fish farm propaganda

[Some fly]

Some fly you are right in saying that fish farms are providing a large amount of fish to the open market. But if we didn't have them its arguable about what would happen to the wild stocks. The thing to remember is that most open pen feed lots in BC farm atlantic salmon and the world wide demand is reflecting the demand for atlantics, not our pacific species. Salmon farms are currently being accused of adversely affecting Sokeye. These fish are prized for their flavour, many people consider them to be the best tasting of all pacific salmon. If they are adversely affecting the fraser river runs of Sokeye the loss of those fish needs to be added to the cost of operating the farms.

What I am finding more and more is that the fish farming industry has made some huge mistakes in the past and probably has damaged Salmon returns. I say this after watching the above film and hearing all the changes they said have been done to the way feed lots are run. Yes they may have sea lice under control now, but did they four years ago? When they raised fish that did not survive well in the feed lot pens, did the causes of their demise infect wild fish? The use of SLICE to treat sea lice, have they looked at the impact of this chemical on all other invertebrates? And how long does it stay in the environment before it breaks down? The farming industry is trying to reduce their impacts and I applaud them for that but if the way they were operating before now wasn't damaging the environment and wild fish, why all the changes to operation?

As I said yes they do need to improve there methods but fish farms are needed because the demand for fish will only increase due to population growth. Unfortunately you cannot rely on wild stocks to fill this demand and it will not go away. You mention that most farm Atlantic's but look at the amount of Pacific salmon that is produced and think what it would do to the wild stocks if it was harvested from them. Also odds are the market that was buying the Atlantic's would also need to be filled and a good chance a good part of that would buy wild Pacific salmon if there was not farmed Atlantic's.

My point was there are many problems that need to be addressed and even if you get rid of the off shore farms it will not be enough(it may even add a new problem). Working with theses farm to improve how the industry operates in my opinion is a smarter way to go.

Here are a few other problems

1)Seal and sea lions are in higher numbers than the past

2)The amount of spawning habitat lost(The gravel extraction on the fraser could not of been good for stocks)

3)The numbers of the fish salmon prey on are also declining

4)The abuse by members of the Native, commercial, and sport fisheries

And there are others

I am just trying to see the big pitcher and not blame everything on one problem.

[swinger]

Open net salmon fish farms are not needed to feed people. The feed of these fish is wild, a massive loss of protien in a protien hungry world. Farmed fish are used to provide cheap product to a society that demands cheaper and cheaper products. If all sea fin fish pens were closed today here in B.C. we would simply order more tilapia or trout from on land systems. Open net sea pens are not needed to feed our populas but they are needed for massive profits to be made from wild fish made into salmon feed. Open sea pens are in salmon habitat. They are creating negative impacts on salmon stocks, the runs of developed urban centers and pristine wilderness.

[bub1]

Hi folks, alot of good info and suggestions into this problem.... Swinger beat me to it.... We need to change our mindset on farming salmon.... Catfish,trout and tilapia are way better options in sustainability. IMO. Again swinger said Salmon farms are not needed to feed people. You hit the nail on the head. The fish farm ads on tv drive me nuts. "feeding the growing population" That is pure bullshit! It's 100% pure marketing for THEIR product for profit. Again IMO. WE DON'T NEED SALMON FARMS don't give in to their propaganda. Where is the food for these farmed salmon gonna come from...? oh ya dfo just OKed some DRAMATIC INCREASE to the herring fishery in the strait. Just another DFO dis-ASS ter. Bottom line for me is they cannot co-exist with wild stocks period.

[Steve Zissou]

The problem with the demand for fish is in the methods used for obtaining the fish.

Commercial fisheries use unsustainable practices that are being overdeveloped at unsustainable rates.

It's time for the salmon lots to get out. There's no need to grow Atlantic Salmon on the Pacific coast when we have better salmon NATURALLY.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[Sockeye]

There's an even easier way to get around all this, move the dam lots on shore.

[PKer]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Well said.