Aquaculture Net Pens are Fish Traps for Wild Small Fish!

Whole in the Water

Well-Known Member
This is a letter from a streamkeeping group from up Island and some disturbing observations that have reported on. Looks like yet another negative impact on wild fish populations by the salmon feedlot industry. We need to continue to put pressure on the powers that be to get these harmful feedlots out of the water and stop endangering our wild salmon!


Storie Creek Streamkeepers
Email; geriksen@telus.net
July, 2013


Aquaculture Net Pens Are Fish Traps for Wild Small Fish


Recently it was brought to our attention that the fish farms in Oakisollo Channel in the Campbell River area have been trapping herring and delivering them to fish plants. This was witnessed by a group of dignitary visitors at the site recently.

They were asking the farm technicians why there were so many herring in the pens and they were told that when the young herring were migrating up the channel they were small enough to filter through the mesh of the net pens by the thousands and decided to stay and feed on the food that was automatically spread to feed the farmed salmon and take advantage of this hand out. It wasn’t long that when they grew to a larger size that they could not escape through the small meshes of the pen and was trapped. They also witnessed a seiner come in and pump out the hearing to be delivered to a fish plant.

Now it sounds innocent at first, but it really it is a disaster, not only for the herring population as a food for wild salmon as there is a food shortage for them already. We are sure there is some escapement of herring after feeding on the feed they ingest. What is in the feed that the herring have ingested, are there some ingredients that we would not want to give to wild fish? And if so, would this be passed into the salmon when they are eating these herring and cause harm to the salmon and possibly pass a health problem to the next generation?

How many young Pink and Chum salmon migrating past these net pens wind up in the same situation and never escape. This is a very disastrous situation and these net pens should not be allowed to be positioned in the wild fish migration routs. This is one more reason why the net pens should be abolished altogether.

G. Eriksen,
Project Coordinator for the Storie Creek Streamkeepers
 
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You beat me to it, Trendsetter. . I was particularly concerned when I read:

"They were asking the farm technicians why there were so many herring in the pens and they were told that when the young herring were migrating up the channel they were small enough to filter through the mesh of the net pens by the thousands and decided to stay and feed on the food that was automatically spread to feed the farmed salmon and take advantage of this hand out. It wasn’t long that when they grew to a larger size that they could not escape through the small meshes of the pen and was trapped. They also witnessed a seiner come in and pump out the hearing to be delivered to a fish plant.

For 2 reasons:

1/ I can see herring getting-in the pens, but NOT staying because they "liked" the dry feed pellets. Herring are plankton feeders AND they have smaller mouths, particularly when young that would make it challenging to eat the larger pellets used to grow-out Atlantic salmon (unless it was "crumble" or smaller-sized pellets used for smolt-sized fish). It may be that the herring HAD TO eat dry salmon feed pellets because they couldn't get enough plankton, due to reduced flows in the pens and their inability to take advantage of shear zones that would normally be available to them to feed when they are free-swimming. It is illegal for the fish farm to hold herring w/o a licence from DFO. These guys SHOULD HAVE been charged for that (esp. since they harvested the herring, as well), as some fish farms have in the past.

2/ Keeping herring in close contact with farmed fish MAY HAVE been the impetus for the presumed VHS outbreak now being observed in herring in that area and the Broughtons (See: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...atens-salmon-scientist-warns/article13722113/). We need testing results from that farm, OR we need those herring and farmed stock tested for VHS. This should be reported to DFO (and maybe Alex Morton as well). The implications of this are - serious.

I was REALLY concerned after I found Grant's May 30th 2010 submission to the Strathacona Regional District (http://srdws.strathconard.ca/Agenda_minutes/SRDBoard/BRD/25-Jul-13/Storie-Creek-Streamkeepers.pdf) where he details the fact that they haven't seen herring spawn in Area 13 for 3 or 4 years.
 
"I was REALLY concerned after I found Grant's May 30th 2010 submission to the Strathacona Regional District (http://srdws.strathconard.ca/Agenda_...eamkeepers.pdf) where he details the fact that they haven't seen herring spawn in Area 13 for 3 or 4 years."


Grant and others are convinced that the DFO is allowing serious overfishing of the herring in the Johnstone and Georgia Straits. It is getting to the point he says that streamkeeping activities are becoming unproductive as the fry/smolts that come out the the stream (after much hard streamkeeping work) and just starve to death as there are precious few herring, herring fry and herring spawn biomass for them to eat. We will be in serious trouble when the streamkeepers start to give up! We must pressure DFO and the Govt to stop the overfishing of herring, plankton and other key prey species that our marine ecosystems depend upon.

On the other issue, the herring and other wild fish being found in net pens is another powerful reason why we need to get these polluting, disease spreading feedlots out of the water now!
 
Remember the Dixon IHV virus problem last May? Our friendly feedlot members might what to explain how this could happen..... 2.5 tons of herring destroyed along with their (sustainable?) Atlantic salmon.
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/aquacu...ocs/incidental-accidentel/2012-Q2-T2-eng.html

there it is in black and white... no bull... no excuse... Cost of doing business ... to bad its at the cost to our environment and not the share holders in Norway.......

Hey Mainstream... get off the wild fish migration routes......
 
This is a letter from a streamkeeping group from up Island and some disturbing observations that have reported on. Looks like yet another negative impact on wild fish populations by the salmon feedlot industry. We need to continue to put pressure on the powers that be to get these harmful feedlots out of the water and stop endangering our wild salmon!


Storie Creek Streamkeepers
Email; geriksen@telus.net
July, 2013


Aquaculture Net Pens Are Fish Traps for Wild Small Fish


Recently it was brought to our attention that the fish farms in Oakisollo Channel in the Campbell River area have been trapping herring and delivering them to fish plants. This was witnessed by a group of dignitary visitors at the site recently.

They were asking the farm technicians why there were so many herring in the pens and they were told that when the young herring were migrating up the channel they were small enough to filter through the mesh of the net pens by the thousands and decided to stay and feed on the food that was automatically spread to feed the farmed salmon and take advantage of this hand out. It wasn’t long that when they grew to a larger size that they could not escape through the small meshes of the pen and was trapped. They also witnessed a seiner come in and pump out the hearing to be delivered to a fish plant.

Now it sounds innocent at first, but it really it is a disaster, not only for the herring population as a food for wild salmon as there is a food shortage for them already. We are sure there is some escapement of herring after feeding on the feed they ingest. What is in the feed that the herring have ingested, are there some ingredients that we would not want to give to wild fish? And if so, would this be passed into the salmon when they are eating these herring and cause harm to the salmon and possibly pass a health problem to the next generation?

How many young Pink and Chum salmon migrating past these net pens wind up in the same situation and never escape. This is a very disastrous situation and these net pens should not be allowed to be positioned in the wild fish migration routs. This is one more reason why the net pens should be abolished altogether.

G. Eriksen,
Project Coordinator for the Storie Creek Streamkeepers

What farm did they tour?

As far as I know there are no farms in the Okisollo area being harvested, and there have not been for a while.

While it is true that herring may become trapped inside pens when they are small, then live their lives inside filtering the water of feed dust ect. - at harvest they are separated out as per regulations.

INCIDENTAL CATCH
5. Unless the retention of incidental catch is expressly
authorized by an aquaculture licence, every person who
catches a fish incidentally must immediately return it, if
it is alive, to waters outside the aquaculture facility in a
manner that causes it the least harm.

http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/PDF/SOR-2010-270.pdf

This is done in a number of ways, from using specially designed seine nets which allow smaller fish to escape when harvesting to bycatch separators on board the harvest vessel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nwr7bJZUzs0

It is my understanding that none of the salmon aquaculture companies are licensed to raise herring, but there is a commercial fishery for sportfishing bait - Here is a license application: http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/licence-permis/forms/2011/2011-12-special_use_herring-ZX-ZY.pdf

The fact that the herring live to harvest within the pens would lead me to believe that disease is not an issue.

The speculation about feed is simply ridiculous.
 
Remember the Dixon IHV virus problem last May? Our friendly feedlot members might what to explain how this could happen..... 2.5 tons of herring destroyed along with their (sustainable?) Atlantic salmon.
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/aquacu...ocs/incidental-accidentel/2012-Q2-T2-eng.html

there it is in black and white... no bull... no excuse... Cost of doing business ... to bad its at the cost to our environment and not the share holders in Norway.......

Hey Mainstream... get off the wild fish migration routes......

Those herring were culled during the rapid depopulation of the site under the direction of DFO in the effort to contain the virus.

Hey GLG, why don't you give me a map of the wild fish migration routes?
 
Those herring were culled during the rapid depopulation of the site under the direction of DFO in the effort to contain the virus.
So, BOTH DFO and the farm companies are aware of the potential of cross-contamination of disease between herring and farmed fish - to the point where DFO orders you to "cull" they herring found in your pens in order to: "contain the virus".

yet, you insist in your previous post that: "The fact that the herring live to harvest within the pens would lead me to believe that disease is not an issue". OBVIOUSLY, DFO does not share your optimism - or ignorance.

Well which is it CK? Herring living alongside of farmed fish can get VHS and other viruses from cultured stock - or not?

Which virus was DFO concerned about? (Wasn't Dixon the one with IHN issues, too?).

I think all the available literature would support the assertion that disease transfer (like sea lice) happens both way across the very open meshes in the open net-cages. I think disease and population-level impacts are VERY much an "issue" - no matter what you claim about your personal beliefs.

Did you ever consider that live fish could be infected, but not yet showing clinical signs; dead fish sink; and that maybe (just maybe) larger, farmed fish would eat smaller herring?

Ever hear of survivor bias?

OH - AND WAIT - that would be YOUR job to mitigate your risk to wild stocks by identifying migratory and rearing habitat, but...

OH YEA - you don't do it because your environmental assessments are a sham, and DFO protects and defends you. BUT you expect GLC to do your work for you. That's called "shifting the burdenof proof" - Thanks for demonstrating that to everyone here.

BUT your industry is "sustainable" (of course!), and you are the "Sustainability" Officer...Guess if you use the Orwellian word liberally enough - people might just believe it...

AND you never use ANY of the same tactics employed by the tobacco lobby, or hire the same PR firms.

BUT you want us to "trust" you that all is well; "nothing to see here folks - move along"...
 
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The fact that the herring live to harvest within the pens would lead me to believe that disease is not an issue.

Go tell the family of somebody with HIV, Alzheimer's or some other disease that it's not an issue because they are not yet dead. What a joker disease isn't an issue unless the fish die right away - if we can harvest the diseased fish before they die it's all good and we'll say there is no disease the fish was alive when harvested therefor it must be a specimen in perfect health!

How about you test for disease instead of assuming its not there because the fish is alive.
 
Those herring were culled during the rapid depopulation of the site under the direction of DFO in the effort to contain the virus.

2.5 tonnes of herring trapped in the pens!!!! That is just crazy. And CK, you see no moral problem with that??!! You seem like a reasonable fellow and have to see a problem with that.

Inline with your transparency mantra, how many herring has Mainstream had to destroy or harvest in the last 5 years? It can be assumed that not all of those herring survived to adult hood and were eaten by your salmon. That IS an effect on wild fish stocks....so I can assume we will never hear that coming out of your propoganda again?

And, are you going to respond to the thread that I started regarding the Pacific Salmon Initiative? Please do.
 
Hey GLG, why don't you give me a map of the wild fish migration routes?

Here you go.....
BC_salmon_farms.jpg
 
Those herring were culled during the rapid depopulation of the site under the direction of DFO in the effort to contain the virus.

The absolute right thing to do.....

INCIDENTAL CATCH
5. Unless the retention of incidental catch is expressly
authorized by an aquaculture licence, every person who
catches a fish incidentally must immediately return it, if
it is alive, to waters outside the aquaculture facility in a
manner that causes it the least harm.
The right thing to do? What if your testing found a false negative for IHN and the Atlantic Salmon from Dixon farm went to market? Would those herring then be released to the wild with the virus? No one would be the wiser and it would be a mystery how the wild herring got sick. Your industry is rolling the dice and trying to cover all the bases. Your backstop is the Canadian Government (we taxpayers) and your shareholders (Norway taxpayers & Investment Banks). The true risk is to the wild fish. Marine Harvest Canada can lose 10 or 20 million NOG and it has little effect on the parent company. You got a one liner on the 2012 annual report with a "me bad" and promise to do better. If the dice roll the other way and you unleash a virus ..... we lose 10 or 20 years worth of wild herring.
 
What farm did they tour?

As far as I know there are no farms in the Okisollo area being harvested, and there have not been for a while.

Maybe it was Cyrus Rocks? According to the BC Salmon Farmers Association, it was being harvested in May. See their Media Release "May Sea lice counts for Okisollo/Hoskyns Channels" dated June 21, 2013; http://www.salmonfarmers.org/media-releases

While it is true that herring may become trapped inside pens when they are small, then live their lives inside filtering the water of feed dust ect. - at harvest they are separated out as per regulations.

CK, according to your post, the regulation states; "Unless expressly authorized by an aquaculture licence, every person who catches a fish incidentally must immediately return it, if it is alive, to waters outside the aquaculture facility in a manner that causes it the least harm."
Why then, as you also posted, are these incidentally caught wild fish left within the net pen until harvest time? That doesn't sound like the definition of "immediately" to me. It sounds instead like what is most convenient and beneficial for the person operating the feedlot, not the wild fish unfortunate enough to be incidentally caught.
 
So, basically you're saying that the entire coast is a migration route for wild salmon?
How convenient.
I've always loved the scale on that map that places big dots the size of cities where farms are.
I guess if it was actually to scale you wouldn't be able to see the little specks they actually are.
 
Maybe it was Cyrus Rocks? According to the BC Salmon Farmers Association, it was being harvested in May. See their Media Release "May Sea lice counts for Okisollo/Hoskyns Channels" dated June 21, 2013; http://www.salmonfarmers.org/media-releases



CK, according to your post, the regulation states; "Unless expressly authorized by an aquaculture licence, every person who catches a fish incidentally must immediately return it, if it is alive, to waters outside the aquaculture facility in a manner that causes it the least harm."
Why then, as you also posted, are these incidentally caught wild fish left within the net pen until harvest time? That doesn't sound like the definition of "immediately" to me. It sounds instead like what is most convenient and beneficial for the person operating the feedlot, not the wild fish unfortunate enough to be incidentally caught.

It is the end of August and the release was dated July - Did they sit on this info for 2 months?

Sounds to me like someone has their wires crossed and the story came back conveniently tied to salmon farms.

The herring that enter the pens live safely until harvest when they are "caught" and released.

I'd say they fare better than all the ones used as bait by guys like you.
 
2.5 tonnes of herring trapped in the pens!!!! That is just crazy. And CK, you see no moral problem with that??!! You seem like a reasonable fellow and have to see a problem with that.

Inline with your transparency mantra, how many herring has Mainstream had to destroy or harvest in the last 5 years? It can be assumed that not all of those herring survived to adult hood and were eaten by your salmon. That IS an effect on wild fish stocks....so I can assume we will never hear that coming out of your propoganda again?

And, are you going to respond to the thread that I started regarding the Pacific Salmon Initiative? Please do.

I might get to the PSI sometime when I am in the mood for it.

There's only so much hypocrisy and singleminded contextual ignorance I can take.

You guys are so focused on churning out your hate for salmon farms with each and every new or repeated idea you come up with - it's like you are throwing spaghetti at the wall waiting for something to stick.

Every once and a while someone might come close to having a rational thought about where exactly the (yet to be measured because they don't stand out against background variations or known) impacts of salmon farms fit in to the grand scheme of things...

But then the hypothetical, supposed and purely specualtive risks are mated with the unfounded assumptions and we're back to the blah blah blah blah.

If the only response to me pointing out that there has not been any measured impacts to wild stocks (at a population level - not talking about bycatch, which could be compared to other sectors and *gasp* put into context) anywhere on the coast - is, "Well that's just what the tobacco lobby said."

...I might as well be arguing religion - You believe and that is enough for you.
 
CK you sure pick and choose what to respond to.

Yes the entire coast is a migration route there are lots and lots of rivers, streams and creeks that salmon spawn (or used to spawn) in all up and down our beautiful coast. Wild salmon, herring etc. should be found EVERYWHERE. Too bad for you they don't all go single file down a marked path out to sea making it easy to set up farms outside their path. It doesn't matter where you take your net pen its going to be damaging something.

Also those farm dots the size of cities you say might represent the waste land surrounding a net pen if it was to scale I think you'd see even more devestation as the currents disperse your pollution and waste into a much larger area then pictured on the map. Salmon farming is not sustainable we've been through it before and will continue to go through it until the greedy selfish industry is gone.
 
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