WATCH: B.C.’s biggest fish farm company invited the media to tour its new facility — claiming that it is addressing many of the problems critics have with the industry. Jill Bennett reports.
B.C.’s largest fish farm operator says its new facility solves many of the problems associated with farmed fish.
“We’re unique in the fact that we raise salmon in this environment. They’re raised in their natural environment so we need a healthy place for them to grow,” said Ian Roberts of Marine Harvest Canada.
Demand appears to be growing. B.C. government numbers from 2013 put the wholesale value of Atlantic salmon at $516 million, up 34 per cent from 2012. Wild salmon in B.C. was valued at $178 million.
Fish farms in B.C. coastal waters have long been controversial, with environmental groups claiming they lead to increased sea lice in wild salmon.
“We have a pretty good idea that the farms amplify sea lice simply because there are a large number of hosts–the farmed salmon–in a fixed area. So it’s pretty clear that the farms are the source of the lice,” said Stan Proboszcz of the Watershed Watch Salmon Society, who goes on to say there is no real evidence that farmers have improved their practices.
Roberts says claims of sea lice have been “disproven over the years.”
“We’ve had very high runs of Fraser River sockeye in the past five years. We’ve also had poor runs. That’s nature.”
Salmon farmers say there have been improvements to netting and the location of pens, and they are hoping to expand.
Jeremy Dunn, Executive Director of the B.C. Salmon Farmers Association, says there are currently eight licence applications for new salmon farms to DFO and the province, all in partnership with First Nations.
“In B.C., we believe if we can grow at two to three farms a year, we can more than double the amount of jobs created and triple the economic output,” said Dunn.
-with files from Jill Bennett
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