BC fish farms claim escapes dramatically down, enviromentalists say something's fishy

British Columbia, Canada

The number of farm-raised salmon escaping into the ocean from B.C. fish farms plunged from nearly 44,000 in 2004 to just 64 last year, according to a provincial aquaculture report released Friday.

But at least one environmentalist called the escape numbers "totally unbelievable" because they're obtained from industry self-reporting.

"It's like asking speeders to call the Mounties and report themselves for a fine when they get home," David Suzuki Foundation representative Jay Ritchlin said in an interview. "We just don't have any confidence that those escape numbers are for real."

According to the report, the number of salmon escapes went from just 40 in 2003 to 43,985 in 2004 to 64 last year. The vast majority were Atlantic salmon, with the 2004 figure including 43,969 Atlantic salmon, 11 Coho and five Chinook.

Ritchlin said the global average for fish-farm escapes is about one escape for every 200 or 300 fish raised and if the 2005 B.C. escape number is accurate, that would work out to about one fish escape for every 700,000 fish raised.

"If we were farming fish that well, every fish farming jurisdiction in the world would be knocking at our door to get our new net technology," he said.

Agriculture and Lands Minister Pat Bell said the 2004 and 2005 inspection reports on B.C. fish farms show an increasing level of compliance with government regulations among 77 active sites inspected in 2004 and 75 sites inspected last year. He said the industry last year was more than 90-per-cent compliant with more than 100 checks and balances established by the provincial agriculture and environment ministries.

Bell said most fish farm operators in the province are "strong operators" who comply with all regulations but acknowledged some are not as strong and wants government inspectors to focus on those operations. He also wants inspectors to conduct more random unannounced inspections of fish farms to gain a clearer picture of their operations.

Bell said a $10,001 fine levied against Pan Fish Canada Ltd. last year for introducing "business waste" into the marine environment shows how serious the government is about maintaining high standards of operation. He also noted three companies currently face charges in court relating to salmon escapes that took place in 2004.

Stolt Sea Farm Inc. has been charged under the provincial and federal fisheries acts for an escape of about 2,500 Atlantic salmon in Sargeant's Pass, while Grieg Seafood BC Ltd. has been charged under the provincial Fisheries Act for an escape of about 33,000 Atlantic salmon in Muchalat Sound. Grieg Seafood BC Ltd. has also been charged under the provincial Fisheries Act for an escape of about 6,500 Atlantic salmon near Sonora Island.

The maximum penalty under the provincial Fisheries Act is $2,000 while the maximum penalty under the federal Fisheries Act is $100,000 for a first offence and $100,000 and up to one year in jail for a subsequent offence.

"We're very, very serious about our standards," Bell said at a news conference. "The industry, by and large, sees the efforts we're putting in place as being a marketing opportunity where they can market their product internationally as being environmentally friendly."

Underwater dive inspections of randomly selected B.C. fish farms were discontinued last year due to fiscal restraints, but the report said the program will be renewed this year.

Ritchlin said it's a positive development that more fish farms appear to be complying with government regulations, but that still doesn't tell anyone what impact the farms are having on the environment.

Bell said the government expects to release a report on the health of fish at B.C. fish farms in September and the report will discuss the controversial issue of sea lice which critics claim can be transferred from farmed fish to wild fish, damaging the wild stocks.
From The Vancouver Sun