1) Alaskan Fish & Game Dept. call for phase-out of B.C. salmon farms.
2) Scotland announces $9M to eradicate more ISA-stricken farm salmon.
3) Scotland recalls chemical discharge consent for farm salmon sealice.
4) Times Colonist (salmon farming) "An idea awash in sea of troubles"
by Laurie MacBride (sorry no e-copy available)
....................................................................
FYI.: from LAWS FOR THE SEA 1999 NO. 3
Congratulations to Alaska despite the obvious challenges of making such
a declaration about B.C. salmon farming. -Howard
ADF&G 'WHITE PAPER' CALLS FOR PHASE-OUT OF B.C. SALMON FARMS
With a decision by the government of British Columbia on whether to
lift a four-year old moratorium on new salmon farms scheduled later this
month, the Alaska Department of Fish & Game is publishing a "white paper"
stating its concerns and calling for the eventual phase out of the
province's 80 existing farms.
If the freeze is lifted the BC Salmon Farmers Association would like to see
a steady increase over the next decade to as many as 200 farms, including
possibly 30 facilities in the Prince Rupert area.
Even if the moratorium is lifted acquisition of the 17 federal or
provincial permits needed for a farm mean it would take at least two years
for a new facility to begin operations, according to a spokesman for the BC
Ministry of Fisheries.
But the ADF&G document says Atlantic salmon raised in BC and Lower 48 state
farms are commonly caught by commercial harvesters in the southern
Southeast panhandle and at least one Atlantic has been found in the Bering
Sea. With the discovery of second generation Atlantic smolt in a BC stream
last summer, the paper also warns that the unlikely, but possible spread of
diseases or gene pool pollution of Pacific salmon is not worth the risk.
Since BC is unlikely to phase out its farmed fish industry, the
white paper also lists 24 specific recommendations. The proposals are aimed
at reducing the chance that farmed fish escape from net pens and increasing
the chance that the onset of infections or diseases that could affect wild
stocks are found and stopped as soon as possible. The paper also proposes
that penalties, which are not specified, should be imposed for any
violations.
"The farmed industry must understand that continued escapement of
thousands of farmed salmon annually will result in further restrictions,
including fines, closing farms with poor records and forfeiture of
permits," the white paper concludes.
To follow up on its report, the department plans to "engage" the BC
government on the issue of fish farm expansion, Commercial Fisheries
Division Acting Deputy Director Kevin Duffy told the House Special
Committee on Fisheries last week. Coincidentally, BC and Washington State
salmon farmers met last month to discuss standards that would reduce the
"escapement" of farmed fish from pens.
Canadian fisheries managers confirmed the discovery last summer not
only of eight Atlantic salmon smolt, in BC's Tsitika River, but that some
of them, found by stream-walkers, were second generation Atlantics.
"Things are starting to get out of hand. If we're going to make a
difference we're going to have to say something very quickly," said Glenn
Oliver, the ADFG biologist who wrote the white paper.
Many of the white paper recommendations mirror 49 others proposed
in a 1997 review of salmon farming by the BC Environmental Assessment
Office. The study gave salmon farm expansion "a yellow light."
"The bottom line conclusion of all the research was, if BC were to
follow its 49 recommendations, including moving sites away from the mouths
of rivers, they concluded salmon agriculture would not have an impact on
the environment," said Barbara Carver, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of
Fisheries.
Alaska's white paper wasn't written as a direct response to the BC
study, but agrees with conclusions on the issues of Pacific/Atlantic
interbreeding and exotic diseases. "The risk is low that straying
Atlantic salmon farmed in the Pacific Northwest will bring exotic diseases
into Alaska," the white paper says.
"The possibility of successful interbreeding between Pacific and
Atlantic salmon is apparently small," the 10-page document also declares.
Oliver said the paper was written as a "philosophical statement"
and to emphasize that there's no reason to court disaster.
"Why bring in a new species and take a chance when you've got what
you need already?" Oliver asked.
Despite the conditional support for an increase in the number of BC
farms in the Environmental Office report, the decision to lift the
moratorium was not a sure thing due to opposition from competing user
groups and environmentalists, according to Al Castledine, a biologist in
the Fisheries Ministry.
"I don't think it's clear that the moratorium will be lifted," he
said.
BC fish farmers are taking steps to prevent Atlantic/Pacific
interbreeding including shifting to raising only female salmon through the
use of "masculinized" brood stock.
"What you're doing is creating a masculinized female so that when
the sperm is produced the only offspring are females because of the genetic
makeup of the sperm," Castledine explained. But he noted that supplies of
masculinized brood stock are insufficient to met demand. Only about five of
the 80 operating farms run all female operations, he noted.
The fact that a large number of Atlantics have escaped is confirmed
The white paper says from 1991 through '96 over 150,000 escapes of
Atlantic salmon were documented, and that figure "probably underestimates
the true number."
"Small numbers of unreported Atlantic salmon escapes are probably
occurring constantly," it continues while noting that reports of escapes in
BC farms have declined over the years.
Ann McMillin, director of the BC farmers group, said the decrease
is due to improved monitoring. She added that regulations governing farms
require reports of escapes, but the Environmental Assessment Office
recommended that only escapes of 100 fish or more need be reported.
McMillin also noted that decades of intentional efforts to
establish wild stocks of Atlantics in BC streams, which eventually totaled
the planting of more than seven million eggs in streams, all failed.
"I don't think eight Atlantic salmon is a concern," McMillin said.
Atlantic salmon can grow to 70 pounds in size and are aggressive fighters,
which makes them popular game fish.
The farmers' association is also aware of Alaska's concerns. Among
efforts to eliminate the chance of interbreeding is a shift to raise only
female fish.
This is accomplished by the use of "masculinized" brood stock,
Castledine said.
"What you're doing is creating a masculinized female so that when
the sperm is produced the only offspring are females because of the genetic
makeup of the sperm," he explained.
But Castledine said the supply of masculinized brood stock is
insufficient to meet demand and that only about six percent of existing
farms, five of the 80 facilities, currently run all female operations.
.......................................................................
GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES 9 MILLION FOR
SALMON FARMERS
Scottish salmon farmers are being offered up to 9 million over three years
by the Government towards an industry fund for farmers suffering financial
hardship as a result of the costs of eradicating Infectious Salmon Anaemia
(ISA).
The offer of assistance came from Scottish Fisheries Minister Lord Sewel
who met salmon industry leaders in Edinburgh today. He said:
"The industry provides valuable job opportunities in the Highlands and
Islands. I recognise that the uncertain outcome of the ISA eradication
programme is now causing some loss of confidence in the industry and its
investors and, as a result, there is a real risk that investment and jobs
will suffer.
"We will therefore make available up to 9 million over three years, towards
a fund which the industry establishes for itself, and from which assistance
can be provided to individual farmers who face losses caused by ISA.
"The offer of assistance must be subject to eventual approval by the EC,
and will be limited to three years. Within that period, we must look to
the salmon farmers to put in place successor arrangements, through commercial
insurance or by an industry levy."
The Minister added:
"ISA is potentially a very serious disease for salmon although there is no
evidence that it poses any risk to human health. The Government remains
determined to eradicate this outbreak in Scotland. That is the best outcome,
both for salmon farmers and for wild salmon stocks.
"The industry has to recognise its responsibility in relation to the
disease.
"We have put in place various measures to eradicate ISA. In line with EU
requirements, fish must be withdrawn immediately from sites where clinical
signs of the disease are confirmed.This can mean serious financial losses
for the company involved, but that has always been a clear risk. It is up
to the companies individually, or the industry collectively, to make proper
provision for such risks, as other industries do.
"The Government will keep the eradication programme under regular review to
ensure it operates as effectively as possible and does not impose
unjustifiable costs on the industry."
BACKGROUND
1. ISA is a viral disease of salmon, which was first found in Norway in the
mid-1980s and which has also appeared
in New Brunswick, Canada as haemorrhagic kidney syndrome in 1996. ISA is
known to cause very high mortalities
in farmed salmon cages.
2. The disease was exotic to the European Union until it first appeared in
Scotland in May1998, at a farm owned by
Hydro Seafoods in Loch Nevis. EU Directives and UK regulations specify what
measures must be taken in the event
of an ISA outbreak, with the aim of eradication.
3, So far, ten sites in Scotland (in and around Loch Linnhe, Loch Nevis, in
Skye and in Shetland) have been
confirmed as showing clinical signs of ISA, the most recent case was
announced on 18 September; and a further 15
sites are under formal suspicion following laboratory tests which detected
ISA virus. Some 3,100 tonnes of fish
have been withdrawn from those ten sites; movement restrictions have been
imposed within "high risk areas" on a
total of 123 farms; and a system of regular inspection and testing has been
established for farms in designated
"surveillance zones". Sites where ISA has been detected must be fallowed
for up to six months before new smolts
may be introduced.
4. A Parliamentary Question from Mr David Stewart MP on this subject was
answered today by the Secretary of
State.
5. At today's meeting, Lord Sewel also told the industry that in view of
public concern, Scottish Secretary Donald
Dewar has decided to call-in for his own determination the proposed
discharge of Ivermectin, a chemical used to treat
sealice on farmed salmon, at 24 Scottish marine sites. Discharge consents,
however, for Cypermethrin and
Azamethiphos, two other treatments for sea lice, will not be subject to a
general call-in but each case will be
considered on its merits. See separate Scottish Office news release:
0275/99.
News Release: 0274/99
8 February 1999
............................................................................
IVERMECTIN DISCHARGE CONSENT
APPLICATIONS CALLED IN
In view of public concern, Scottish Secretary Donald Dewar has decided to
call-in for his own determination the proposed discharge of Ivermectin,
a chemical used to treat sealice on farmed salmon, at 24 Scottish marine
sites.
Some 34 representations have been received by The Scottish Office. Letters
are being sent to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the fish
farmers affected and those who have made representations, advising them
of the decision. Their views on whether the matter should be resolved by
written submission or public inquiry are being invited.
Existing consents to discharge Ivermectin will not be affected meantime but
no further consents will be issued until the matter is resolved.
The Secretary of State has also decided that there are no general grounds
for call-in of discharge consent applications for the use of cypermethrin
or azamethiphos. Individual cases will continue to be considered on their
own merits.
BACKGROUND
2. Ivermectin acts on the nervous system of invertebrate parasites,
inhibiting nerve pulse transmission, resulting in
their paralysis and death. Although not a registered medicine for salmon,
it can be prescribed by vets as a feed for use
in treating infestations of sealice on farmed salmon where no suitable
alternative licensed treatment exists.
3. The neurotoxins, cypermethrin and azamethiphos are administered by bath
treatment. Azamethiphos is a fully
registered medicine for salmon. Cypermethrin requires to be licensed by the
European Commission; this is expected
in April, possibly earlier. This will allow the issue of the necessary
domestic licence which the Veterinary
Medicines Directorate stand ready to grant.
4. The Secretary of State's decision was conveyed to representatives of the
salmon industry at a meeting in
Edinburgh today chaired by Scottish Fisheries and Environment Minister Lord
Sewel.
News Release: 0275/99
8 February 1999
.....................................0.....................................