fish farming

Anyone else think this is a horrible idea?

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016565085_fishfarms21m.html


D

Anyone else think this is a horrible idea?

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016565085_fishfarms21m.html


D

I'm with you -- the idea of a massive fish farm in the Strait, especially in light of this week's confirmed infectious salmon anemia (ISA) presence in two wild Canadian sockeyes -- it just seems like a terrible idea.  We've been so fortunate to have retained strong wild salmon stocks in the North Pacific. But that could change so quickly, and so permanently, just to satisfy a short-sighted commercial interest.  I read that part about how the demand for salmon outstripped the wild stocks, so farmed fish had to fill the gap.  As I read it I thought, "Wait, how about we just let demand drive the price back to the point where commercial fishemen could make a good living on top of their boat payments over the course of the season?" I'm purely a sports fishing nut and have no connection to commercial fishing. Just love to fish, love to cook, and wouldn't serve farmed salmon no matter the price.  But then, I don't buy salmon after all -- I catch them and am thrilled that I can. I shudder at the thought of introducing disease like ISA into our wild stocks.

Fish farming is a critical component of the seafood industry and is absolutely necessary in order to maintain a balance between supply and demand. Farm raised salmon accounts for about half of the worlds total consumption.
While aquaculture is needed and important it also needs to be tightly regulated and properly operated. There are very well run and managed aquaculture operations already in place in Washington and there are some that are not as well run.
Personally I am against Pacific's plan to open a large operation in the Straight. This is mostly a knee jerk reaction and rooted in my distrust and loathing of Pacific Seafoods, but also I don't think that open water net pens in close proximity to similar wild stocks are the safest option.
The industry is still skeptical of the findings of the Canadian Researcher b/c she has published work in the past that has been dis proven or at least unfounded in the past. Her mission is to eliminate all farms in BC so we all take her work with a grain of salt.

If anyone wants a copy of the 16 page plan that Pacific submitted for their new farm PM your email and I'll send you a copy on Monday when I get back to the office.

Let's also not forget this location is not that far from the mouth of the Elwha, which is currently undergoing a 300+ million dollar dam removal and fish restoration.  The area the fish farm wants to be located is in the migratory path of ESA listed chinook and steelhead.

Farmed carnivorous fish take more wild fish inputs in terms of feed than the pounds produced.  More farmed salmon equals more commercial fishing to feed those fish.  Just because the commercial harvest is lower on the food web doesn't mean it doesn't have an impact.  There is no free lunch.

Chris

Farmed carnivorous fish take more wild fish inputs in terms of feed than the pounds produced.  More farmed salmon equals more commercial fishing to feed those fish.  Just because the commercial harvest is lower on the food web doesn't mean it doesn't have an impact.  There is no free lunch.

Chris

Yes and no. A well regulated sustainable aquaculture operation should run at 1:1 protein in to protein out. Also where the fish protein is coming from is another huge issue. A plant that uses wild processing dump is much more "sustainable" than a plant that uses straight wild stocks for it's feed. The huge offenders are the warm water pelagic farms. BFT and Yellowtail can be as high as 15:1.

No no no no.


I'm glad I'm not the only one that distrusts Pacific Seafoods.

Open-water fish farming is a thing of the past. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=coho-salmon-farming 

No no no no.


I'm glad I'm not the only one that distrusts Pacific Seafoods.

Open-water fish farming is a thing of the past. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=coho-salmon-farming 

Open water is definitely not a thing of the past as most farm salmon are raised that way. When I say most I mean like 99.99%
Sweet Springs operations are REALLY cool and way ahead of the current market. They are doing everything right and I hope that closed containment systems become the norm, but right now we are a long way from that point. I visited their farm about 4 years ago and support their work 100% unfortunately their system is still too expensive for even the Whole Foods customer, but definitely a step in the right direction.

Oh, I know open water pens are all that are being used, but I was suggesting that there is an alternative, and it does need to be supported, wholeheartedly. 

Interesting Sci-Am article but the part that really cracked me up was this comment.

"Is it finally possible that I can combine my love of beautiful ladies, the California hot tub lifestyle and fish farming!"

In all seriousness, even the SweetSpring salmon uses wild fish feed albeit at the 1:1 ratio. Until the feed comes from sustainable sources i.e. not from wild forage fishes, IMHO, I don't see how the fish farming industry can be large enough to meet our ever increasing demand for fish without depleting wild forage fish stocks. Wouldn't the next logical step be farming herring/smelt etc to make into feed?

Taken to it's logically conclusion, you have an ocean akin to the midwest.  Fields of corn grown to raise feedlots full of cows.  And not a stitch of the original midwest plains left around.  The ecosystem has been totally destroyed.  But does anyone see any other ways around this?

-Allen

I don't eat fish I don't catch.  Under capitalism, only a drop in demand will work.

Yes and no. A well regulated sustainable aquaculture operation should run at 1:1 protein in to protein out. Also where the fish protein is coming from is another huge issue. A plant that uses wild processing dump is much more "sustainable" than a plant that uses straight wild stocks for it's feed. The huge offenders are the warm water pelagic farms. BFT and Yellowtail can be as high as 15:1.

1:1 protein is still transferring wild fish into a farmed product.  it does not diminish harmful commercial fishing practices.  also, from everything i have read and seen farmed salmon are not at a 1:1 ratio.  i've seen feed conversion ratios as low as 1.3:1 for farmed atlantics but that still requires more wild fish input than the end product.

wdfw has recently announced proposed conservation closures of all but one strait of juan de fuca steelhead seasons for the month of february due to low returns.  our wild stocks of fish along the strait are in poor shape and a massive fish farm (especially one raising steelhead) is a piss poor idea and cannot happen if we actually want to restore our wild salmon and steelhead runs.

it is also sited on a popular fishing area and could interfere with barge traffic. 

occupy the strait