jeffywestcoast
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the link Klob and congrats on the new Wellcraft, what a bad-butt fishing machine! saw a picture on the french creek thread
So now we want farmed chinooks released into the ocean? Make up your mind guys!!!
A hatchery is not basically a fish farm. There's a big difference between raising fish for food, and raising fish for intended release. A farm is a farm, regardless of whether it is on land or at sea. If you want to raise fish for food, you are selecting for different characteristics than you would if you are intending to produce fish that will adapt well to a natural environment. No different than releasing a few nice big grain fed cows into the Northern BC forest to fend for themselves. They may do very well when eating out of a trough, but they don't have the genetics to do well when out in the wild. Take a look at anything we cultivate for food and see how closely it resembles the wild form (sheep, cows, strawberries, chickens). Very different than what we would do if the intention was producing a creature for release into the wild.
Fish farms (like Omega) will select for certain characteristics. Not uncommon to breed a few large males with many females to try to produce bigger, faster growing fish. Nothing wrong with that at all if your intention is big fish for market. If you're releasing fish into the wild in the hopes they come back and spawn, it's probably better to not have a few thousand brothers and sisters courting each other back on the grounds.
I've got little issue with releasing these fish, but for the proponent to be touting it as the saving grace of the Alberni Inlet Chinook stock is quite misguided. These things will be seal bait.I see no benefit to releasing them, and some (admittedly low) risk to wild stocks from this action. I primarily have issue with the misrepresentation of the situation by the proponent, and the (not unexpected) take of this thing hook line and sinker by the (supposedly) anti farming crowd, who are now apparently in full support of releasing farmed Chinook into the wild to intermingle with their wild brethren.
So now we want farmed chinooks released into the ocean? Make up your mind guys!!!
Agree with birdsnest for once about some of what he posted.
A hatchery usually takes native salmon from its own river and breeds multiple pairs for release. Where did these chinooks come from? From wild stock? I doubt it?
If they are wild fish raised in a fish farm fine - release them. If they are farm fish from who knows where with who knows what then no thanks I'm against farmed fish in the pacific even if I might catch one someday. Yes this is different then atlantics and it is different then net pens but we don't need every joe with a fish farm raising chinooks and releasing them into the wild to build trust with anglers.
You asked if I got a net pen job? HAH! Look he easy your bought by the industry you might catch one of these guys someday so all of a sudden they are alright. It's the opposite I'm against farmed fish you are for AND against farmed fish which gets confusing. It's like the slot limit this fish is ok but that ones not this ones really bad but that one is bad unless its released into the wild... Huh?
I'd rather shut down that fish farm plant or turn it into a hatchery for local stock vrs. allowing them to raise their own fish then release the excess to look good in the community. The inlet needs more salmon but releasing various farm stock is not the solution to the problem.
By "aquaculture " fish you mean these fish are started off there for fish farms?
Is this a "one off" for Omega?
Why do they want to give this particular batch away?
I also believe that just because they are "immaculate" does not mean they are free of the viruses such as PVR, ISA or IHN. Just sayin. Hatchery production may be facing new challenges based on the results of the upcoming court case. Something to think about.
Well I stand corrected then. Why is Robertson hatchery giving (selling?) fish to aquaculture? Our hatcheries are going to go down the drain with fish farms if the latter ever happens - at least that's what they want us to believe.
One of the issues here is that the DFO hatcheries normally release fish after only 3 months. The Omega fish have been raised in fresh water for 18 months - at a significantly higher cost. The DFO could not afford such conditions on a go forward basis so probably would not want to see anything that might prove the return data would justify the additional cost.
Pretty good analysis. Right now there will be conversations going on in the PM’s office debating the PR black eye they will take if they force these Chinook to be killed vrs the potential for a driving force to increase funding in a program area they would like to cut more funding from because they have other places to waste that money. Lets hope Pacific Salmon, our Way of Life and the Economy of BC are the winners here.
Thanks for clarifying IronNoggin.. i see what it is all about now ,the all mighty DOLLAR... Hope to see these fish released into the river instead of youthanized.