NDP, Greens Kick Fish Farms Out of BC Oceans, Updated June 16, 2017

Well, finally, some politicians with spine have arrived, meaning they can tell just as well as anyone else that in-ocean fish farms are dinosaur technology and only in the ocean to use it as a free, open sewer.

In fact, the in-ocean industry in BC is in big trouble from the new Atlantic Sapphire plant being built in Florida, that will put out, inside the USA market, more fish than the entire BC industry, with the important point that it will be on land - 90,000 mt.

Of course there are the other issues besides all that sewage: disease, algal blooms, infecting wild fish, killing wild fish, lice, antibiotics, antifouling paints, conflict of interest with governments and science, firing workers, killing seals with bullets to their heads... the list goes on.

And Johan Andreassen, of Atlantic Sapphire hired a COO from Marine Harvest, Villa Organic, itself, so MH gets that on-land is the way of the future, too, losing a senior staffer to on-land.

But now, the BC Greens and NDP, who will shift the Liberals aside shortly in a non-confidence vote, campaigned on a platform that included taking fish farms out of the water.

See: http://www.farmfreshsalmon.org/2017-provincial-general-election-may-9-2017.

Here's what the Port Hardy NDP winner, Claire Trevena, had to say:

'“We will remove fish farms, we are committed to that… and make sure that these territories and the North Island are clear of fish farms.”

In a phone interview with The North Island Gazette this week, Trevena said her position and the position of her party on this issue has not changed. She said a transition to closed containment will eventually mean the closure of the open-sea farms.

'“A leads to B,” said Trevena. “But we haven’t got a timeline for it.”

Trevena also said the NDP would offer incentives for companies to move inland.'

I'd say with our $5,000 licences compared with the auction price in Norway of $9- to $12-million, that we are subsidizing them plenty already. Let them pay us that $9- to $12-million or let them get out of the water or go back to Norway, where their own country has refused entry to more farms in the water, and giving out free licences for on land.

Now, back to BC: here is the national Green policy: 'Implement measures to quickly phase out open-ocean net-cage fish farms and ensure that this aquaculture industry does not continue to harm wild fisheries;'

See: https://www.greenparty.ca/en/policy/vision-green/economy/fisheries. 

Here is the BC Green policy: '[The party] would phase out coastal open net-pen finfish aquaculture along salmon migratory routes. The areas affected cover the entire east coast of Vancouver Island, and the west coast of the mainland from the Fraser River north to the Broughton Archipelago.

The Green Party would provide transition funding to processing plants to find alternative seafood sources and to grow domestic and international seafood markets. Workers from closing fish farms would be provided retraining and job matching. 

“The dramatic decline of BC’s wild salmon began when fish farms were introduced. Wild salmon cannot be saved until open net fish farms are removed from migration routes, because of their deadly role in spreading disease and parasites,” [Sterk said.]'

And other jurisdictions are doing the same. In the USA, California, Oregon and Alaska all forbid fish farms in their waters. The movement for the same in Washington State is catching on, to move fish farms out of the ocean. (Google: Our Sound Our Salmon) Only BC would be left on the entire Pacific Ocean NA allowing the degradation of in-ocean fish farms.

Fortunately the Green/NDP coalition will put fish farms on land, as well.

And the movement is not limited to BC. Finland has 40% fewer fish farms than its peak in 1991. Denmark has 50% of its industry on land, too. And recently, Tasmania actually banned fish farms in Okehampton Bay, beyond the one currently allowed.

The point is that around the world no one wants in ocean fish farms anymore, and most people won't eat the fish once they understand its vast environmental degradation.

So Dominc Leblanc, DFO Minister, if no one in the world wants in-ocean fish farms, why do you? Put a farm of 600,000 Atlantic salmon in the Rideau Canal right beside the Parliament Buildings and then a mega one of 2,000,000 in the Ottawa River just below the Hill and you will understand pretty quickly why no one wants them, once their sewage and rotting fish have been around in the sun for awhile.

Take a look at all the groups/orgs and ENGOs around the world that are against in-ocean fish farms. There is only one way forward, the tipping point came two summers ago with Norway's giving out on-land licences for free.

See: http://fishfarmnews.blogspot.ca/2017/05/global-citizens-call-for-on-land-fish.html.