{"id":25611,"date":"2020-12-05T19:09:04","date_gmt":"2020-12-06T00:09:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/?p=25611"},"modified":"2020-12-07T19:05:02","modified_gmt":"2020-12-08T00:05:02","slug":"18-fish-farms-the-canadian-government-has-until-dec-18th-to-decide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/en\/18-fish-farms-the-canadian-government-has-until-dec-18th-to-decide\/","title":{"rendered":"18 fish farms: Canadian Government has until Dec.18 to decide on renewal"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Roy L Hales<\/p>\n

Two months have passed since Fisheries and Oceans Canada\u2019s (DFO<\/a>)\u00a0announced<\/a>\u00a0that \u201cnine peer-reviewed, scientific risk assessments\u201d find that salmon farms pose a \u2018minimal risk\u2019 to\u00a0salmon migrating through the Discovery Islands<\/a>. This finding is important because the Canadian Government has until Dec. 18 to decide whether to renew the licenses of the 18 fish farms operating in that region<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the federal licenses of the salmon farms operating in the Discovery Islands are set to expire on December 18th. I\u2019m really not sure how that lined up because its not the case for the rest of the coast, but it is for these 18 farms. You know, that\u2019s a fifth of the industry,\" independent biologist Alexandra Morton<\/a> explained.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>

The approximate locations of the 18 fish farms. Map by Roy L Hales.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"A<\/a>

A Sept. 26 demonstration in Campbell River. Photo by Rod Burns.<\/p><\/div>\n

Research funded by the industry<\/h2>\n

In a recent interview<\/a> with The Globe and Mail<\/em>, Dr. Kristi Miller-Saunders<\/a>, head of the department\u2019s molecular genetics laboratory at the\u00a0Pacific Biological Station<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0Nanaimo<\/a>, expressed concerns about the fact DFO is relying on studies that were funded by industry. Miller-Saunders said this leads scientists to \u201conly asking the research questions that the industry agrees with.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay Parsons<\/a>, director of Aquaculture, Biotechnology and Aquatic Animal Health at DFO, insists that DFO researchers \u201cindependently undertake the research and that research is public and it is published and it is made available to the scientific community.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"A<\/a>

Cermaq\u2019s Raza Island farm, just north of Read and Cortes Islands. - courtesy Cermaq Canada<\/p><\/div>

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Why not sea lice?<\/h2>\n

Some scientists ask why sea lice were not among the problems that needed to assessed, in connection to the Salmon farms having their licenses renewed.<\/p>\n

Morton explained, \u201cFor some reason DFO, while they provided evidence on nine pathogens<\/a> that are associated with salmon farms \u2026 they completely omitted sea lice \u2013 the most obvious, the best studied and probably the greatest impact on juvenile wild salmon that are trying to get past these farms.\"<\/p>\n

Cortes Currents asked the DFO about this omission<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe completion of ten risk assessments was not a specific recommendation of the Cohen Commission,<\/a>\u201d was the answer.<\/p>\n

Fisheries and Oceans Canada set the permissible limit at three lice per fish between March 1 and June 30, when wild salmon migrate out to sea.<\/p>\n

Cermaq Canada's response<\/h2>\n

Cermaq Canada is one of the three salmon farm companies in the Discovery Islands.<\/p>\n

While they were not able to respond in time for this article, Cortes Currents had previously interviewed their Communications and Engagement Manager, Amy Jonsson.<\/p>\n

She\u00a0 explained<\/a>\u00a0, \u201cthis limit was set by DFO science based on risk assessment and potential risk to wild salmon.\u201d<\/p>\n

David Kiemele<\/a>, managing Director of Cermaq Canada, added that, \u201cthe higher the number of sea lice in the ecosystem, the more frequently we will need to treat our farms. Sea lice numbers can fluctuate depending on several factors such as water temperature, salinity and the in migration of wild salmon. Once lice enter our farms, as with any farmed animal, the parasites can undergo an amplification effect. Because of these dynamics, we monitor lice levels on a weekly basis and plan to treat the farms when lice levels are seen to be increasing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Looking<\/a>

Screenshot looking through the net of a salmon farm. Photo courtesy of a DFO video Aquaculture Research: Alternative Control Methods for Managing Sea Lice.<\/p><\/div>\n

Sea lice in the Broughton<\/h2>\n

Morton does not believe the industry explanation is sufficient, \u201cIn the Broughton Archipelago<\/a>, where the [First] Nations are telling the industry what to do, they all kept their lice under control last spring. The industry posts their sea lice numbers on their websites. About fifteen years ago the province said, \u2018Look, you guys can have three lice per fish and after that you have to deal with them.\u2019 So in the Broughton, they kept it under. Everywhere else, they went over, including the Discovery Islands where 50 per cent of the farms went over.\"<\/p>\n

\u201cThe problem that the salmon farms are facing, which has become all of our problem now, is that the sea lice have become resistant to the wonder drug, called Slice, that really worked,\" she added.<\/p>\n

Cermaq defends its methods<\/h2>\n

Kiemele disagreed with this assessment of slice, \u201cIn some circumstances, we have treated our farms for a second time within weeks, and the reason is not connected to the efficacy of the treatment.\"<\/p>\n

He claims that more treatments were needed because of sea lice in the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n

Kiemele<\/a> added that, to varying degrees, his company is implementing six of the eight recommendations made against the industry in the \u2018Lousy Choices\u2019 report.<\/p>\n

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Recommendations made on page 10 of Lousy Choices II.<\/p><\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cThe remaining two recommendations \u2013 Recommendation 2: DFO should set limits on the total abundance of lice per farm and area; and Recommendation 4: Lower the sea lice treatment threshold to at least 0.5 female lice per fish \u2013 are complex due to the interpretation of risk and regional and seasonal variables, and both conversations being held within several industry, stakeholder, rights holders, and government working groups in which Cermaq is participating,\" he said.<\/p>\n

When more than three lice per fish are found at a salmon farm, they are currently given 42 days to clean up. Some critics suggest this should be changed to 10 days.<\/p>\n

Kiemele wrote that his company is already implementing this clean up procedure.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs part of our new Conditions of License (March 1st 2020), there is an increased monitoring and management requirement in February to ensure that farms are below the threshold going into the outmigration period,\" he added.<\/p>\n

Consulting with First Nations<\/h2>\n

DFO announced that prior to making a final decision, they must consult with seven First Nations from the Discovery Islands. Four of these \u2014 the Holmalco<\/a>,\u00a0Klahoose<\/a>,\u00a0K\u2019omoks<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Tla\u2019amin<\/a> \u2014 are among the more than 100 First Nations<\/a>\u00a0that signed a joint letter supporting the transition to closed containment system. Two of the others, the\u00a0We Wai Kai<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Wei Wai Kum<\/a>\u00a0First Nations, have voiced their opposition to fish farms on numerous occasions.<\/p>\n

It is being reported that the mayors of\u00a0Campbell River<\/a>,\u00a0Port Hardy<\/a>,\u00a0Port McNeill<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Gold River<\/a>\u00a0are\u00a0asking to be included in the government consultation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Links of Interest:<\/h2>\n