|
The Global Week of Action starts Monday!
Next week, November 9th to 14th, is the fourth annual Global Week of
Action! People from salmon farming regions in Europe, Chile, the USA
and Canada will be working to draw attention to the destructive effects
of open net-cage salmon farming, and to demand change from both
industry and government.
 
|
Vancouver Rally
|
The Coastal Alliance for Aquaculture Reform is hosting daily actions through our Wild Salmon Narrows e-campaign. Every morning next week, you’ll get a special message you can send to government asking them to clean up the salmon farming industry. Sign up to be part of the action. There is a lot to be concerned about.
In Europe, salmon escapes are on the rise. Intrafish -- an online publication for global seafood professionals -- just reported a 380% increase over last year in salmon and trout escapes in Norway so far for 2009. Scotland also reported an escape in September where 60,000 salmon fled an open-net cage farm in Argyll.
In Chile, the widely documented infectious salmon anemia (ISA) outbreak ravaged the country’s salmon farming industry, wiping out three quarters of its stock. This led to the massive use of antibiotics in a futile attempt to stop the spread of disease, thousands of lost jobs, devastated communities, as well as major economic losses.
Canada’s west coast witnessed the crash of its iconic Fraser River sockeye run -- only 1.3 million returned out of an expected 10.4 million -- with salmon farms a possible factor in the crash. And just last month 40,000 salmon escaped a Marine Harvest farm in BC. On the east coast in New Brunswick, Health Canada approved experimental trials of deltamethrin, a synthetic insecticide used to treat sea lice infestation on farmed salmon by surrounding the farm with tarps, ‘bathing’ the fish in the insecticide, then releasing the treated water into the marine environment. Since salmon farmers in Canada normally rely on emamectin benzoate (EB), or SLICE to manage sea lice, the trials are likely a response to another problem with salmon farming -- a growing resistance to chemicals and pesticides used in the production of farmed fish. The release of these chemicals into the open ocean after the experiment was also of great concern.
From the global perspective, international standards for sustainable salmon aquaculture are currently under discussion by both the global industry and conservation groups in response to rising consumer demand for more sustainable products. This is a critical overarching issue -- rigorous standards are essential to ensure the protection of wild salmon and marine ecosystems. CAAR has been actively involved in this process through the Salmon Aquaculture Dialogue. Members of CAAR will be meeting with other stakeholders involved in this group in Norway this November and we will keep you informed of the progress.
Clearly, there is much work to be done on the road to sustainability when it comes to salmon aquaculture. But we can achieve real change, such as shifting production to closed containment, by standing together as concerned citizens and letting government and industry know enough is enough. During the Global Week of Action, people are doing just that! Be part of the international effort to foster change by getting involved in BC, signing up for our week-long actions, or going to the Global Week of Action international website for links to actions in other regions. No matter where you are, you can make a difference.
Thank you for your support!
|
