BC Fish Farms - Low Employment

I have made the point before that BC fish farms are not about revenue and employment. They are about putting money in shareholder pockets.

While they continue to make the erroneous claim of 6,000 employees and $800 million in revenue in BC, the actual stats are far lower.

There are only 795 actual employees of fish farms in BC. I went out and found the figure. The BC Stats report on the 'fishing sectors' says that all of aquaculture amounts to only a $61.9 million contribution to GPP. By comparison, the rest of the fishing sector contribute ten times as much at over $600 Million, most from the sport fishery for wild salmon.

See: http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/StatisticsBySubject/BusinessIndustry/FisheriesAquacultureHuntingTrapping.aspx.

Grieg Seafood, in a letter to Campbell River Council, asking for support for its application for two more fish farms in Clio Channel by West Cracroft Island, confirms just how low fish farm employment is.

Th letter is from: "Marilyn Hutchinson, Director of Human Resources, Sustainability and Growth for Grieg Seafood BC Ltd., whose head office is located in Campbell River."

The letter said the actual employment is, "around 890 persons."

See: http://www.courierislander.com/news/local-news/campbell-river-council-sends-support-letter-for-grieg-seafood-s-two-new-fish-farms-1.1744561.

Their current actual number of employees is only 14% of what the industry claims. 

Back in their own country, Norway, Marine Harvest, Cermaq and Grieg Seafood, are the subject of intense scrutiny because of recent escapes of 120,000 diseased steelhead, lice far exceeding limits, and recently scientists and doctors telling Norwegians not to eat farmed salmon because of the toxic chemicals in them.