| Archived Press Release
- August 20, 1999 |
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Another Sign that Atlantic Salmon
Could Move in to Stay
August 20, 1999
Vancouver, BC - In light of the recent
discovery of 42 juvenile Atlantic salmon in Amor de
Cosmos Creek, the Campbell River Branch of the Steelhead
Society of BC advocated today that protection of wild
salmon and steelhead runs must be the government's priority
when it considers guidelines for the fish farming industry
and the state of the moratorium on expansion. "Not
only should the moratorium on net-cage salmon aquaculture
be kept in place, but there should be a move to convert
all existing net-cages to closed loop systems within
three years," stated Society president Daniel Burns.
To ensure that British Columbia's wild
fish are safeguarded, the Steelhead Society of BC is
urging that the moratorium on expansion be kept in place
until the closed loop containment systems are phased
in and proven effective at protecting wild salmon and
steelhead stocks. These closed loop systems must be
escape-proof and have no discharge of net-cage waste
and allow no risk of disease transfer to wild salmon
populations.
"Based on this recent discovery
of juvenile Atlantics in Amor de Cosmos Creek and the
similar discovery in the Tsitika River last September,
it seems that the current practices of the salmon farming
industry are in no way protecting the incredible stocks
of Pacific salmon that are so important to BC,"
said Bill Rodgers, Branch Chair of the Campbell River
Branch of the Steelhead Society.
On average, 60,000 Atlantic salmon escape
from BC net-cages each year. These non-native salmon
compete with native Pacific species for scarce food
resources in the marine environment. it is also feared
that escaped Atlantics may attempt to spawn and could
establish a viable population of Atlantic salmon on
the west coast, and event that could be devastating
to many Pacific stocks. The findings in the Tsitika
River and Amor de Cosmos Creek prove that Atlantic salmon
are able to spawn in BC rivers.
"Salmon farms, as currently operated,
present risks to wild salmon that are not taken into
account in the over-the-counter cost of the salmon they
produce," stated Burns. "Thus, any decision,
other than maintaining the moratorium and moving to
closed containment systems, would present an unacceptable
is to the health of the ocean environment and wild salmon."
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