Aquaculture; improving????

I was in Ireland recently and everywhere I went I asked locals about atlantic salmon returns and often where returns were dismal there were no salmon farms. Most blame overfishing.
There is a big push to encourage more aquaculture. Many government and industry individuals have been feeling duped by the aggressive regulations that essentially lead to the curtailing and shutting down the industry. It didn't solve their problems but cost them a lot of coastal jobs that were badly needed.
 
Where is the evidence that Ireland shut down their salmon farms? It seems to me they just concentrated them into less locations with larger farms.

I was reading the comments from the Irish Times and found this one to be very telling. Spoiler Alert, same problems as us just at a different location of the globe. Solution .... move the farms onto the land away from the wild salmon.


June 2018
The Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) farming industry is big business, not just in Ireland but on a global scale, with harvest volumes for 2018 predicted to rise to some 2.4 million tonnes worldwide. However, despite the economical and alleged dietary benefits for a growing human population, more and more people are realising the lack of sustainability and widespread environmental and ecological damage associated with this industry. John Murphy, Director of Salmon Watch Ireland, dives head first into the fish cages of lies, corruption and corporate greed which are severely impacting, among others, our wild salmon and sea trout stocks…

https://www.offthescaleangling.ie/game_angling_articles/salmon-farming-the-ugly-truth/
 
Aquaculture has been identified by the UN as being part of the solution to the growing global food security crisis and climate change crisis.
 
Where is the evidence that Ireland shut down their salmon farms? It seems to me they just concentrated them into less locations with larger farms.

I was reading the comments from the Irish Times and found this one to be very telling. Spoiler Alert, same problems as us just at a different location of the globe. Solution .... move the farms onto the land away from the wild salmon.

/
From the article:
" Salmon farming is a booming industry worldwide but it has actually declined in Ireland over the past decade because of a staggering level of official incompetence and scaremongering by small groups of activists who have managed to tarnish the industry’s image with wildly exaggerated claims.

When salmon farming began nearly three decades ago Ireland and Norway produced about 20,000 tonnes of fish a year each. Now Norway produces 1.2 million tonnes and Ireland a paltry 19,000 tonnes. Official figures show that while global aquaculture production has grown by 164 per cent since 2000, output here has fallen by 24 per cent in the same period. Ireland has gone from 5 per cent of European aquaculture production 20 years ago to less than 2.5 per cent today. "
 
Maybe, but not in the ocean.
Actually yes in the ocean. There are currently 5 closed containment models and 4 are in ocean. Closed rigid wall oxygen enrichment seems to have the best ROI. Looks promising and... aquaculture improving
 
Seems some scientists say aquaculture is here to say on the world level and seems its improving
https://blog.nature.org/science/2019/01/21/aquaculture-could-be-conservations-secret-weapon/amp/
Sure enough there is a future for Aquaculture.
There is a difference between Open Net Pen Atlantic Fish Farms and the Aquaculture as focused on in this article.
"Many of the environmental concerns about aquaculture — and the resulting bad press — focus on salmon and other finfish aquaculture. But these species represent a very small portion of the overall industry. In fact, most aquaculture production focuses on seaweed and shellfish, like oysters and mussels."
Just wanted to clarify this as some might have assumed you were talking about Fish Farms.
 
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Global salmon production set to rise 6.5% in 2019, the highest increase since 2014

https://www.undercurrentnews.com/20...-6-5-in-2019-the-highest-increase-since-2014/

"Global production of farmed Atlantic salmon is expected to rise by around 6.5% this year, to approximately 2.6 million metric tons, which would be the highest year-on-year increase since 2014. "
Looks like the Fish Farm industry has yet to find a way to control Sea Lice
"Reported sea lice levels at Chilean farms spiked during the first half of 2019, including in regions that traditionally do not have serious issues with sea lice, the FAO noted.
A recent report by IndexSalmon, which detailed the distribution of the salmon farms with high dissemination (CAD) in 2019 showed a strong increase in sea lice in the Chilean industry."

It looks like Chile has other problems consistent with the Fish Farm industry.
Chilean salmon spark human health concerns
https://thefishsite.com/articles/ex...iles-salmon-farming-can-threaten-human-health
 
Sure enough there is a future for Aquaculture.
There is a difference between Open Net Pen Atlantic Fish Farms and the Aquaculture as focused on in this article.
"Many of the environmental concerns about aquaculture — and the resulting bad press — focus on salmon and other finfish aquaculture. But these species represent a very small portion of the overall industry. In fact, most aquaculture production focuses on seaweed and shellfish, like oysters and mussels."
Just wanted to clarify this as some might have assumed you were talking about Fish Farms.
Really weird cause the first sentence says

Nets of diseased, lice-ridden salmon. Escapee fish polluting the gene pools of wild populations. Miles of mangroves bulldozed to build shrimp farms.

Aquaculture is often portrayed as an environmental risk, and if poorly managed, it can pose a serious threat to the surrounding ecosystem.
 
From the article:
" Salmon farming is a booming industry worldwide but it has actually declined in Ireland over the past decade because of a staggering level of official incompetence and scaremongering by small groups of activists who have managed to tarnish the industry’s image with wildly exaggerated claims.

When salmon farming began nearly three decades ago Ireland and Norway produced about 20,000 tonnes of fish a year each. Now Norway produces 1.2 million tonnes and Ireland a paltry 19,000 tonnes. Official figures show that while global aquaculture production has grown by 164 per cent since 2000, output here has fallen by 24 per cent in the same period. Ireland has gone from 5 per cent of European aquaculture production 20 years ago to less than 2.5 per cent today. "

I'm sure there is more to the story then what has been portrayed in that article. You can usually tell when the language gets colourful.
https://www.kildarestreet.com/committees/?id=2018-10-23a.66
 
Ocean farming is just going to get bigger and bigger . With how rapid climate change is occurring native species will fail to adept fast enough.

We may be farming tuna up here before to long and other warm water species.
 
State gives OK to raising steelhead at area fish farms

https://www.goskagit.com/news/local_news/state-gives-ok-to-raising-steelhead-at-area-fish-farms/article_5666880f-d273-5b91-b89f-dff63dc1214e.html


Cooke Aquaculture has been granted approval from the state Department of Fish & Wildlife to replace Atlantic salmon at its floating fish farms in Puget Sound with native steelhead.

The state agency announced the decision Wednesday, closing the state Environmental Policy Act review process during which about 3,500 comments were received.

"We heard from a huge number of stakeholders on this issue, and we appreciate everyone who took time to make their voice heard as part of this process," Fish & Wildlife Deputy Director Amy Windrope said in a news release. "This permit was approved based on scientific review and is contingent on Cooke complying with strict provisions designed to minimize any risk to native fish species."

Cooke's permit application states it will use all female fish and will have them sterilized before moving them into net pens at its fish farms. That means the fish should be unable to reproduce if they make their way into the Salish Sea the way a large number of Atlantic salmon did following the August 2017 collapse of a farm off Cypress Island in Skagit County.

The five-year permit applies to existing net pens where Cooke holds aquatic land leases with the state Department of Natural Resources. One of the four sites is in Skagit County, near Hope Island.

The permit could also be extended to allow Cooke to raise steelhead at two net pens near Cypress Island, where Natural Resources revoked Cooke's lease following the collapse of a third net pen should the state agency restore or issue a new lease for that facility.
 
However, a competing sustainable seafood watchdog, SeaChoice, says some B.C. farms should not be considered “responsible aquaculture.” In particular, a 2018 report found that some salmon were certified for market with sea lice loads that exceeded ASC standards.

“We have actively engaged in the ASC process for 15 years,” SeaChoice said in a statement. “It is clear to us that in B.C., the ASC’s recent amendments prevent the ASC standard from functioning in the way it was originally written and intended to work.” KIND OF SAYS IT ALL DOESN'T IT.
 
However, a competing sustainable seafood watchdog, SeaChoice, says some B.C. farms should not be considered “responsible aquaculture.” In particular, a 2018 report found that some salmon were certified for market with sea lice loads that exceeded ASC standards.

“We have actively engaged in the ASC process for 15 years,” SeaChoice said in a statement. “It is clear to us that in B.C., the ASC’s recent amendments prevent the ASC standard from functioning in the way it was originally written and intended to work.” KIND OF SAYS IT ALL DOESN'T IT.
I think things have changed since 2018 tho
 
I think things have changed since 2018 tho
Only thing that has changed is the operators in B.C. were able to get a variance to the standards that are applied everywhere else. Neat how they can do that eh? “A variance can be sought by the certifying body if there is a real-life situation that differs from the Standard,” said Morrison.
 
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