Whole in the Water
Well-Known Member
This is a letter from a streamkeeping group from up Island and some disturbing observations that have reported on. Looks like yet another negative impact on wild fish populations by the salmon feedlot industry. We need to continue to put pressure on the powers that be to get these harmful feedlots out of the water and stop endangering our wild salmon!
Aquaculture Net Pens Are Fish Traps for Wild Small Fish
Recently it was brought to our attention that the fish farms in Oakisollo Channel in the Campbell River area have been trapping herring and delivering them to fish plants. This was witnessed by a group of dignitary visitors at the site recently.
They were asking the farm technicians why there were so many herring in the pens and they were told that when the young herring were migrating up the channel they were small enough to filter through the mesh of the net pens by the thousands and decided to stay and feed on the food that was automatically spread to feed the farmed salmon and take advantage of this hand out. It wasn’t long that when they grew to a larger size that they could not escape through the small meshes of the pen and was trapped. They also witnessed a seiner come in and pump out the hearing to be delivered to a fish plant.
Now it sounds innocent at first, but it really it is a disaster, not only for the herring population as a food for wild salmon as there is a food shortage for them already. We are sure there is some escapement of herring after feeding on the feed they ingest. What is in the feed that the herring have ingested, are there some ingredients that we would not want to give to wild fish? And if so, would this be passed into the salmon when they are eating these herring and cause harm to the salmon and possibly pass a health problem to the next generation?
How many young Pink and Chum salmon migrating past these net pens wind up in the same situation and never escape. This is a very disastrous situation and these net pens should not be allowed to be positioned in the wild fish migration routs. This is one more reason why the net pens should be abolished altogether.
G. Eriksen,
Project Coordinator for the Storie Creek Streamkeepers
Aquaculture Net Pens Are Fish Traps for Wild Small Fish
Recently it was brought to our attention that the fish farms in Oakisollo Channel in the Campbell River area have been trapping herring and delivering them to fish plants. This was witnessed by a group of dignitary visitors at the site recently.
They were asking the farm technicians why there were so many herring in the pens and they were told that when the young herring were migrating up the channel they were small enough to filter through the mesh of the net pens by the thousands and decided to stay and feed on the food that was automatically spread to feed the farmed salmon and take advantage of this hand out. It wasn’t long that when they grew to a larger size that they could not escape through the small meshes of the pen and was trapped. They also witnessed a seiner come in and pump out the hearing to be delivered to a fish plant.
Now it sounds innocent at first, but it really it is a disaster, not only for the herring population as a food for wild salmon as there is a food shortage for them already. We are sure there is some escapement of herring after feeding on the feed they ingest. What is in the feed that the herring have ingested, are there some ingredients that we would not want to give to wild fish? And if so, would this be passed into the salmon when they are eating these herring and cause harm to the salmon and possibly pass a health problem to the next generation?
How many young Pink and Chum salmon migrating past these net pens wind up in the same situation and never escape. This is a very disastrous situation and these net pens should not be allowed to be positioned in the wild fish migration routs. This is one more reason why the net pens should be abolished altogether.
G. Eriksen,
Project Coordinator for the Storie Creek Streamkeepers
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