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Fraser River sockeye collapse while Minister promotes farmed salmon
Millions of sockeye salmon expected to return to the Fraser River this summer are only trickling in, and according to the Pacific Salmon Commission, only 1.4 million are now anticipated. A fisheries catastrophe, this is a major loss for the ecosystems and
species that depend on sockeye, as well as the culture and economies of
coastal and Fraser River communities. As this crisis made headlines at home, Fisheries & Oceans Canada
(DFO) Minister Gail Shea and senior aquaculture staff were an ocean
away in Norway, promoting open net-cage salmon farming in British
Columbia as sustainable and ‘open for business.’
 
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AquaNor Tradeshow in Norway Photo by: Don Staniford
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The juxtaposition of these two events highlights DFO’s prioritization of support for salmon farming over the stewardship and protection of wild fish and the Department’s continued inability to manage Canadian fisheries.
DFO regional fisheries management staff grappled with an inability to explain the causes of the collapse, but were quick to exonerate fish farms as a potential cause despite an overwhelming amount of scientific evidence that salmon farming has a negative impact on wild fish. For example, a 2007/08 study conducted by Raincoast Conservation Foundation and supported by CAAR and others used DNA analysis techniques to confirm the predominance of Fraser River populations in samples of juvenile sockeye salmon caught near salmon farms in the northern Georgia Strait. 90% of the samples showed infections of one or more lice on each fish. There is also research underway in BC studying the role of sea lice as a possible transfer mechanism of disease causing bacteria. Future research is planned to examine the potential of disease transfer between farmed and wild fish by sea lice. Rampant sea lice infections were precursors to Chile’s devastating Infectious Salmon Anemia outbreaks and the resultant slaughter of millions of fish.
These problems associated with salmon farming and other potential factors that may have contributed to the Fraser River sockeye crash add up to a complex and formidable problem to solve. However, the removal of salmon farms from wild salmon migratory routes via transition to closed containment is the most logical and attainable next step in the process.
The Canadian government must take action now to eliminate the threat of salmon farms and immediately begin working with industry to shift to closed containment technology. Send a fax to Minister of Fisheries & Oceans Gail Shea demanding that funding be directed to the implementation of closed containment technology now.
CAAR is also calling for the removal of five active fish farms in the Wild Salmon Narrows of Okisollo Channel in the northern Georgia Strait. Clearing a critical Fraser River salmon migration route of open net-cage salmon farms is an emergency measure needed to reduce the pressure of sea lice infection on wild salmon. Click here to get involved!
Click here to watch a video by the US-based Pure Salmon campaign showing DFO at the AquaNor conference in Norway while Fraser Sockeye crashed in Canada.
Health Canada approves neurotoxin used on salmon farms
The unsustainable practice of salmon farming in open net-cages relies heavily on the use of chemicals – from artificial colourants and antibiotics to pesticides. Canada’s recent approval of emamectin benzoate (marketed as SLICE®), a chemical used in an attempt to control proliferating sea lice levels on salmon farms, is a step backward for food and environmental safety.
SLICE® has long been opposed by scientists and environmentalists due to lack of thorough scientific research on its effects. Even with approval, the health effects are still unknown as the agency did not release many details around the criteria for human safety. CAAR contacted Health Canada requesting approval details and received the disturbing response that research was conducted by the manufacturer, is proprietary, and not available to the public.
Also alarming is the removal of a required withdrawal period of 68 days between the last use of SLICE® and harvest of the treated fish. Soon, farmed fish will legally go to market regardless of the last time they came into contact with the pesticide. Given that SLICE® has been shown to persist in the tissue of fish and the environment for a period of weeks to months, this should be of particular concern to American consumers who not only consume over 85% of the salmon farmed in BC, but the US FDA lists the active ingredient in SLICE® as a banned substance.
CAAR demands that Health Canada rescind its approval of this neurotoxin and the federal government begin a comprehensive and transparent scientific analysis around the environmental impacts of SLICE® use in our ocean waters.
Americans, in light of Health Canada’s approval, make sure the FDA is fulfilling its mandate to safeguard your health by protecting the US food supply from fish that have been treated with banned chemicals! Send an email or write a letter to let the FDA know how you feel about this important issue. Click here for the contact info and a template you can customize.
UBCM resolution in September on closed containment
A number of local governments in BC have gone on record asking the provincial government to fund commercial scale closed containment technology and now is the time to take that request province-wide.
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Cell Aquaculture Systems Europe, Netherlands
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The Strathcona Regional District and the Village of Alert Bay have both put forth resolutions to the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM). They have been combined for consideration at the Annual Convention in late September.
This resolution calls for the immediate allocation of sufficient funds from the provincial and federal governments to establish a closed system aquaculture innovation fund and the creation of a time-bound plan to transition open net-cage salmon farms to closed containment system aquaculture.
Please let your local government representatives know that you want them to vote for this resolution at the UBCM meeting. Farmed salmon and wild salmon must be separated, and the development of closed containment will allow a vibrant, ecologically sound aquaculture industry to flourish in BC without threat to wild salmon or the environment. Call or write your municipal or regional district council now and urge them to vote “yes” for closed containment.
Click here for a list of British Columbia municipalities and regional districts.
Support for wild salmon in Ottawa, and beyond
The loss of Pacific wild salmon is not just a coastal issue -- especially when new science suggests iconic runs like the Fraser River sockeye are being infected with sea lice near net-cage salmon farms. Businesses across Canada and the US are taking notice and taking action.
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Photo: The Whalebone Oyster House
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Until just a while ago, CAAR’s restaurant and retailer program, the Wild Salmon Supporters, had no formal support in Ottawa, Canada's capital. Just as we were coming up with a plan to extend our efforts eastward, we got a call from an Ottawa company, the Whalesbone Sustainable Oyster and Fish Supply, and well, the rest is history.
We began our outreach to Ottawa in July and already, several restaurants have embraced the commitment to not sell net-cage farmed salmon. And the list of supporters continues to grow! If you have some good candidates for our program in mind, or want to see your favourite restaurant on the list, please drop us a line.
You also won’t find net-cage farmed salmon at outlets run by the City of Ottawa or the University of Ottawa, since both are serviced by Compass Group Canada. Compass, one of the country’s largest food service companies, made the commitment earlier this year to remove farmed salmon from all of their menus. Companies like Compass Group are leading the way by being a part of the growing market for environmentally responsible products. And aquaculture entrepreneurs are paying attention to the growing market for more sustainably farmed fish. Net-cagers, it’s time to catch on and shift to closed containment!
We're thankful that there is so much interest – nationwide, throughout the US, and overseas – in solutions that will help save wild salmon from the impacts of open net-cage farms. Whether you’re a consumer or you represent a business, we thank you for your ongoing support!
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