Campbell River<\/a>\u2019s two other fish farm companies,\u00a0MOWI Canada West<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Grieg Seafood<\/a>, also made substantial donations.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Linda Sams<\/a>, Sustainable Development Director at Cermaq Canada explained, \u201cIt is part of our culture and we have a shared value approach. Meaning that we are part of communities and we believe we need to add value to the communities we operate in.\u201d<\/p>\n Cermaq has a volunteer donations committee made up of employees from both the Tofino and Campbell River offices, They meet monthly to review applications and decide which programs to sponsor.<\/p>\n \u201cThe vast majority of our support falls under $1,000, which is why we can support hundreds of associations, organizations, events, initiatives and projects,\u201d emailed\u00a0Communications and Engagement Manager Amy Jonsson<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cSome examples include the Special Olympics, the\u00a0Campbell River Hospital Foundation<\/a>, countless youth sports teams across the Island, support for local salmon enhancement groups like the\u00a0Oyster River Enhancement societ<\/a>y and the\u00a0Thornton Creek Hatchery<\/a>. We have also supported school beach clean-ups and community events, festivals and initiatives such as\u00a0Salmon Fest<\/a>\u00a0and Canada Day celebrations.\u201d<\/p>\n Cermaq provided funding, volunteers and equipment loans for habitat restoration and mitigation work in the Clayoqout Sound area.<\/p>\n COVID changed the pattern of donations.<\/p>\n Jonsson explained, \u201cIn 2020 and 2021, the majority of our support has been focused on supporting communities and the needs of families during the pandemic. In 2020, we donated 60,000 pounds of fresh, premium salmon, and paid for the canning at St. Jean\u2019s Smokehouse and Cannery (to make is shelf stable), or which 3,500 cans were provided to seven local food banks here on the Island (Campbell River, Port McNeill, Port Alberni, Ucluelet, Tofino, Duncan, and the Comox Valley) as well as Richmond and Feed Nova Scotia. All nine of these food banks also received $2,500 in cash to help them meet the community need. The remaining canned salmon, was donated to both FoodBankBC and FoodBank Canada for distribution across BC and Canada.<\/p>\n Jonsson also provided a sampling of events from 2018 and 2019, when events and gatherings could still occur.<\/p>\n Data from Cermaq Canada; Chart by Roy L Hales<\/p><\/div> the Campbell River all-season playing field \u2013 courtesy Cermaq Canada<\/p><\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n The question of donations arose because of remarks made by two Campbell River Council members.<\/p>\n Charlie Cornfield said the DFO\u2019s recent decision to phase out fish farming in the Discovery Islands<\/a>\u00a0\u201cis based on social license, not science and not even informed.\u201d<\/p>\n Mayor Andy Adams\u00a0made a similar remark<\/a>, saying that by supporting the open net fish farms he was \u201cin support of dealing with the facts of science, technology and innovation.\u201d<\/p>\n This apparent one sided perspective of \u2018science\u2019 prompted the question, where are they getting their information?<\/p>\n A quick perusal of the\u00a0city of Campbell River minutes<\/a>\u00a0produced 56 entries from\u00a0MOWI Canada West<\/a>, 50 from Cermaq Canada and 41 from\u00a0Greg Seafood BC Ltd<\/a>.<\/p>\n There are no direct communications from critics of the industry like independent biologist\u00a0Alexandra Morton<\/a>,\u00a0Stan Proboszcz<\/a>\u00a0of the Watershed Watch Salmon Society or\u00a0Krisiti Miller-Saunders<\/a>, head of the DFO\u2019s molecular genetics laboratory at the\u00a0Pacific Biological Station\u00a0in\u00a0Nanaimo.<\/p>\n The few entries pertaining to Morton and Miller-Saunders were references to their work made by third parties.<\/p>\n A search for Proboszcz returned \u2018no results.\u2019<\/p>\n Photo courtesy Cermaq Canada<\/p><\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Linda Sams confirmed, \u201cWe do go around to councils and provide updates. We try to do it once a quarter. That\u2019s more around our certification requirement to make sure we are engaging with local government and communities, keeping people updated on what we are doing. I think it is important to work with local councils and local governments. That is something Cermaq participates in.\u201d<\/p>\n To which it might be added that while fish farms are an integral part of Campbell River community, critics like Morton, Poboszcz or Miller- Saunders do not live in the greater Campbell River area.<\/p>\n So what about the idea that scientists criticizing the industry aren\u2019t scientific, does Cermac agree with this?<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think Cermaq ever makes a statement that one science is better than the other. I think we need to look at all opinions and all science. This informs our decision making. We try to have an open mind. We don\u2019t always agree on all of the conclusions that are drawn from some of the work that is done, but we certainly acknowledge and listen to all contributions,\u201d said Sams.<\/p>\n In July 2020, Cortes Currents witnessed the speed with which Cermaq Canada responds to criticism.\u00a0Living Oceans had just given a failing grade<\/a>\u00a0to the aquaculture industries attempts to deal with sea lice, in a report entitled Lousy Choices II.<\/p>\nCermaq\u2019s donations<\/h2>\n
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![\"the](\"https:\/\/cortescurrents.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Cermaq-All-Weather-Playing-Field.jpg\")
Remarks by two Campbell River Council members<\/h2>\n
![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/cortescurrents.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_3598-450x600.jpg\")
We go around to councils<\/h2>\n
\u00a0Are Fish Farms \u2018scientific\u2019 and their critics not?<\/h2>\n