Ian Roberts on Dining Around in San Francisco

Back on January 17, our buddy Ian Roberts was in San Francisco for a seafood show, and he stopped by the studios of KGO Radio to be a guest on Dining Around with Gene Burns. Give it a listen.

An Update on the "Go Wild" Kayaking Expedition

Back on January 13, Mary Ellen Walling of BC Salmon reached out to Phil Magistro and Apryle Craig, a couple planning on taking a canoe expedition along the coast of Washington state and British Columbia to survey the health of wild salmon stocks. After reading of the plans for their expedition, Mary Ellen offered to give the couple a tour of a salmon farm in British Columbia, as well as provide an opportunity for them to meet some of the folks who work on the farms.

Just a few hours after Mary Ellen sent that message, this is what she received in return:

Mary Ellen,

Thank you for your email and for your work in the coastal community. I immediately recognized your name from the Salmon Farmers Association website, where I learned there are tours available. There is a lot of controversial information out there and we definitely want to get a full picture of the situation for the survival of the salmon, ecosystem, and community.

We are very interested and grateful for your offer to visit a farm and to speak with your aquaculture scientists. It sounds like a great chance to ask questions to folks who have first-hand experience and knowledge. Thank you for suggesting this opportunity.

We have not yet outlined exactly where we expect to be and when. I don't think I was able to find on the website which location the salmon tours are at, but if you could let me know, we would look forward to putting this on our itinerary.

Thanks, again, for the email and please be in touch,

Apryle

Though the trip isn't scheduled for a number of months, we promise to keep our readers looped on the progress. Please stay tuned.

Reaching Out to the "Go Wild" Kayaking Expedition

A couple of days back, an employee at one of BC Salmon's member companies passed along a blog post from Phil Magistro and Apryle Craig, a married couple from Colorado who are planning to take a kayaking adventure this Spring that will take them from the coast of Washington state, up the British Columbia coastline and eventually to Alaska.

But Craig and Apryle aren't there just to have fun, they're also looking to, "examine and document the effects of salmon farming on the environment and coastal communities."

Here's more:

As part of their investigation, Craig and Magistro are making plans to:

* Document the salmon farms and surrounding environment through photography, videography, and written reports.
* Attend a salmon farm tour.
* Interview First Nations and Canadian residents from various industries along the route regarding their knowledge about and stance on salmon farming.
* Actively participate in salmon research.
* Promote sustainable seafood choices and encourage people to “Go Wild,” by supporting sustainable fishing and ocean-use practices.
* Build awareness for “The Eyes and Ears of the Coast” program and encourage the coastal community to participate.
* Educate the community about the threatened state of pink and chum salmon.
* Raise donations for Living Oceans Society with funds going towards the preservation of the magnificent coastal environment.

As you might imagine, BC Salmon has taken note of the trip and wanted to reach out to the couple. The following is a note Mary Ellen Walling of BC Salmon sent to them just a few minutes ago.

January 13, 2009

Dear Phil and Apryle:

Earlier this week an employee at one of the salmon farms here in British Columbia passed along a link to the post on your blog announcing your plan to kayak your way from Washington state along the British Columbia coast all the way to Alaska. It sounds like a wonderful adventure, and as someone who moved to the west coast of Canada many decades ago in part because of the incredible natural beauty in this region, I know that your trip will be filled with memories that will last a lifetime.

Like you both, my industry shares your concern about the local wild salmon population. At the same time, we also believe strongly that decisions about our environment not be based on emotional appeals and anecdotal evidence, but on a solid foundation of scientific research. I saw in your blog post that your trip will include a trip to a local salmon farm here in BC, and I'd like to offer you not only an opportunity to visit one of our farms, but also to get a personal briefing from some of our aquaculture scientists on the latest developments in our industry.

Needless to say while the salmon farming business shares many of the goals of local environmental preservation advocates, we often differ significantly when it comes to how we go about achieving those goals. In many cases, we believe that our operations have been characterized unfairly, and we'd like the opportunity to set the record straight.

Here's hoping that you take us up on our offer. In the meantime, good luck with your planning and best wishes for a safe journey.

Sincerely,

Mary Ellen

If and when we hear anything back from the couple -- and whether or not they take Mary Ellen up on her offer -- we'll let you know.

The Value of BC Farmed Salmon

Back in December, a publication called The Straight Goods ran a story about the wild salmon population in British Columbia. Yesterday, the publication ran Mary Ellen Walling's response to the piece:

As Stephen Leahy considers "the real price of farmed salmon" (December 15) he raises some important points about the need to protect wild fish.

Mr Leahy takes issue with salmon farming but for those concerned about the protection of wild fish and the environment a few more facts about aquaculture are in order.

Today, around the world, consumption of fish is on the rise. This is a good thing as fish is a healthy and nutritious component of a good diet. However, the roughly 85 million tons a year of commercially caught fish has brought many species to the point of collapse and is no longer sufficient to meet growing global demand. For many, the best way to meet increasing demand without putting undue pressure on wild stocks to eat sustainably farmed fish, such as those raised in British Columbia, Canada.

Farmers recognize the marine environment is their most valuable asset and must meet stringent regulatory requirements for the siting and operating of ocean farms. Farm stocks are carefully monitored to ensure both fish health and protection of the environment. In combination with fallowing, underwater inspections help to make sure the marine environment under the farms is in good condition. Mr Leahy describes himself as an environmental "journalist" but sadly there is little evidence of the basic tenets of journalism — accuracy and balance — in this piece.

For example, while it is true that some First Nations do not support salmon farming, others do. This year Marine Harvest celebrated the 10th anniversary of its partnership with the Kitasoo First Nations in Klemtu. As a result of salmon farming this remote First Nation community has seen unemployment levels drop dramatically and many young people now have both jobs and opportunities within their traditional territory. The 6000 men and women who work in British Columbia's sustainable aquaculture sector take great pride in raising a healthy, nutritious fish that is in demand around the world. And as residents of the coast they are some of the strongest, most knowledgeable, stewards of the environment. That's how we measure the real value of farmed salmon.

Mary Ellen Walling
Executive Director,
BC Salmon Farmers Association
Campbell River, BC

2009 Looks Good for BC Salmon

From the Business Examiner:

Sales of B.C.’s farmed salmon remain brisk. “We have not been able to meet demand for several years now, especially in the U.S. market, our largest customer, with about 85 per cent of the product we grow in B.C. heading across the border,’ says Mary Ellen Walling, executive director of the B.C. Salmon Farmers Association, based in Campbell River. “2008 has seen fair prices for farmed salmon with a slight drop in the last quarter,” she says. Production and staffing levels, moreover, are expected to remain unchanged throughout 2009.