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"Organic" Label Needs to Protect Oceans and Wild Fish
On November 17-19, the US National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) will meet to decide on standards for organic aquaculture. CAAR’s submission to the Board recommends that open net-pens and wild fish in feed not be permitted in the US national organic program. But the Board also wants to hear from consumers.
Allowing practices that are harming wild fish and marine ecosystems in ‘organic’ standards would hurt the credibility of the label. Open net pen farming operations cannot control the transfer of diseases and parasites to wild fish, the escape of farmed fish, or pollution of the marine environment. And using wild fish in feed runs the risk of undermining the stability of both global marine and human food systems.
If the proposed standards for net pens go forward, the NOSB does not have mechanisms in place to evaluate or enforce many of the safeguards they have tried to incorporate. This leaves the standards open to interpretation in ways that can continue to have detrimental impacts on wild fish and our oceans.
The Board is always interested in hearing the perspective of consumers. This gives all of us an opportunity to help shape the final recommendations. CAAR and our allies are collecting petitions to deliver to the NOSB in Washington, DC on November 17th. Please take the time to visit our petition site and lend your voice. Help maintain the integrity of the organic label and prevent the greenwashing of unsustainable fish farming.
Passing Resolutions for Aquaculture Innovation
All around the province of British Columbia, a municipal movement is building! Local government support is growing for a solution to the problems caused by the open net-cage salmon farming industry. Leading the call for solutions are the Strathcona Regional District, Village of Sayward, and Alert Bay Village Council.
Closed containment is a closed and controlled type of aquaculture, in which a barrier can protect the environment and wild stocks from wastes, diseases, parasites, and other impacts of net-cage salmon farming.
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| Image courtesy of Westmar Consultants |
To date, the Strathcona Regional District, Village of Sayward, and Alert Bay Village Council have passed resolutions that support the creation of a $10 million dollar government fund for closed containment innovation. This fund would leverage contributions from industry, private investors, the philanthropic community, and potentially other levels of government to provide start up investment for qualified entrepreneurs who demonstrate the ability to build and operate closed system salmon aquaculture projects. The Mount Waddington Regional District will be discussing a similar resolution in January. The Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce sent a letter of support for the closed containment fund to the province as well.
This community-level support is thanks in part to the "Closed Containment Road Show," a presentation given by members of CAAR to interested community members, government officials, and related committees in BC’s coastal communities.
Will Soltau, salmon farming campaigner for the Living Oceans Society, is one of the presenters: "We need a made-in-BC solution that will protect our marine environment and reinvigorate our communities. A transition to closed containment technology will position BC as a progressive and sustainable aquaculture industry leader."
If you are a member of any regional district, village council, or chamber of commerce that would be interested in a presentation, or if you are interested in learning more about closed containment, contact Will Soltau at 250-973-6580 or Michelle Young at Georgia Straight Alliance at 250- 753.3459.
Be heard! Let the BC government know that you too support the innovation fund by sending a fax to Hon. Stan Hagen, Minister of Agriculture and Lands and Hon. Colin Hansen, Minister of Finance.
Mainstream Salmon Farms Blatantly Violate Licenses
Living Oceans Society uncovered years of unlicensed over-production on Mainstream Canada’s salmon farms in the Broughton Archipelago off northern Vancouver Island this month. Verified production figures, attained after much research, show the BC government has been turning a blind eye to the over production of thousands of tonnes of farmed salmon.
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Photo: Lara Renehan
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Living Oceans Society (a CAAR member group) confirmed that in two
18-month production cycles between 2001 and 2003, Mainstream exceeded
licensed production on their Broughton farms by 9,490 metric tonnes
(mt). From 2004 to 2006, inclusive, the over production was 13,594 mt,
almost double their licensed limit.
In an area where the scientific weight of evidence demonstrates net pen
salmon farms are threatening the survival of local wild salmon
populations this lack of government oversight is scandalous. "The fact
that this has been allowed to continue for at least six years indicates
a massive failure of enforcement and management on the part of the B.C.
government," said Catherine Stewart, Living Ocean’s Salmon Farming
Campaign Manager.
The blatant disregard for regulations is made worse by Mainstream’s
ownership – the major shareholder of Mainstream’s parent company Cermaq
is the Government of Norway. This demonstration of contempt for
Canadian regulations by a Norwegian multinational is appalling.
"Cermaq/Mainstream is currently applying for license renewals on many
of these same farms," Stewart said. "Living Oceans Society is calling
on the B.C. government to levy heavy fines against this Norwegian
corporation’s violation of our regulations, and to renew the company’s
licenses only if the permits are for closed containment operations."
The B.C. government has stated they are not considering any disciplinary action or penalties for the company’s violations.
For Sustainable Sushi, Hold the Farmed Salmon
Life just got easier for sushi aficionados wanting to do right by the ocean. The Blue Ocean Institute, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and Environmental Defense Fund recently co-released wallet sized guides for making sustainable sushi choices – and if anyone needs confirmation, farmed salmon (sake) is on the 'red list' of items to avoid.
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