Minister Jordan Intends to get Rid of In-Ocean Fish Farms - Alex Morton's Take

Hello All,

I think it is important that everyone on this list know that this Minister, Bernadette Jordan, is taking unprecedented steps to get salmon farms out of the ocean. On December 17 2020 she prohibited restocking of 19 salmon farms in the Discovery Islands. Since then Mowi and Cermaq have repeatedly sued her and repeatedly re-applied to move millions of Atlantic salmon into the Discovery Islands where the Fraser and many Washington State salmon are heavily exposed to farm pathogens. Last week Minister Bernadette denied Mowi’s applications and Cermaq’s, again!

Because the farm fish are growing and cannot remain where they are, the companies are increasingly desperate. These decisions by the minister are sending shockwaves through the salmon farming industry.

As well three Nations of the Broughton Archipelago banded together to remove 17 salmon farms from the Broughton Archipelago. These are being removed a few every year, but this year they are removing three, two ahead of schedule. The reason for the slow removal was to prevent the companies from going to court. These nations have and continue to put enormous effort into this.

As it stands now all the federal salmon farm licences on the BC coast will expire next summer and this should trigger consultation with all First Nations who are hosting this industry. I work with many nations and they are advising the Minister of their intent when consultations begin. It is not for me to discuss what they are saying, but depending on the position they take, this industry could be shut down coast wide next year.

I have never seen a minister of fisheries stand up to the salmon farming industry in my 35 years of fighting this impact on wild salmon, but now we have one… until the election is called and we move to a care-taker government, which was absolutely disastrous the last time this happened.

As I chronicle in my new book Not on My Watch (national best seller), DFO staff is compromised on this issue. They are lying by omission, covering up the damage and mis-informing the minister. Jordan has somehow realized what is going on and key aquaculture staff are jumping ship. The lead aquaculture vet for DFO just left for new Zealand and the DFO Director of Aquaculture suddenly left after 20 years in the department. The new Director is a lawyer, who doesn’t answer questions.

So, if you are going to write to the Minister, maybe signal your support for her unprecedented actions. The young wild salmon migrating past Campbell River this year from the Fraser and elsewhere looked beautiful for the first time since I began research there in 2005. I did not actually know how plump the little salmon are, that their bellies are rounded, not flat-sided.

I am hoping the closure of these farms did not come too late, David is right there are more to the north and west Vancouver Island, but I know there is no hope if we get a weaker minister.

Thanks all,

Alexandra Morton

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And here is what I would add to this:

I should add that the Discovery farms do not employ 1500 people as Mowi claims. And it claims 7000 province wide. For all companies.

The BC Govt's own figure is only 1800 province wide and it has been dropping slowly for years. I calculated the Discovery employees based on salmon produced and the loss is only 212 jobs. That's how far out fish farms are - more than 700% too high.

And the revenue does not end up in BC. It goes back to Norway for the company and shareholders, whereas the sport, commercial and processors work here and revenue is used here.

And a few links for you to follow the stats up:

My analysis of the BC Stats Report on the, as they like to say, 'the fishing sectors' is at this link: http://fishfarmnews.blogspot.com/2019/03/mar-21-2019-bc-stats-report-2016.html.

It gives you many more stats than I have listed above, but the point is that fish farms have been losing jobs since 2000, at 5.3% per annum despite what they claim. I calculated the 212 Discovery jobs in a different post: https://fishfarmnews.blogspot.com/2021/01/another-sleepless-night-thousands-of-bc.html.

If you are really keen, the Ruth Salmon and Milewski article below the BC Stats tables of figures is the best single article I have ever read on the issues of employment in Canada and the social indicators. I suggest you read it.

One more thing:

July 26, 2021, in the Tasmanian press, the industry makes the same point that I have about decreasing job numbers in the link with the Milewski paper, and when the technology is brought to Canada from Norway where they produce almost ten times the salmon we do, with about twice the employment, leading to an 80% decline in Canada:

"I ask whether this doubling in value will result in a doubling of jobs. “No,” Amos says. “If you’re improving your technology it improves your profitability, it doesn’t automatically lead to increasing employment.” "

See: https://www.smh.com.au/national/the-battery-hen-of-the-sea-the-fight-to-clean-up-tassie-salmon-farms-20210624-p58433.html?fbclid=IwAR2k2dou1z5qVGEPIDFiy_R8kG23-ptAYnRVYDpc9v3HbRxMLsFrIEppXGY.

One more thing:

In 2020, Mowi produced 440,000 tonnes of salmon, with farms in Norway, Chile, Canada, Scotland, Ireland and the Faroe Islands.

Tasmanian Fish Farms Just as Bad as the Rest of the World's Fish Farms

Just in from Environment Tasmania that stands up for the environment in one of the most southerly countries in the world, their take on the many problems with fish farms in Tasmania.

They will sound familiar: major non-compliance, fire crackers/bean bags harassing seals, farmed fish rated red, or don't buy, flawed accreditation schemes. Note their website at the bottom. Read on: 

          DC

What an extraordinary week where multiple spotlights have been shone in to the Tasmanian Salmon Industry. The release of an ASC audit (industry funded audit process) of Petuna seafood’s leases in Macquarie Harbour which found major non compliance and Petuna withdrawing from the certification process altogether. Then we have the revelation that Tassal staff fire loud crackers and lead pellet loaded “bean bags” at seals.  Just this year up to July 1, 1,250 beanbags and 8,856 crackers had been used. Not only are the seals very vulnerable to damage but we have yet another example of fish farms polluting waters. Next we had the highly respected sustainable fish eating guide produced by the Australian Marine Conservation Society recommend a just say no to Tasmanian Salmon. A red rating based on a rigorous review of all the available data. Lastly, an international audit of the accreditation body for much of the world’s salmon industry including Tasmanian producers found the accreditation flawed in many cases. The review found Australian Salmon farms frequently breach Australian Stewardship Council standards but still have the right to badge their products with the ASC stamp of approval. We are working very hard to protect our marine environment and we will bring about change.  Philip Cocker http://www.et.org.au/

Tracking the Tassal Disaster - Tasmania, MacQuarie Harbour, Updated Sept 16, 2017

In a major timeline of fish farm problems in MacQuarie Harbour from the heady halcyon days before the farms to the end of an asphyxiated, sewage-laden harbour, ABC News has gathered together a long list of stories over the years, detailing the problems in the industry, mostly from Tassal.

See: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-08/how-salmon-farming-got-to-push-macquarie-harbour-to-the-limit/8349342.

Do go to the site and scroll down the stories. This is more than 30 years of a disaster slowly building. This is the way fish farms work: they start out okay, but as the sea gets polluted, the problems start happening and keep getting worse until fish die (not to mention the wild fish).

Even after 30 years, the EPA, has approved Tassal using, get this, a tarp under the pen to collect sewage, not a closed container, not on land. There isn't much point putting a napkin under a feedlot.

Here are a few links, of the 30 years of articles on the environmental damage in MacQuarie Harbour on the site:

June 30, 1986: Tasmania's first Atlantic salmon harvest: Noraqua, a Norwegian company operating with the State Government, harvests 55 tonnes of Atlantic salmon from its Dover sea farm.

Feb 5, 2003: Tassal buys into Macquarie Harbour: Tassal, which operated farms in southern Tasmania, went bankrupt in mid-2002 owing about $30 million. The receiver charged with sorting out the mess was Mark Ryan from audit firm KordaMentha.He convinces the banks to stump up the money to buy Tassal's rival Nortas. The move gives Tassal 65 per cent of Australia's salmon market and a stake in Macquarie Harbour.

April 14, 2011: Push to expand begins, warnings dismissed: "Primary industries minister Bryan Green backs the expansion bid as being in line with the industry's aim to double production by 2030.
He rejects concerns the expansion will threaten the World Heritage Area, citing "extensive" work and modelling that was "world's best practice". Does this sound familiar? The government is pro-industry, in a conflict of interest, and the world best science says they are right.

Ron Morrison, who founded Southern Ocean Trout, said:

I did say at the time that if the expansion went, as per the EIS [Environmental Impact Study], up to 29,500 tonnes, that the environment in Macquarie Harbour would probably completely collapse within five to seven years."

Jan 13, 2012: History of Non-compliance. Tassal

May 28, 2012: Expansion gets the green light. "The State Government approves the Macquarie Harbour lease expansion that would triple the state's salmon production"

April 10, 2014: Tassal gets ASC certification 

This shows that ASCs don't mean much. "Tassal's becomes the first salmon producer to receive Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) accreditation"

Some more text: "The ASC website states the certification is a badge of environmental responsibility.

"ASC certified farms deliver a cleaner seabed, cleaner water, healthier fish, preserve the diversity of species and wild population, follow strict feed requirements and ensure social responsibility," it reads."

Does this sound familiar? The WWF's ASCs saying things will be good, but in no time flat, Tassal is out of compliance, if it ever was in compliance. Read on:

Aug 24, 2014: And no oxygen a few months later in August:

"Secret report prompts expansion rethink

Photo: A sober report prompted a rethink of fish farm expansion. (ABC)

 

Acting on evidence that shows dissolved oxygen (DO) levels were in steep decline, the salmon producers form a working group to investigate.

Fish struggle and even suffocate in low DO water.

The group — made up of salmon farmers, CSIRO, IMAS and government representatives — confirms there has been a "clear downward trend" of DO in deeper water since 2009, corresponding with fish farm expansion."

 Jan 9, 2015: Less than a year after ASC certification, "'Tassal's Franklin lease should be destocked immediately'" because of worms within 4 kms that only show up feeding on feces.

May 21, 2015: So, two months later, Petuna has: "Massive fish kill after storm surge" into Mac Harbour.

This is how the industry goes every place it operates around the world. Growing and endlessly advancing environmental damage.

There are several dozen more articles that chronicle Tassal's problems, the lawsuits, the government endlessly backing fish farms as the problems get worse, as the public begins to demand taking fish farms out of the water. And this is a world heritage designated body of water.

You can read the several dozen more articles on the ABC site. Sobering is a polite word for the ongoing 'disaster', yes, a Trump word, but in this case it is true.

Oh, okay, one more article - on the issue of transparency. Industry always claims to be transparent, but seldom is:

 April 24, 2017: "Tassal claims 'dead zones' improving:

After calling a press conference to announce Tassal's internal testing had shown a "dramatic environmental improvement" in their MH leases, CEO Mark Ryan says the data is not available for public view.
Environment Tasmania's Laura Kelly accuses Tassal of "double-speak".

"We have got Tassal claiming to be transparent but refusing to release their own internal data. The public just wants to know that their World Heritage Area is being protected," Ms Kelly says."

Here is the last item:

June 30, 2017: the EPA approves the tarp under fish farm sewage removal 'system': http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-01/epa-approves-tassal-waste-disposal-system/8669042.

Yes, a tarp is a sewage removal 'system'.

Global Fight Against Fish Farms - Tasmania

Environment Tasmania has entered battle with Tassal fish farms that has fouled the ocean so much and had such negative effects on endangered species and wants to lecture kids in school to think they are environmentally sustainable.

Go here to sign the petition to keep Tassal out of schools: http://www.et.org.au/tassal_not_welcome_in_the_classroom?utm_campaign=tassal_schools&utm_medium=email&utm_source=environmenttasmania.

Here is the ET site: http://www.et.org.au/.

Here is the news release on the issue:

"To:Federal Minister for Education and Training, Senator the Hon. Simon Birmingham
CEO of the Primary Industries Foundation Australia, Ben Stockwin 

Please keep Tassal's corporate advertising out of our primary schools


Tassal have announced they are heading into schools to promote their salmon to kids. But with their soaring antibiotics use, marine dead zones, threats to endangered species and the formation of thick bacterial mats under their pens around Tasmania, Tassal gets a D minus in sustainability from us.

We know how important it is for kids to understand where our food comes, how it is grown and how to make the best choice as consumers. But when it comes to sustainable aquaculture Tassal has failed consistently in Tasmania. On the east coast of Tasmania Tassal are moving into endangered whale calving habitat, and on the west coast they have already pushed the endangered Maugean Skate to the brink of extinction. They’re planning to double production, which means farming new areas, and their track record suggests they’ll do so with scant regard for the concerns of locals, tourism operators and recreational fishers.

This is not what a truly sustainable salmon farming industry looks like, and it’s not what we want to be teaching the next generation. And with Tassal's product coming from unhealthy growing conditions, and the company's 75% spike in use of antibiotics listed by the World Health Organisation as very important for human health, there are real questions about how healthy Tassal's salmon is.

Tassal's corporate advertising has no place in our primary schools. We urge you to act to prevent Tassal's Salmon in Schools program from going ahead."

Sign here: http://www.et.org.au/tassal_not_welcome_in_the_classroom?recruiter_id=169165