Aquaculture improving?..The Fish Farm Thread
- Thread starter islandboy
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Whole in the Water
Well-Known Member
Because it is an unsustainable, environmentally harmful industry that needs to move land based operations. Many industries have had to change over time to reduce their negative environmental impacts and concerned citizens and groups will continue to work hard to make these changes happen too! Status quo is not an option.
Whole in the Water
Well-Known Member
Ab-so-lute-ly! We will never stop pushing against this unsustainable, environmentally harmful industry until they are moved out of the ocean and on to land where their negative impacts can be better managed. Seriously - why would we stop?
The fact that net pen salmon farms harm declining wild salmon populations is all the more reason to push to get these net pens out of the water. There are many serious threats to wild salmon right now - so we need to fight for them on many fronts - not a problem for committed, hard working folks. In fact we don't have much choice if we want to save wild salmon.
The fact that net pen salmon farms harm declining wild salmon populations is all the more reason to push to get these net pens out of the water. There are many serious threats to wild salmon right now - so we need to fight for them on many fronts - not a problem for committed, hard working folks. In fact we don't have much choice if we want to save wild salmon.
G
gone fishin
Guest
- This past spring, we saw skyrocketing parasite outbreaks on factory fish farms and up to 99% infection rates of juvenile wild salmon.
What was DFO’s response? They changed the rules, giving factory farms 42 days to reduce lice levels when they go over the limit deemed safe for wild salmon. 42 days! Essentially, this is a free pass to kill wild fish. No fines, no repercussions.
First DFO and farmers said the parasites weren’t coming from their farms. - Then they said they weren’t killing juvenile salmon.
- Then they said they weren’t causing wild salmon population declines.
- Then they said their drug, SLICE®, would control their parasites.
- Then they said their new de-lousing boats would control the parasites.
The time for excuses is over.
Organic Consumers Association Sues Mowi, World’s Largest Producer of Atlantic Salmon Products
https://www.organicconsumers.org/pr...-largest-producer-of-atlantic-salmon-products
https://www.organicconsumers.org/pr...-largest-producer-of-atlantic-salmon-products
Wonder if DFO is listening/watching and will they do something about it?
Whole in the Water
Well-Known Member
DFO has repeatedly shown that they care first and foremost about supporting this foreign corporately owned, unsustainable, environmentally harmful, industry over protecting wild salmon and the marine environment. It is about money and politics, not about sound resource management. This is why concerned citizens must keep up the pressure to get this lice farms moved out of the water and on to the land where their environmentally negative impacts can be better managed.
DFO Aquaculture Branch is in a huge, unnecessary conflict of interest - and their continued lies and denials are a symptom of that untenable position. Unfortunately the people in that branch appear to not have the corporate memory - or experience - to recognize that conflict of interest that started with Yves Bastion's appointment in 1998 (see: https://www.sportfishingbc.com/forum/index.php?threads/fish-farm-siting-criteria-politics.37507/)
The upper echelons of DFO - like other federal agencies - know better, but somehow have convinced themselves that their collective unscrupulous and illegal behaviour (IMHO) is somehow justified after (I believe) listening to the FF lawyers & lobbyists threaten the politicians & deputy ministers with complicity in any future class action lawsuits that arise from dereliction of fiduciary duty from their core mandate of protection of the public's resources - the wild stocks. I may live long enough to see this happen - I dunno. I hope it won't be too late by then...
The upper echelons of DFO - like other federal agencies - know better, but somehow have convinced themselves that their collective unscrupulous and illegal behaviour (IMHO) is somehow justified after (I believe) listening to the FF lawyers & lobbyists threaten the politicians & deputy ministers with complicity in any future class action lawsuits that arise from dereliction of fiduciary duty from their core mandate of protection of the public's resources - the wild stocks. I may live long enough to see this happen - I dunno. I hope it won't be too late by then...
G
gone fishin
Guest
A false solution for salmon farming
During Clayoquot Action’s 2016 Wild Salmon Delegation to Norway, a major salmon farming company coincidentally announced they would be shifting production to ocean-based closed containment. The Norwegian government pledged to help fund the company’s research. We were alarmed, because we knew if this was the direction Norway chose to go, we would have to work that much harder to have Canadian salmon farms removed from the oceans. Norwegian companies enjoy operating in Canada because standards are slacker—regarding everything from tenure fees to salmon lice thresholds. So we were relieved in 2019 when the Liberal government promised to move salmon farms out of BC waters by 2025.
Enter Cermaq Canada, the Norwegian company rearing Atlantic salmon here in Clayoquot Sound. Cermaq recently announced they will start sea trials this fall at their Millar Channel site in Ahousaht First Nations territory. The system they want to experiment with is called a Semi-Closed Containment System (SCCS). So is this a step in the right direction?
As noted by Cermaq, it’s all in the name. They are being very clear that this is a semi-closed system. Basically the device is a fabric shell instead of the current status quo: open-net pens. So there might be less exchange between the farmed salmon and the natural environment—but there will still be plenty of exchange.
Salmon sewage not contained
Most shocking at first glance, is that the system will still be dumping raw sewage into the otherwise pristine waters of Clayoquot Sound. This is not insignificant—a typical salmon farm produces the equivalent salmon sewage of a city of 150,000 people (see page 12 here). With, say, twelve out of twenty farms in production, Clayoquot Sound is receiving the equivalent sewage of a city of almost 2 million people. What other farmer dumps their sewage directly into adjacent water bodies? But on the ocean, it’s out of sight, out of mind.
Furthermore, SCCS will do nothing for viral particles—they will simply be pumped overboard to infest wild salmon populations. Our Going Viral Report (published earlier this year) found that 11 of Cermaq’s 12 active salmon farms were infected with PRV-1a, a highly contagious and deadly virus from Norway. This new facility will continue to pump 65 billion viral particles per hour into the ocean environment—so it will not address one of the biggest known threats to wild salmon.
Remember, Cermaq has 14 salmon farm tenures in the Clayoquot Biosphere Region. They are only replacing one of them—the rest will continue to spew viruses, sewage, sea lice and chemicals into the marine environment. Price seems to be a barrier—the system has been quoted to cost $5.5 million (although Canadian taxpayers will be subsidizing this Norwegian company to the tune of approximately $1 million dollars). Also, it will be only the second such system in Cermaq’s global operations, so it is not known how it will perform here. The new system is experimental.
Cermaq protecting their own fish—from fish farming impacts!
It appears that the purpose of Cermaq’s new facility might not be to protect wild salmon. Of course profit is the driving value for a corporation like Cermaq—they’re talking about actually increasing the number of fish in their SCCS. And the more one digs, the more it looks like an attempt to protect their own fish stock from the deleterious effects of salmon farming that they themselves are creating!
· For example, Cermaq claims the new system will protect their farmed fish from Hazardous Algal Blooms (HABs). As stated on DFO’s website: “Globally, the frequency and magnitude of HABs have increased in recent years, influenced by anthropogenic pressures such as eutrophication [read: salmon farm sewage] and climate change. The production of biotoxins and physical damage to biota caused by HABs affect all levels of the marine ecosystem and can impact the sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture. Similar trends are evident in British Columbia, with production losses due to the impact of HABs on the BC salmon aquaculture industry amounting to millions of dollars annually.” Yet Cermaq will continue to deposit the very sewage which fuels unseasonal algal blooms like the one which killed 205,000 Atlantic salmon at their Clayoquot Sound operations last November!
· Like trying to stop pregnancy with leaky condoms
· Semi-closed containment is a PR stunt—a false solution which will not stop wild salmon from sliding into extinction. It is a bit like handing out leaky condoms in order to appear to be doing something about stopping unwanted pregnancies. Great photo op as you hand out the condoms, but no way the plan is going to succeed!
· On a good note, environmentalists, Cermaq and the federal government all agree: there are better ways to rear salmon than the current open-net pen method. Hence the federal promise to remove salmon farms from BC waters by 2025.
· In a recent interview about the trial, Cermaq manager David Kiemele said, “The one thing we do need is time”. But wild salmon are on the brink of extinction, with numbers lower than ever seen in Canadian history. This is not the time to invest public money in a dead-end technology. It’s time for Cermaq to face the music: fish farms are coming out of BC waters.
During Clayoquot Action’s 2016 Wild Salmon Delegation to Norway, a major salmon farming company coincidentally announced they would be shifting production to ocean-based closed containment. The Norwegian government pledged to help fund the company’s research. We were alarmed, because we knew if this was the direction Norway chose to go, we would have to work that much harder to have Canadian salmon farms removed from the oceans. Norwegian companies enjoy operating in Canada because standards are slacker—regarding everything from tenure fees to salmon lice thresholds. So we were relieved in 2019 when the Liberal government promised to move salmon farms out of BC waters by 2025.
Enter Cermaq Canada, the Norwegian company rearing Atlantic salmon here in Clayoquot Sound. Cermaq recently announced they will start sea trials this fall at their Millar Channel site in Ahousaht First Nations territory. The system they want to experiment with is called a Semi-Closed Containment System (SCCS). So is this a step in the right direction?
As noted by Cermaq, it’s all in the name. They are being very clear that this is a semi-closed system. Basically the device is a fabric shell instead of the current status quo: open-net pens. So there might be less exchange between the farmed salmon and the natural environment—but there will still be plenty of exchange.
Salmon sewage not contained
Most shocking at first glance, is that the system will still be dumping raw sewage into the otherwise pristine waters of Clayoquot Sound. This is not insignificant—a typical salmon farm produces the equivalent salmon sewage of a city of 150,000 people (see page 12 here). With, say, twelve out of twenty farms in production, Clayoquot Sound is receiving the equivalent sewage of a city of almost 2 million people. What other farmer dumps their sewage directly into adjacent water bodies? But on the ocean, it’s out of sight, out of mind.
Furthermore, SCCS will do nothing for viral particles—they will simply be pumped overboard to infest wild salmon populations. Our Going Viral Report (published earlier this year) found that 11 of Cermaq’s 12 active salmon farms were infected with PRV-1a, a highly contagious and deadly virus from Norway. This new facility will continue to pump 65 billion viral particles per hour into the ocean environment—so it will not address one of the biggest known threats to wild salmon.
Remember, Cermaq has 14 salmon farm tenures in the Clayoquot Biosphere Region. They are only replacing one of them—the rest will continue to spew viruses, sewage, sea lice and chemicals into the marine environment. Price seems to be a barrier—the system has been quoted to cost $5.5 million (although Canadian taxpayers will be subsidizing this Norwegian company to the tune of approximately $1 million dollars). Also, it will be only the second such system in Cermaq’s global operations, so it is not known how it will perform here. The new system is experimental.
Cermaq protecting their own fish—from fish farming impacts!
It appears that the purpose of Cermaq’s new facility might not be to protect wild salmon. Of course profit is the driving value for a corporation like Cermaq—they’re talking about actually increasing the number of fish in their SCCS. And the more one digs, the more it looks like an attempt to protect their own fish stock from the deleterious effects of salmon farming that they themselves are creating!
· For example, Cermaq claims the new system will protect their farmed fish from Hazardous Algal Blooms (HABs). As stated on DFO’s website: “Globally, the frequency and magnitude of HABs have increased in recent years, influenced by anthropogenic pressures such as eutrophication [read: salmon farm sewage] and climate change. The production of biotoxins and physical damage to biota caused by HABs affect all levels of the marine ecosystem and can impact the sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture. Similar trends are evident in British Columbia, with production losses due to the impact of HABs on the BC salmon aquaculture industry amounting to millions of dollars annually.” Yet Cermaq will continue to deposit the very sewage which fuels unseasonal algal blooms like the one which killed 205,000 Atlantic salmon at their Clayoquot Sound operations last November!
· Like trying to stop pregnancy with leaky condoms
· Semi-closed containment is a PR stunt—a false solution which will not stop wild salmon from sliding into extinction. It is a bit like handing out leaky condoms in order to appear to be doing something about stopping unwanted pregnancies. Great photo op as you hand out the condoms, but no way the plan is going to succeed!
· On a good note, environmentalists, Cermaq and the federal government all agree: there are better ways to rear salmon than the current open-net pen method. Hence the federal promise to remove salmon farms from BC waters by 2025.
· In a recent interview about the trial, Cermaq manager David Kiemele said, “The one thing we do need is time”. But wild salmon are on the brink of extinction, with numbers lower than ever seen in Canadian history. This is not the time to invest public money in a dead-end technology. It’s time for Cermaq to face the music: fish farms are coming out of BC waters.
Court grants ‘Namgis appeal on fish farm transfer licence
https://www.northislandgazette.com/...squMdGhuOEPaXbfKAIcN5zolIkTiMXFtrED3Lt5crcSs#
https://www.northislandgazette.com/...squMdGhuOEPaXbfKAIcN5zolIkTiMXFtrED3Lt5crcSs#
I think that if one goes back through the case law - in their decisions - the judges have consistently told DFO the general guidelines on how and when to consult under s.35 of the Constitution Act - and what FNs need to do on their ends to cover-off their due diligence, as well - while adding to the body of case law and refining grey areas.
But....
DFO keeps getting taken to court for ignoring past court decisions and not applying those rulings across the board - and loosing almost all of those court cases brought against them.
Why is that?
Mandarins @ the top end of DFO do not want to loose control - and it often costs MILLIONS$ & years to go to court for every FN who wants to pursue justice in the court system. Not everyone can afford to take DFO to court. The mandarins know this.
They instead want to keep the system of quiet, private corruption & collusion with industry lobbyists & lawyers directing DFO behind the scenes, IMHO. The upper echelon in DFO are protected and they don't have to pay the lawyer costs. The taxpayer does. Things might change if they had to pay out of their own pockets.
No real accountability is the simple answer.
But....
DFO keeps getting taken to court for ignoring past court decisions and not applying those rulings across the board - and loosing almost all of those court cases brought against them.
Why is that?
Mandarins @ the top end of DFO do not want to loose control - and it often costs MILLIONS$ & years to go to court for every FN who wants to pursue justice in the court system. Not everyone can afford to take DFO to court. The mandarins know this.
They instead want to keep the system of quiet, private corruption & collusion with industry lobbyists & lawyers directing DFO behind the scenes, IMHO. The upper echelon in DFO are protected and they don't have to pay the lawyer costs. The taxpayer does. Things might change if they had to pay out of their own pockets.
No real accountability is the simple answer.
I would say that DFO looses 90-95% of the time in court on FN issues. Lots of examples. Having said that - the "winning" side rarely gets all of what it wanted, as well - but most often gets the judge to agree with the big nuggets in there. Sometimes, either side takes it back to an appeals court. I would say that FN appellants most often win there in about the same proportions, as well. Here's a few examples in the narrow vein of this thread:
https://www.canlii.org/en/#search/text=aboriginal rights aquaculture infringement fish disease
https://www.canlii.org/en/#search/text=aboriginal rights aquaculture infringement fish disease
wildmanyeah
Crew Member
I never said anything to the contrary... im out of this one deleted my posts for some reason you like to go in endless circles on this topic
cuttlefish
Well-Known Member
Video won’t play for me. I guess it’s because I don’t do FB?
cuttlefish
Well-Known Member
Here’s a link to another DFO “consultation” paper; https://dfo-mpo.gc.ca/aquaculture/act-loi/doc/Aquaculture-Act-Discussion-Paper-2020_en.pdf
G
gone fishin
Guest
Fish Farm Sea lice are and have been for years "Out of Control" !
They are killing wild salmon. How long can DFO ignore it?
They are killing wild salmon. How long can DFO ignore it?
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