B. C. salmon farming improving, report says
But Watershed Watch biologist calls the data released ‘ very coarse and of little utility’
OTTAWA — The B. C. aquaculture industry says new federal figures on the health of B. C.’ s farmed salmon sends a positive signal about the industry’s performance.
The information comes two years after Justice Bruce Cohen, in a $ 37- million report on the state of the Fraser River sockeye fishery, called on Ottawa to be more open with its scientific data.
While one critic called the latest disclosure inadequate and misleading, the B. C. Salmon Farmers Association said it provides evidence that contradicts criticism from environmentalists about fish farming.
“Our members are glad to see this information made publicly available on a regular basis so that people can see for themselves the good health and compliance records we have on salmon farms in B. C.,” said association executive director Jeremy Dunn.
The data showed an increase in the past two years in federal inspections and a better industry performance compared to 2011, when there were 71 site visits and in only about a third — 24 — did inspectors fail to find deficiencies, such as poor record- keeping on incidence of lice and technical problems with sanitizers.
There were 118 visits in 2012 and a much higher proportion of farms showed no deficiencies — 77. The result was almost identical last year, with 120 inspections and 83 sites having no deficiencies.
The association noted that many of the deficiencies involved paperwork mistakes.
Stan Proboszcz, a biologist with the organization Watershed Watch, said the data that was released has a glaring omission — the lack of details on disease and pathogens that may have been found in salmon carcasses.
“Doesn’t the public have a right to know if farm fish are sick in public waters?”
Proboszcz called the data release “very coarse and of little utility.”
He said that when the B. C. government was responsible for the sector, before a 2009 court ruling that shifted jurisdiction to Ottawa in a case brought by environmentalists troubled by Victoria’s handling of the industry, reports of pathogen and disease incidence were regularly made public.
B. C. fish farms have had bad publicity over salmon health, including viral outbreaks in 2012 at three farms. Two companies received $ 4.1 million in compensation under a federal program that bails out farmers and ranchers for losing livestock due to disease.
Proboszcz suggested Ottawa isn’t releasing more detailed data on sick fish due to concerns expressed by industry worried about bad publicity. Not true, says Dunn. “Our understanding is they ( federal Fisheries department officials) are working on that data and it will be included soon.”
However, Fisheries wouldn’t say Thursday whether such data will be made public.
Our members are glad to see this information made publicly available on a regular basis so that people can see ... the good health and compliance records we have on salmon farms in B. C. JEREMY DUNN B. C. SALMON FARMERS ASSOCIATION