Brett Bundale - 2.6 Million Salmon Die - Fish Farms Aren't about Jobs and Revenue

HI Chronicle Herald

Re your article: https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/business/regional-business/death-of-26-million-salmon-in-newfoundland-reignites-debate-over-fish-farming-376777/?fbclid=IwAR2F_L-F3PU-ypjVn9vm0a_y0zLZiBF8sZ91D1PQnJlIOcBOEPBWs_qu0XE#.XdA2DYJVy2g.facebook.

Here is something for you/Bundale to investigate: fish farms tell govts that they bring jobs and revenue, and govts fall for it all over the world. But it isn’t true.

I have found that the employment is far lower than they say it will be and that it is going to decline 80% more in Canada as the Norwegian style automated fish farms bring their technology to NL, etc.

Here is an article that addresses the jobs issue in your area: https://fishfarmnews.blogspot.com/2019/07/fish-farm-problems-on-global-scale-inka.html.

It also addresses the issue of revenue. The reality is that contribution to GDP is far below industry revenue, with the profit going back to Norway for distribution to shareholders. The host country is left with environmentally degraded ocean and nothing more.

In BC, the stats are generated by the BC Stats people, and their report says, 1800 jobs, while industry inflates the figure to 7000, or almost 400% higher than it actually is. I used to write the same kind of analysis when I worked for the BC govt in Treasury Board Staff.

Here are the figures from the last two reports. Note that, among other things, employment and GDP contributions is, again, way below revenue, hence the money goes out of Canada. The 1800 job figure has declined over the last 20 years, and you can multiply that figure by .2 to arrive at the actual employment in the industry when the automation gets here: 1800 X .2 = 360. Puny employment, huge environmental damage, puny GDP.

See: https://fishfarmnews.blogspot.com/2019/03/mar-21-2019-bc-stats-report-2016.html. Item 10 deals with GDP versus revenue. The bottom of the post deals with job numbers and Norway jobs, leading to 80% down in the coming years.

Fish farms need to be on land. Fish farms say it can’t be done. This is like their jobs and revenue spin – it isn’t true. My list has 300 on-land fish farms around the world, while fish farms say it isn’t possible, ie, BS.

See: http://fishfarmnews.blogspot.com/2016/05/152-different-on-land-fish-farm-systems.html.

Brett might want to revisit these issues. If all you are left with is destroyed ocean, why bother with in-ocean fish farms. Put them on land.

DC Reid