Declining wild salmon populations are being documented this year up and down the Pacific Northwest Coast. BC salmon farmers know that aquaculture plays an important role supplying increasing demand for salmon, without placing undue pressure on wild stocks.
The aquaculture industry can not succeed unless we use sound ecological practices and manage resources sustainably. This can encompass a wide range of areas– from use of renewable resources to social and employment practices.
In British Columbia, salmon farmers are committed to ensuring that our farms are managed in a way that protects the environment, and provide economic benefit to coastal communities while achieving the return on investment needed to support company growth over the long term. These commitments include:
- The completion of detailed, site-specific, environmental assessments for every farm site, including a thorough analysis of impact on other fisheries and habitats according to federal and provincial government standards, for all new farm applications. New farms will be proposed only in areas where water currents provide optimal conditions for fish well-being and environmental sustainability. This includes avoiding sensitive wild salmon habitat such as coastal fish spawning and nursery areas.
- Daily water quality testing
- Sea lice inspection and treatment when required
- Ocean floor sampling to monitor benthic impact
- Routine fallowing of farms
- Use of feed monitoring systems that use real-time technology, such as underwater cameras to detect uneaten feed and prevent waste and nutrient pollution.
- Use of antibiotics only when prescribed by a veterinarian to treat a specific illness.
- Funding of research and development activities in conjunction with major universities and professional associations, including research into plant-based sources of protein for fish feed
- Continued job creation and career development for residents of coastal BC communities
- Investment in the communities in which salmon farming operates by way of sponsorships, scholarships, salmon enhancement projects and support for secondary businesses and salmon farming service industries.
Salmon farming is the most strictly regulated agricultural industry in British Columbia and compared against other salmon farming jurisdictions, the B.C. regulatory environment is the most stringent in the world. To view a comparison of the regulations in BC as compared to other parts of Canada, the US, Chile, Norway and Scotland click here.
Regulations which govern salmon farming include the Navigable Waters Protection Act; the Fisheries Act; the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act; and the provincial Ministry of the Environment administered Finfish Aquaculture Waste Control Regulation.
