BC expansion causes fish farming fury

Recently, several letters to local First Nations groups announced that the federal government will be accepting applications to expand fish farming in the BC area.

The decision is highly controversial and critics claim it represents a lack of transparency in the federal government. Yet, according to an irate Green party, the government has already accepted twelve applications for farming in environmentally sensitive areas.

BC Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Gail Shea is under particular scrutiny. When asked whether Shea had previously spoken publicly or issued any statements about the moratorium being lifted, a spokesperson claimed via email that the minister “talked about it openly” but was unable to provide evidence of a press release, a statement, or a quote according to the Vancouver Sun.

Further contention surrounds the possible impact on wild salmon populations if the expansion goes through. Applications for expansion from all areas of BC have been accepted, with the exception of those from the Discovery Island archipelago located near Campbell River on Vancouver Island — this area was deemed especially fragile in the 2012 Cohen report, which called for a moratorium on fish farm expansion after the collapse of the Fraser River salmon population in 2009.

Shea has assured the public that the government is making “major investments in research” to “bolster . . . environmental protection in the aquaculture sector through science, enhanced regulatory regime, and improved reporting.”

According to the Vancouver Sun, Department of Fisheries and Oceans spokeswoman Melanie Carkner said, “All applications . . . will continue to be evaluated through the lens of environmental sustainability and engagement with First Nations and other stakeholders.”

In response, SFU professor of statistics and director of the undergraduate environmental science program, Rick Routledge, said, “The federal government’s claim that such decisions will be made ‘through the lens of environmental sustainability’ is not credible.”

Routledge told The Peak that the federal government has shown no signs of paying attention to environmental impacts on wild salmon populations in the past; in fact, “in the past they have hidden away evidence [of this],” he said. According to Routledge, in the fall of 2011, his research demonstrated positive readings for ISAv disease in local wild salmon. ISAv (or infectious salmon anemia) is a viral disease affecting Atlantic salmon populations in Canadian fish farms.

Routledge proceeded to alert the media in a press conference, and it was later revealed that Canadian government labs had found similar evidence of disease in 2002 and 2003. However the information had not come forward and was never supplied to Cohen as information for his report, even though some of the positive testing samples had been sockeye salmon.

The Positive Aquaculture Awareness society (PAA) published a statement on Jan. 17, stressing the need for fish farm expansion. They argued, “The Federal Minister of Fisheries, Gail Shea gave a clear signal for the orderly expansion of the industry which is vital as a provider of employment and business opportunities for many coastal communities.”

The PAA claims that the concerns of critics such as Routledge are “hard to justify” since the 2012 Cohen report never revealed a “smoking gun.” The PAA further backed up the government’s decision by calling into doubt the validity of their critics’ expertise saying: “As expected, the usual suspects of salmon farming critics rose to the occasion and flooded the mainstream media — most of whom (both critics and media) don’t know the slightest thing about salmon farming.”

“Coastal communities rely on commercial and recreational fishing. If you ask whether they would rather have a chance to fish or work in a facility they’d rather fish,” said Routledge. He went on to accuse the government and the PAA of “misusing the precautionary approach” and attempting to cause a “campaign of doubt”.

When asked about the effects this expansion will have on local wild salmon populations, Routledge explained, “There’s very little evidence of direct impact on wild salmon, but lot’s of evidence on ISAv and other diseases are turning up.”

These diseases are related to fish farm prevalence, and over-farming. “In my opinion, conservation of wild salmon takes priority, period,” said Routledge.

Routledge continued we “vigorously explore land facilities” as an alternative solution. Land facilities would eliminate any interaction between farmed and wild salmon, and a more controlled environment would lower infection risks. The Save Our Salmon Initiative is currently working with the Namgis First Nations community in testing one such facility, to see whether it is a viable option.