Fish Farm News And Science: 2023

Friday 20 October 2023

On Land Fish Farms - More than 400

Saturday 26 August 2023

Fish Farms Bad for Lobsters

Inka Milewski has done some more science on the problems with fish farms in Atlantic Canada: https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/federal-election/strongfish-farms-not-suitable-everywhere-says-biologist-after-shelburne-studystrong-92674/.

This time she shows there is evidence of problems with lobsters and the seabed.

"Not every bay, harbour, or inlet along Nova Scotia's coast is suitable for open net pen fish farming. That message is one of the conclusions of a multi-year study examining the recovery of the sea bottom in Shelburne Harbour during the months and years after the fish cages have been removed."

After two years of study after a fish farm was removed, there remain toxic problems: "She says that long after the last salmon were harvested at the former Sandy Point farm site in Shelburne Harbour, the sea bottom remains toxic and marine life has not recovered."

"Her study found that 50 to 90 percent of the sea bottom under and around the former fish farm remains covered in white sulfur-tolerant bacterial mats and sediment copper and zinc levels are still at toxic levels. Copper and zinc are additives in fish feed and are used in anti-fouling products found in marine paint and coatings for nets and rope.

Sediment sulphide levels, the only measure the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture uses to evaluate environmental health, are also still above acceptable limits." Typical for goverment is that they only look at very restricted research and then choose to ignore that limited science.

"Milewski said that her study shows that the location of fish farms matters and she hopes that the recommendations from the independent panel reviewing aquaculture regulations in Nova Scotia will address the need for better site selection criteria and process.

Milewski said that a more robust site selection process would avoid putting open net pen farms where there is a greater likelihood of environment damage, traditional fisheries displacement, and community dissatisfaction."

So, fish farms cause serious problems long after they are taken out of the water, and government fails to enforce laws against them.

Thursday 29 June 2023

Nearly 80% of BC Residents Don't like In-ocean Fish Farms

The most recent poll has determined that almost 80% of BC residents don't like in-ocean fish farms. They want them removed and placed on land to avoid polluting the ocean with sewage and killing wild salmon with lice and viruses.
See here: The reported results? 78% of respondents want fish farms out of BC waters. Read more.

Here is the most recent poll: https://www.clayoquotaction.org/what-we-heard-report/.
The previous poll, on this site, said 75%. Well, now it is 78%, or four out of every five British Columbians.

From the Claoquote Sound group that wants fish farms out of the water, here is the text from the report:

"The Transition Planning Team found almost exactly the same results. Yet they hid those in ‘ANNEX B’, on page 31 of their 34 page report. Here you will find that 78% of respondents want fish farms removed from the water, with economic supports focussed “into other sectors not related to aquaculture” (such as tourism).

"The report goes on to say “In general…Industry Representatives support a transition to…salmon aquaculture industry which drives innovation and supports the use of new technology”. In other words: ‘slow down here, we’ll keep on innovating and tweaking unproven and unworkable technologies in the ocean, until the last wild salmon is gone’."

Here is what Clayoquot Action says:

"This is not polarized

"The Department’s Framework for Discussion states: “There are strongly held, polarized views among Canadians on the benefits and risks of open-net pen salmon aquaculture in BC”. Political polarization is defined as “the divergence of political attitudes away from the center, towards ideological extremes”. That’s not what is happening here: the removal of salmon farms is supported by all the groups mentioned above, as well as the entire west coast commercial salmon fishing fleet and the union which represents the shoreworkers, tenders, and fishers.

"The salmon farming industry’s only support comes from people who directly benefit, whether they are First Nations, workers, bosses or shareholders. The membership of Nations and family members of workers are willing to (and do) speak out against salmon farms."