CANADA FISH FARMS ENDANGER MARINE ENVIRONMENT

By Neville Judd

(ENS) – The Canadian government is reeling from two reports thatcriticize fish farming. EVS Environment Consultants of Vancouverexamined more than 200 Canadian and international studies and foundcases of high levels of drug residues in wild fish and shellfishcollected near marine fish farms, including levels that exceededacceptable levels for human consumption. “This means that fish andshellfish taken near these salmon farms posed a threat to the healthof those who ate them,” the reports said, “But it also statesunequivocally that not enough research is being conducted to quantifythese effects on wild stocks,” added a spokesman. In another report,auditor general Denis Desautels concluded that the federal governmentis not protecting the wild salmon population from farmed fish and thata full environmental assessment of the industry is needed.

Aquaculture is the fastest growing sector of the world food economyand is increasing by 11 percent a year.

Three of the world’s largest salmon farming companies operate inBritish Columbia, where 17 companies manage 105 salmon farms. In 1999,these salmon farms contributed US$448 million to the provincialeconomy. Each farm typically consists of a series of open mesh netcages suspended from anchored metal cage frames. Seawater passesfreely through the cages. In B.C. waters the aquaculture industryprefers to farm Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), because it growsfaster and tolerates higher stocking densities. Critics say wild fishpopulations are at risk from the farming of non-native species thatare fed a diet of fish protein, antibiotics and other drugs. The mainrisks include the spread of disease and competition for habitat fromescaped farm fish, as well as alteration of the wild salmon gene pool.Between 1991 and 1999, more than 345,000 farmed Atlantic salmonescaped from B.C. salmon farms, because of net failures or tears. TheDavid Suzuki Foundation [www.davidsuzuki.org], a Canadianenvironmental group that acquired the government report, is incensedthat Canada continues to promote the salmon farming industry despitethe findings of the two reports.