fish farm siting criteria & politics

[Gunsmith]

That is where the problem lies, the fish farm never moves thus the accumulation of sea lice in one area and this is where the juvenile salmon have to go through in their migration.
A similar thing happened with game farming, the lack of movement created an accumulation of problems that in the natural process of life were thinly spread.[:0]

 

[Barbender]

Fish are raised for 18-24 months and the harvested. Most fish are never treated for sea lice because there are not enough of them on the fish. I really think we need to look at the something besides salmon farms for all the ills of our pacific fishery. I am currently reading a book called Dead Reckoning by Terry Glavin. It is one of the most depressing books I have ever read. This is a book endorsed by David Suzuki and it clearly points the drastic declines in our salmon and halibut stocks on bad decisions made as far back as the 1920's.

 

[agentaqua]

quote:Originally posted by Barbender

Well let me explain it this way. When smolts are seeded into the sites they are 100% sea lice free (coming from fresh water hatcheries). They are also put in sites that have been fallowed for 6 months to a year so the sites are clear. The sea lice get transfered from the ocean to the farmed fish not the other way around.

"The sea lice get transfered from the ocean to the farmed fish not the other way around."

NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND</u>??? - C'mon Barbender - give us all a break here. We're not as gullible as you think we are.

Water flows THROUGH net pens, which is why salmon farmers like this current technology where oxygen is supplied and fish poo is carried-away free of charge by the external environment.

Diseases and parasites in AND out of the pens. The net pen mesh is several centimetres wide open. Nauplii and copepedites are extremely small. Many millions can and do flow through the pens in AND out.

If net pen fish have any gravid (egg-bearing) female lice - they WILL contribute to the sea lice loading in and around where they are located. This has been proven numerous times, and is in the peer-reviewed literature. We have talked about this at length already on this thread. Did you forget all those earlier postings already Barbender - or are you hoping others have forgotten?

Every jurisdiction in the world has problems with intensive open net-pen salmonid culture transmitting lice to wild salmon stocks - except in BC - according to Barbender - where the basic laws of physics apparently don't apply in Barbender's world.

It's apparently a way safer world if you draw the blinds and chant hail Mary Full of Grace many times over, while browsing the web pages of the BC salmon farmers association.

 

[cuttlefish]

Barbender you said;

quote:the slim possibility that farmed fish might transfer sea lice.

Help me out here buddy. I'm still wondering if you have any peer-reviewed science to back these statements up? If the answer is yes, please provide a link. If the answer is no, then just provide the answer.

 

[cuttlefish]

News
NL Auditor General Raises Concerns on Salmon Aquaculture

January 23rd, 2009

Newfoundland Should Heed Auditor General’s Advice on Salmon Aquaculture

Note: Backgrounder of points made by Auditor General available as one-pager.

For immediate release
January 23, 2009

St. Andrew, NB –The Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) and the Salmonid Council of Newfoundland and Labrador (SCNL) are very concerned that the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has failed to implement legislation and to update and complete management plans and codes of practice that are necessary to support an orderly and sustainable expansion of Atlantic salmon aquaculture in southern Newfoundland.

“We hope that the provincial government heeds a report by the Auditor General of Newfoundland and Labrador, outlining deficiencies in the present management of this industry, and takes steps to improve. This industry can have serious negative impacts on the province’s wild salmon populations, and the Auditor General’s report confirms that our concerns with an aquaculture industry that began in Bay d’Espoir and is expanding to Fortune Bay and Placentia Bay are justified,†said Don Ivany, Regional Director of ASF.

It is especially discouraging that the Code of Containment is deficient as lack of good containment leads to break up of cages and escapes of farmed salmon into the wild. This results in interactions with wild salmon in nearby salmon rivers and threatens the survival of these fish that are already in decline. There has been a noticeable reduction in returns to the rivers nearby the aquaculture sites, such as the Grey and Conne rivers. Where many Newfoundland rivers had very good runs in 2008, much improved over 2007, these southern rivers did not do as well and Fisheries and Oceans are concerned at their continuing unhealthy state.

Negative interactions between farmed and wild salmon have been scientifically documented and include both ecological interactions and genetic impacts of inter-breeding. Inter-breeding of farmed with wild salmon can result in reduced lifetime reproductive success, lowered fitness and decreased population productivity over at least two generations. Wild salmon can also become infected with disease and parasites spread from farmed fish.

“We urge the province to provide adequate infrastructure to support current and future expansion of the industry. It must act quickly to finalize an aquaculture health management plan, and implement a comprehensive inspection system to discourage flaunting of the rules, which the Auditor General indicates presently lack the power of effective legislation,†concluded Mr. Ivany.

-30-

The Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) is an international, non-profit organization that promotes the conservation and wise management of wild Atlantic salmon and their environment. ASF has a network of seven regional councils (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Maine and Western New England). The regional councils cover the freshwater range of the Atlantic salmon in Canada and the United States.

The Salmonid Council of Newfoundland and Labrador (SCNL) is an umbrella organization consisting of a variety of groups whose main objectives are dedicated to the conservation and wise management of salmonids (Atlantic salmon, brook trout, brown trout, sea trout) and their habitat.

Contacts:

Don Ivany, ASF Regional Director for Newfoundland and Labrador
709 632-5100 (Office) 709 632-1155 (Cell)

Don Hutchens, VP – SCNL
709 753-4968

Muriel Ferguson, ASF Communications Office
506 529-1033 or 506 529-4581


Backgrounder

NOTE:This backgrounder is available as a one-page .pdf file click here

Concerns of the Newfoundland & Labrador -Auditor General on Aquaculture ~ January 2009

Note: The page references in these bullets refer to those in the NL&LB Auditor General Report. For full report, go to: http://www.ag.gov.nl.ca/ag/2008.htm

Overview of Salmon Aquaculture:

• In 2007 4,857 tonnes of salmon were produced, utilizing 38 marine sites, principally in Bay D'Espoir and Fortune Bay on the south coast. (p.234-236)

Development

• Aquaculture facilities are at times inadequate, and could lead to environmental issues. Example: only two of the four processing plants in proximity to the salmon aquaculture area have wastewater treatment systems. (p.245)

• Newfoundland has a single Atlantic salmon hatchery and imports juvenile fish from elsewhere.

• A new hatchery is planned for 2010 (p.245), yet a plan was not available to the auditor general.

• Department has failed to implement a regime to ensure adoption of best management practices in all farm operations (p.247)

Aquaculture Inspections

• All aquaculture sites were NOT inspected, as required by policy; not all issues identified during inspections were followed up; the inspection reports did not address all areas of concern and documentation of inspection results requires improvement

• 21 of 146 inspections required in 2007 were not done. (p.258)

• Site inspections not reported accurately, information insufficient, no requirement for site operators to sign off on inspections, and follow-up inspections not always carried out. (p.259)

• In 43 of 107 cases of deficiencies, government failed to issue a directive to correct the problems. (p.268)

• 30 of 163 aquaculture sites had hazards, no immediate corrections made, and 16 of the sites still had the hazards in 2008. (p.259)

Code of containment for fish is inadequate

•Problems include lack of detail on many aspects of cage emplacement, and no requirement for operators to keep records of inspections. (p.260)

• In winter 2007 inadequate moorings at one site led to excessive movement of nets and death of fish. There are no standards for moorings in NL, yet have been "under review" since 2002. (p.273)

• Fish handling standards are substandard compared with those of other parts of Canada (p.260)

• Inadequate government inspection of cage systems, and lack of detail on requirements for correction of deficiencies. (p.260-261)

• Fewer sites were inspected in 2007 than in either 2006 or 2005 (p.263)

• The government is failing its requirement to determine if closed sites are returning to natural conditions. 42% of sites closed in 2007 have not been inspected at all (p.267)

• Despite being asked to review fish escape recapture gear, the department has not done so, and has no understanding of what is appropriate for responding to a significant fish escapement event in the province (p.275)

• Industry code of practices remains outdated (p.275)

• Cage System Audit Report inadequate, and some nets found in service had failed strength test. (p.278)

• Information in the government database on aquaculture sites is not complete or accurate, and the department delayed in providing information. Problems with the system mean that operator production information was not available for 2003 to 2006. (p.279)

ASF & SCNL
DON IVANY
Regional Director
Corner Brook, NL
donivany@swgc.mun.ca
Tel: (709) 632-5100

ASF COMMUNICATIONS
St. Andrews, NB
savesalmon@asf.ca
Tel: (506) 529–4581
www.asf.ca


asf.ca/docs/uploads/nl-back6.pdf RELATED ISSUES:
Aquaculture

If you have any comments on Atlantic salmon issues and coverage, or would like further information, contact:

Sue Scott, V.P. Communications
1-506-529-1027
E-mail: policy@nb.aibn.com

 

[agentaqua]

The Tyee, 19th January 2009

The Future of Farmed Salmon</u>

- Podcast: Proposed salmon farm expansion shaping up to be hot election issue.

By Jon Steinman



Listen to this:

Download
http://media.libsyn.com/media/deconstructingdinner/DD011509.mp3
Stream
http://www.cjly.net/deconstructingdinner/audio/DD011509.m3u


[Editor's note: This is a summary of a podcast you can download or listen to from this page.]

In 2006, Deconstructing Dinner aired an episode on salmon farming off the coast of B.C. Three years later, public opposition to this type of aquaculture is going strong. Catherine Stewart of the Living Oceans Society believes this opposition has been pivotal in keeping growth of the industry at bay.

With proposals currently before the province to triple production at some facilities, the potential expansion of salmon farming is shaping up to be a big election issue. In this episode, Deconstructing Dinner explores expansion plans at one hatchery owned by Marine Harvest Canada -- the largest aquaculture company in B.C.

This broadcast will also discuss the infectious salmon anemia (ISA) outbreak in Chile that has caused massive restructuring in that country's salmon farming industry. This month, the virus appeared in Scotland's farmed fish. Will B.C. be hit next?

Guests

Catherine Stewart, salmon farming campaign manager, Living Oceans Society (Vancouver, BC) -- Living Oceans Society is Canada's largest organization focused exclusively on marine conservation issues. It is based in Sointula, a small fishing village on the central coast of British Columbia. Prior to her role with Living Oceans, Catherine worked with Greenpeace for seventeen years, holding the positions of regional director and oceans and forests campaigner.

Clare Backman, environmental compliance and community relations, Marine Harvest Canada (Campbell River, BC) -- Marine Harvest is one of the world's largest aquaculture companies and is based in Norway. It's Canadian division is the largest aquaculture company operating in British Columbia. With 75 farm licenses, the company produces more than half (55%) of all the farmed salmon in B.C.

Barb Addison, manager, Big Tree Creek Hatchery, Marine Harvest Canada (Sayward, BC) -- Big Tree Creek is one of five hatcheries currently being managed by the company. It's in the process of a $3-million expansion.

Other Voices

Jay Ritchlin, director of marine and freshwater conservation, David Suzuki Foundation (Vancouver, BC)

Ian Roberts, communications, Marine Harvest Canada (Campbell River, BC)

Bill Harrower, manager of regional operations for aquaculture development, Ministry of Agriculture and Lands (Courtenay, BC)

Related Tyee stories:

* Two Towns, One Choice
How salmon farming resuscitated a coastal nation and why another said no. First in a series.
* Push North for Fish Farms Blocked
Gitxsan Nation thwarts planned 'critical mass' of farms. A Tyee Special Report.
* Fish Farm Committee Nails It
Lice harm is real. But Campbell won't act.


Jon Steinman is producer and host of Kootenay Co-op Radio's program Deconstructing Dinner. A new podcast with notes is posted here every Friday afternoon. All Deconstructing Dinner podcasts can be found here.

 

[agentaqua]

January 22, 2009 “NORWAY, BRITISH COLUMBIA III (FARMING ATLANTIC SALMON IN THE PACIFIC)”

LISTEN TO ARCHIVED VERSION
download/open (stereo) http://media.libsyn.com/media/deconstructingdinner/DD012209.mp3| stream (stereo)http://www.cjly.net/deconstructingdinner/audio/DD012209.m3u
Having trouble with the archived version???? Scroll to bottom for alternate instructions

In October 2008, host Jon Steinman was toured around a salmon farm along with delegates of the 2008 conference of the Canadian Farm Writers Federation. The tour was sponsored by the Province of British Columbia’s Ministry of Agriculture & Lands and the British Columbia Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA).

The farm is owned by Marine Harvest Canada and located off the shore of East Thurlow Island - about a 45-minute boat ride from Campbell River, BC. The farm is home to 500,000 Atlantic salmon.

On this part III of a multi-part series on salmon farming along the BC coast, Steinman poses some probing questions to the tour guides.

Helping balance the positive and promotional role of the BCSFA and the Province, the episode will also hear from Alexandra Morton of the Raincoast Research Society. Morton is one of the most vocal critics of open-net salmon farms and played a pivotal role in helping introduce the long-standing and contested debate of whether or not salmon farms are harming wild salmon populations.

Alexandra was given the opportunity to respond to the tour guide’s comments on the tour. Of interest are the number of startling discrepancies that were discovered between what conference delegates were told versus what Morton has discovered through her research.

It was a timely tour to embark upon as it was only days earlier that Alexandra Morton was in BC Supreme Court in Vancouver challenging the legal and constitutional authority of the Province to regulate salmon farms in the marine environment. Morton, alongside a group of petitioners, argue that the regulating of salmon farms in BC waters should constitutionally be within the purvue of the Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans. This episode will introduce this case, which is currently awaiting a decision.

Guests/Voices

Alexandra Morton - Scientist/Researcher, Raincoast Research Society (Echo Bay, BC) - While studying orca whales up until the 1990s, Alexandra watched as the salmon farming industry appeared in the Broughton Archipelago where she calls home. As she observed the arrival of industrial salmon farms, the whales she studied disappeared. She believed the cause was salmon farms, and when 10,000 pages of letters to all levels of government failed to elicit meaningful response, Alexandra realized that she would have to scientifically prove that salmon farming had driven out the whales and caused epidemic outbreaks of bacteria, viral and parasitic infections in wild salmon. By partnering with international scientists and in some cases commercial fishermen, Alexandra has documented the loss of the whales, thousands of escaped farm salmon, lethal outbreaks of sea lice, and antibiotic resistance near salmon farms.

Paula Galloway - Member and Community Relations, Britih Columbia Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA) (Campbell River, BC) - The BC Salmon Farmers Association was established in 1984. The Association is the voice of the province’s salmon farming industry, a forum for communication, a vehicle for lobbying, and a point of contact for stakeholders and the public. Prior to her role with the BCSFA, Paula worked with EWOS - an international feed company serving the aquaculture industry. EWOS is owned by Norway’s Cermaq.

Bill Harrower - Manager of Regional Operations for Aquaculture Development, Province of British Columbia, Ministry of Agriculture and Lands - (Courtenay, BC) Aquaculture is a significant contributor to the provincial economy, and most aquaculture jobs are located in coastal communities. Farmed salmon is B.C.’s largest agricultural export product. Bill Harrower has worked with the Department since the 1980s.

Barb Addison - Manager, Big Tree Creek Hatchery, Marine Harvest Canada (Sayward, BC) - Big Tree Creek is one of five hatcheries currently being managed by the company. It’s in the process of a $3-million expansion.

 

[Barbender]

Well AA. Nice to see that you are showing both sides of the issue and that farms are opening up more and more for people to see for themselves.

 

[Little Hawk]

"M-m-m-m-m... Yummy! Mommy, pass me another serving of that wonderful farm-salmon!"

An associate in the battle against this terrible industry sent me this. Thought I'd share with those of you who might be interested.

"Eating more than one meal of farm-raised salmon per month (depending
on where it is from) may increase one`s risk of developing cancer in
the future due to the increased levels of chemicals and antibiotics."

http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/8972/the-hidden-dangers-of-eating-salmon

The Hidden Dangers of Eating Salmon
GLOBE - Omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial for healthy people and
those who may have or be at risk of cardiovascular disease. Recent
evidence, however, has shown that one must be careful about how and
where omega-3 fatty acids come from and how they are added to one`s
diet.

Natural sources of omega-3 fatty acids are best and one of the best
sources is salmon, says Jo Hartley of Natural News. Recent studies
have concluded that not all salmon is equal, however. When choosing
between wild and farm-raised salmon, the most healthy choice is wild
salmon because of many of the practices utilized when raising farmed
salmon.

Everyone can benefit from adding omega-3 fatty acids to their diets.
It is not recommended that more than three grams of omega -3 fatty
acids be taken each day unless under a physician`s supervision. This
is because excessive bleeding can happen in some people over time if
more than three grams of omega-3 fatty acids are taken per day.
Interestingly, high dosages of synthetic omega-3 fatty acids can be
dangerous, but consuming omega-3 fatty acids naturally through diet
within the recommended range is beneficial for one`s health.

When the body has an adequate supply of omega-3 fatty acids at its
disposal, heart attacks can be effectively stopped while in the arrhythmia stage.

Salmon is a delicious and effective source of omega-3 fatty acids.
Wild salmon is a great brain food that can naturally replenish the
essential fatty acids the body requires for optimal health. Other
seafood carries an inherent risk of mercury poisoning, but wild salmon appears to contain minimal amounts of mercury.

The best kind of salmon is wild salmon from Alaskan waters. This
salmon is purported to be one of the purest ocean species of fish. The
ocean waters are remote in this area of the world. The environment
there is pure and clean compared to the environments that other
species of salmon live in. The salmon from Alaskan waters also have a comparatively shorter life span and, therefore, much fewer
contaminants in their bodies than the larger types of ocean fish that have longer life spans.

Farm-raised salmon have been found to have much higher levels of PCBs, dioxin, and other toxic cancer-causing chemicals than wild salmon, according to a recent study. Salmon raised in farms in Northern Europe had the highest contaminant levels. This was followed by salmon raised in North America and Chile. The reason for the higher toxin levels is thought to be because of the feed used in fish farms.
Farm-raised salmon also have more antibiotics administered by weight compared to any other kind of livestock. In addition, farm raised salmon do not have the same omega 3:6 profile as wild salmon.
Farm-raised fish contain considerably higher levels of omega 6 fatty acids.

Eating more than one meal of farm-raised salmon per month (depending
on where it is from) may increase one`s risk of developing cancer in
the future due to the increased levels of chemicals and antibiotics.

In addition to this, some Canadian salmon farmers are now being
criticized for producing flabby and sloppy fish. The texture of this
farmed fish is thought to be a result of adding fish oil to the salmon feed in order to increase the weight of the salmon. The salmon
farmer`s goal is to fatten the salmon quickly and make them heavier.
This is accomplished by feeding them a high fat diet. A result of this diet, however, is that the texture of the fish meat becomes much
softer in texture and consumers have noticed a difference.

TheFishSite News Desk

 

[sockeyefry]

Sorry Little Hawk, Wrong info yet again.

Studies did not show PCB's etc.. higher in farmed, but the other way around. In fact wild sockeye from alaska was the highest.

And Nope, land farming uses way more antibiotics. Main reason is that they are treated prophylactically, while fish are treated only when they are sick and by vet scrip.

It really is a shame that the media keeps publishing this BS

 

[happy hooker]

Where are you getting your information from Sockeye? Have you got anything to back your statements up? If you do I'd sure like to see it.

22' Hewescraft Searunner

 

[happy hooker]

Wild Salmon vs Farm Raised Salmon


David Suzuki Foundation: In January 2001, BBC News produced a program "Warnings from the Wild, The Price of Salmon". The program cited a pilot study conducted by Dr Easton with David Suzuki Foundation. The study found that farm raised salmon and the feed they were fed appeared to have a much higher level of contamination with respect to PCBs, organo-chlorine pesticides and polybrominated diphenyl ethers than did wild salmon. It concluded that it seems that contamination in farm fish comes from the feed.
EWG Report: In July 2003, the Environmental Working Group EWG released a report stating that farm raised salmon purchased in the United States contain the highest level of PCBs in the food supply system. In the report, EWG reported that farm raised salmon have 16 times PCBs found in wild salmon, 4 times the levels in beef, and 3.4 times the levels in other seafood. EWG recommends that consumers choose wild salmon instead of farm raised salmon, and they should eat an 8 oz serving of farm raised salmon no more than once a month.
Science Journal: In January 2004, the journal Science warned that farm raised salmon contain 10 times more toxins (PCBs, dioxin, etc.) than wild salmon. The study recommends that farm raised salmon should be eaten once a month, perhaps every two months as they pose cancer risks to the human beings.

22' Hewescraft Searunner

 

[Gunsmith]

The feed used to feed farm fish is made from fish by products, meaning it comes from refuse from fish plants and whatever other fish products. This also was what caused the mad cow disease. Cattle were being fed by products from other animals including sheep where the disease originated. Have we learned anything from that????[xx(]

 

[agentaqua]

The Vancouver Sun, 2nd February 2009

Class-action suit to be filed over salmon farming off Vancouver Island

by Larry Pynn


Aboriginal people in the Broughton Archipelago off northeastern Vancouver Island say they will file a class-action lawsuit against the B.C. government for damages caused by salmon farming to wild stocks.

“This is not something we’ve done lightly,” Chief Bob Chamberlain of the Kwicksutaineuk Ah-Kwa-Mish First Nation said in an interview Monday. “It’s such a crucial struggle for our people.”

Chamberlain said the class-action suit will involve a total of eight first nations concerned about the detrimental impact of open-net salmon farming on their stocks.

The salmon-farming industry has been the subject of long-standing concerns related to issues such as transmission of sea lice and disease to wild stocks, as well as pollution, and the escape of non-native Atlantic salmon to the wild.

Asked if natives are seeking financial compensation in the legal action, Chamberlain said: “This isn’t monetary-driven. If that was the case, we’d be involved in the industry. We’re looking at safeguarding our wild salmon as our starting point and our end point. We don’t think that’s been the focus here.”

News of the class-action lawsuit comes only days before the imminent release of a report on sea lice by the Pacific Salmon Forum, a body appointed by the provincial government.

Release of the forum’s report has been delayed out of respect for the death Jan. 20 of Stan Hagen, the minister of agriculture and lands, who had responsibility for aquaculture.

The natives said in a news release Monday they will host a news conference Wednesday in Vancouver to release details of the “class-action law suit against the British Columbia government to address the impacts of salmon farms on wild salmon in their territory.”

 

[sockeyefry]

Happy H.
Both of those studies were discreditted shortly after they were published. I guess you forgot to include that part, right.

Gunsmith
Fish meal predominantly comes from directed fiheries in Peru and Chile, not from "byproducts". Nice the way you fear mongered the BSe angle into your post. Too bad you are dealing with warm blooded animals in the case of BSE, which have a totally different type of epidemiology than the cold blooded fish, and your assertion doesn't hold water.

 

[sockeyefry]

Hey Agent, have they actually filed the lawsuit, or is this just more media attention grabbing on the part of Chief BOB?

 

[wolf]

OK im going to stir it up a bit talked to a buddy of mine who is in the broughton as we speak working on hauling out salmon that are not supposed to be there as the farms are supposed to be fallowed but!!!!!!!!! and here is the big BUT they put the fish in there anyways and just pay the fine but NOW since the new year the fine has gone up to 250,000 if they find you quilty funny how you NEVER here anything about this!!!!!!!isnt it!!!!!!!!

Wolf

 

[Gunsmith]

Sockeye you don,t seem to comprehend anything. O BAAS YOUR LOWER HOLE TAKES OVER FROM THE TOP HOLE AND EMITS FOUL GAS. How much are you paid by the fish farms to troll this site?

 

[sockeyefry]

Nice post Gunsmith real mature of you.

 

[sockeyefry]

Hey wolf,

If they are doing what you say then they should be fined and have their license tenures taken away. Although I feel that fish farming has a place, I do not accept the farm companies disobeying regulations put on them by the province or the Feds, and they should be dealt with under the terms of their licenese and the law. Same as I expect any poachers to be dealt with under the law.

On the other hand you have to be careful with such information. It would not be admissible in court as hearsay. Some times employees missunderstand situations and make statement sout of sheer ignorance. This of course occurs in all occupations, not just fish farming.