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.

Taking Issue with Mark Hume on BC Salmon Farming

An article/column by Mark Hume, printed in the December 26, 2008 edition of the Globe and Mail, lays the blame for declining wild salmon stocks on salmon farming. Unfortunately, he fails to look at this critical issue in the context of all factors that affect wild salmon populations and have resulted in declines along the entire west coast of North America. Our wild salmon and their protection deserve a more thorough assessment of all factors that influence wild salmon populations – anything less is a disservice to wild salmon and to Mr. Hume’s readers.

Here’s how we responded to Mr. Hume. In a letter to the editor of the Globe and Mail, Mary Ellen Walling, BCSFA Executive Director, writes the following:

Mark Hume flags an important issue for BC: the protection of wild salmon. It is unfortunate that his passion is not matched by a willingness to look a little deeper at the causes of the current problem.

The easy thing is to blame salmon farming for wild fish declines. But the reality is much more complex. All up and down the coast, from Alaska to California, in areas with farms and in many areas without farms, salmon populations are in decline. The causes appear to include increased salinity, changes in water temperature, loss of habitat, urbanization and a host of other factors.

As Mr Hume correctly notes, salmon farmers can mitigate the impacts of farming to ensure we raise a healthy nutritious and sustainable product. A lot more work on the part of the larger population will be required if we are to move beyond rhetoric and take a hard look at making changes to address the larger environmental issues. To read Mr. Hume’s Globe and Mail article/column click here.

A February 2008 report from the BC Pacific Salmon Forum “Broughton Archipelago: A State of Knowledge” reviews all impacts of human development and industry during the past 50 years in this ecosystem. To read this report click here (Note: file size is >20 MB). Not all scientists agree with Mr. Hume. To read a commentary from the December 2008 issue of Science magazine click here.

25 Years of Salmon Farming in British Columbia

Click here for more from the Vancouver Sun.