high-pressure spraying process fish-farm operators are using to clear lice and other parasites off farmed salmon.

Cermaq Canada, one of B.C.’s largest aquaculture firms, says herring deaths at its farms were larger in 2022 because of its new use of the sea lice spray technology and that more herring became trapped in their net pens.

The company says Fisheries and Oceans Canada data show herring deaths at the salmon farms were estimated to amount to 0.08 per cent of the total amount of surrounding Pacific herring mass last year. Fisheries Canada, which recorded the incidental wild fish kill data, was not immediately available for comment.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2023.
 
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DFO thinks they got correct numbers, they don't check so the real number could be 8 million.
Certainly could explain the disappearance of hundreds of thousands of tons of herring.

Wash off the sealice and they go into the water to mingle with wild stocks.

Did anyone see the sea lice on sockeye that swam around some of the west coast FF's?
 
This herring kill off is shown in Clayquot Action’s film “ Salmon Secrets”
It would be wonderful if every sports fisherman contacted their MLA and the Federal Fisheries Minister beseeching them NOT to renew any fish farm licenses.
Cermaq seems to believe they will get 2-6 years of renewed licenses.
 
This herring kill off is shown in Clayquot Action’s film “ Salmon Secrets”
It would be wonderful if every sports fisherman contacted their MLA and the Federal Fisheries Minister beseeching them NOT to renew any fish farm licenses.
Cermaq seems to believe they will get 2-6 years of renewed licenses.
I thought they were to all be terminated as their leases ran out? So plenty of warning ahead of time.
 
That is what was promised by the Federal Government by 2025.
It seems now that the powerful fish farm lobby has forced open a possible 2-6 year extension.
The majority of First Nations people and BC residents do not want any extensions.
But there is a threat they will be reissued despite this and the overwhelming evidence of fish farm destruction of stocks and environment.
 
Actually the farms in that area have strong FN support from the hereditary chiefs and agreements are in place. Not sure of FN support for CA which seems to oppose any harvesting of any resources.
 
Actually the farms in that area have strong FN support from the hereditary chiefs and agreements are in place. Not sure of FN support for CA which seems to oppose any harvesting of any resources.
Any links to the "strong FN support from hereditary chiefs"and what agreements are in place?
 
Any links to the "strong FN support from hereditary chiefs"and what agreements are in place?
You are not going to see copies of confidential agreements between parties. You could call the Nation's and ask. Some Nations might even provide you with research results they are conducting.
 
Well, like most industrial activity - not everyone in the few First Nations communities that have it agrees with open net-cage finfish aquaculture. And wild salmon is always a priority.

But money talks as OBD mentioned on the Aquaculture; improving???? forum.

Most of the IBA agreements and the associated money are with the band admins rather than the Hereditary Chiefs - often with the economic development office. But often the Hereditary Chief owns a boat, or even a fleet of packers that are used to transport the fish. So they earn money that way off the industry.

And some places like Klemtu have very limited other options for full-time year-round employment for the members. But Klemtu also has a plant. That's where the jobs are - not on the farms.

And once they are there - it's hard to stop them. Especially when the science isn't done to assess impacts to the local salmon stocks, and/or any inconvenient data is hidden and/or embargoed in the confidentiality part of those agreements. And that's why you won't see those agreements.

And that reality is no mistake, folks.
 
Really aa show me FN agreements that are nade public with other industries like: lng, mining, forestry.... etc.
 
Well, like most industrial activity - not everyone in the few First Nations communities that have it agrees with open net-cage finfish aquaculture. And wild salmon is always a priority.

But money talks as OBD mentioned on the Aquaculture; improving???? forum.

Most of the IBA agreements and the associated money are with the band admins rather than the Hereditary Chiefs - often with the economic development office. But often the Hereditary Chief owns a boat, or even a fleet of packers that are used to transport the fish. So they earn money that way off the industry.

And some places like Klemtu have very limited other options for full-time year-round employment for the members. But Klemtu also has a plant. That's where the jobs are - not on the farms.

And once they are there - it's hard to stop them. Especially when the science isn't done to assess impacts to the local salmon stocks, and/or any inconvenient data is hidden and/or embargoed in the confidentiality part of those agreements. And that's why you won't see those agreements.

And that reality is no mistake, folks.
Pretty much what I expected. Top Secret. Not by hereditary chiefs.
 
Terrin: how many industries make private business agreements public ? That would be a poor negotiation tactic. If you look at the Nation's with farms and with agreements there are several that use the hereditary system and several that do not. Folks need to see that some nations support farms, oil pipe lines, LNG or what ever and some do not ...... not really any different than political parties or private citizens. I guess it an agree to disagree.
 
You can always call a Nation and ask for their position. Saying they all should agree with your position or CA, or Suzuki or the fish farmers association is unrealistic
 
Actually the farms in that area have strong FN support from the hereditary chiefs and agreements are in place. Not sure of FN support for CA which seems to oppose any harvesting of any resources.
paid to play. well, we know. its all about those jobs. what a joke.
 
Ya HG, you are right. IBAs with industries are typically confidential. What is especially problematic with this situation is that data/evidence of impacts to wild stocks is also hidden and silenced where monitoring is being carried-out. That's the difference.
 
Actually the farms in that area have strong FN support from the hereditary chiefs and agreements are in place. Not sure of FN support for CA which seems to oppose any harvesting of any resources.
Should one band that happens to have an aquaculture operation in their territory, have veto power over the hundreds of other bands up and down the coast that rely on wild runs of salmon?
 
Ya HG, you are right. IBAs with industries are typically confidential. What is especially problematic with this situation is that data/evidence of impacts to wild stocks is also hidden and silenced where monitoring is being carried-out. That's the difference.
Mmmm, Was peer reviewed scientific evidence not provided during the Cohen inquiry that said ff posed no more than a minimal risk?
Kinda like everything we as humans do?

People should be careful of what we wish for.
 
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