Keep seals away from salmon to mitigate or eliminate sea lice, AGD and ISA

Research has linked an increase in sea lice attachment to elevated levels of plasma cortisol, a hormone produced by fish in response to stress. Stressed fish are not only more susceptible to sea lice attachment – they actually attract lice.

GenusWave, an innovative technology company serving the aquaculture industry, has developed cutting-edge solutions to impossible problems, Targeted Acoustic Startle Technology (TAST), prevents predation and the stress that comes from predatory seals. Reduce stress and the levels of sea lice infestation will decline as well. TAST has the potential to significantly mitigate lice infestation on salmon farms, based on recent science.

Research, published in 2021, has discovered “… a link between the plasma cortisol concentration and the L. salmonis copepodid infestation level.” (Delfosse & Pageat, 2021).

In fact, sea lice are able to detect cortisol and adjust their swimming direction to make a straight line for the closest salmon that is stressed and vulnerable. Research now makes it clear that plasma cortisol is one of the key ingredients to managing sea lice. Eliminate predation stress with TAST – which decreases cortisol – and a corresponding reduction in sea lice will follow.

Targeted Acoustic Startle Technology (TAST)

TAST is a breakthrough technology developed by a team of world-class marine biologists from the Scottish Oceans Institute at the University of St Andrews, one of the foremost institutions for marine mammal research in the world.

TAST’s effectiveness and environmental compliance has been documented in multiple peer-reviewed and published research papers, which show that:

• TAST is effective and remains effective – no habituation;
• The startle signal is species-specific – no impact on salmon or non-target species; and
• TAST does not harm, harass or disturb marine mammals – no habitat exclusion.

TAST produces a specific sound to elicit an acoustic startle reflex in a target species. Repeated elicitation of the startle reflex activates a predator’s innate flight response and subsequent avoidance behaviour. TAST is like a dog whistle – in reverse.

TAST (pictured, below) is approved as an acoustic device for use on Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certified farms and is compliant with the standards of the US Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).

TAST has been successfully deployed on salmon farms on the west coast of Scotland and in the Finnmark region of Norway. In January, a farm in Scotland was losing over 1,000 fish a week to seals and an outbreak of AGD was spreading. Within days of a TAST deployment, the predation losses were cut to almost zero and the AGD health crisis ended two months later. The salmon were happier and healthier.

Stress increases mortality

Salmon’s acute sense of smell enables them to detect the presence of seals, even at a distance, causing predation stress and cortisol production. Seals cause chronic stress events just by swimming near fish farms – all day, every day. And seal populations are increasing.

As increased levels of cortisol and adrenaline are released, salmon’s immune system is compromised, antibody production is slowed, and susceptibility to sea lice infestation, bacterial disease and various pathogens increases.

Stressors, combined together, overwhelm a salmon’s immune system to the point of failure.

Salmon farms in Maine in 1992-1993 reported that outbreaks of Hitra, a cold-water bacterial disease, started and had the greatest impact on pens attacked by seals, and those pens had a 4%-5% increase in mortality from Hitra.  “Stress increases mortality” (Nash and Iwamoto, 1999).

Lepeophtheirus salmonis

Sea lice: changing the outcome

Mucus is the salmon’s first line of defence against parasites and pathogens. Reducing cortisol and creating an environment conducive to producing more mucus  interferes with the ability of sea lice to target salmon as a host, disrupting the host identification and host attachment process.

According to numerous studies, “host identification and host attachment are critical steps for ectoparasites with free-living life stages, such as L. salmonis” (Fields et al., 2018; Tucker et al., 2000b).

In fact, research has found “… a copepodid is more attracted to and swims towards a stressed salmon…” and “…the antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin-2 present in Atlantic salmon skin and mucus is a molecular host‐associated cue for the salmon louse L. salmonis, as it is detected by the parasite which can then modify its swimming behaviour.“ (Núñez‐Acuña et al., 2018)

It is instructive to note that feed companies with extensive research budgets have made the connection between mucus production and sea lice. Most notably, Skretting has formulated specific feed additives that increase mucus production. Their research shows a 20% reduction in sea lice infestation. Strategies to increase mucus include using feed additives, reducing stress, or both together.

Infectious salmon anaemia (ISA)

Infectious salmon anaemia (ISA) is a contagious viral disease in salmon that attacks the cell layer (endothelium) that covers the inside of blood vessels and the heart. Stress could be the hidden trigger that converts a harmless variant of the ISA virus into disease.  Ole-Bendik Dale an aquatic biosafety section leader at the Norwegian Veterinary Institute, previously warned that “the harmless HRP0 virus can easily mutate to HRPdel”. Predation stress may trigger mutation. Eliminate predation stress and a possible trigger for an ISA outbreak is removed.

Amoebic gill disease (AGD)

Stress also contributes to AGD because of the release of adrenaline and the increase in cortisol, which can cause changes to the cellular structure of the gills. Elevated blood flow associated with stress allows increased oxygen uptake for respiration but also increases the permeability of the gills to water and ions.

Acute stress also reduces the salmon’s ability to maintain water and ion homeostasis, limiting the capacity to osmoregulate and, over long periods of stress, risking osmotic shock and death.

The light at the end of the tunnel may be an oncoming train: current solutions may make sea lice worse

The same research that revealed the link between plasma cortisol concentration and the L. salmonis copepodid infestation level also discovered that: “…current lice management strategies may, paradoxically, increase re-infestation risk by handling or otherwise stressing the salmon.” (Delfosse & Pageat, 2021)

After a sea lice treatment,  salmon are stressed, cortisol levels are up, and  every fish on the farm is sending out a signal inviting sea lice to come and attach, just when they are most vulnerable.

Many current solutions may remove sea lice but also strip away mucus, making the salmon more vulnerable.

Growing salmon without predation stress can help prevent sea lice before they identify and attach themselves.

TAST can help improve salmon’s immuno-response to parasites and pathogens by removing predator-induced stress. Then salmon can better survive the stressors in their marine environment and better able to use their natural defences to prevent sea lice attachment.

A healthy salmon is a more profitable salmon

Back to basics: what is good for fish health and welfare is good for business. Settled science suggests that sea lice, infectious salmon anaemia (ISA), amoebic gill disease (AGD), and other parasites, pathogens, and biological diseases linked to stress, can be mitigated or eliminated by reducing stress. The farther away the predators are kept, the lower the stress levels for the salmon.

“Any response…to stress requires the expenditure of energy that would otherwise be utilized for maintaining normal body functions such as growth, digestion, osmoregulation, disease resistance, healing and reproduction. Think of energy as a pie with only so many pieces; stress consumes a portion of the animal’s energy…” (Barton & Iwama, 1991. Schreck, 1982).

Stressed salmon use their energy for stress – not growth. Without stress from predators, salmon will grow faster and healthier. Salmon develop a better colour, texture, taste and mouthfeel.  A healthy fish means a happy customer.

Implementing TAST to reduce stress helps farmers protect their fish and their business. Growing salmon without predation stress provides significant and measurable improvements in fish health.

Steven Alevy is a Managing Partner of GenusWave.

The post Sea lice and predation stress: science has a solution appeared first on Fish Farmer Magazine. By Steven Alevy

No matter which part of the world’s maritime industry you look at, there is a strong strategic ambition based on a series of common objectives which focus on being more sustainable, reducing carbon footprints and achieving zero emissions.

Within this huge initiative there are a number of key target dates, such as 2030 and 2050, by which it is hoped the respective ambitions will be achieved. The aquaculture sector is just a part of this huge global effort, as any other part of the world maritime industry, be it cruise ships, commercial cargo vessels or yachts.

This massive drive to be more sustainable focuses on new fuels such as methanol, LNG (liquid natural gas), ammonia or hydrogen; new propulsion systems such as electric engines and the use of solar panels on-board craft to generate energy to contribute to reducing carbon footprints and cutting emission volumes.

Zero emissions is the current ultimate goal to reach and within each area of the wide span of global maritime activities, specific researches, trials and development are underway, new technologies are being evolved and relevant targets and, where possible, related timeframes are being set.

There is no doubt that to date much has already been achieved, but to meet the various upcoming deadlines such as 2030 and 2050 much more has to be achieved and refined.

By way of a summary of all this development work Kitack Lim, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), said in a comment marking International Women’s Day: “Shipping is going through a transformation, tackling climate change through decarbonisation and undergoing digitalisation and automation at a rapid rate.”

As to the aquaculture sector, considerable progress has been made by several operating and supplier companies keen to reduce their carbon footprint. This has, so far, involved building hybrid diesel-electric vessels, but other options such as hydrogen-powered or all-electric boats are possible.

This move to be more sustainable relates to all of the main types of boats operated in the aquaculture business, including wellboats, feed barges or workboats/support vessels. In the past all of these have been generally diesel-powered craft but to align with changes and being more environmentally-friendly in operational terms. This has meant the most recently boats have tended to be hybrids.

The Geraldine Mary leaving Macduff Shipyards for sea trials

Past issues of Fish Farmer have highlighted a number of such vessels including:

• Geraldine Mary – This 21m semi-hybrid powered workboat on long-term contract with Scottish Sea Farms was designed by Macduff Ship Design and built by MacDuff Shipyards;
• New 18.5m bespoke hybrid service vessel for aquaculture support services;
• Ronja Star – a hybrid wellboat delivered in late 2022 to Bakkafrost, and commissioned from Norwegian wellboat operator Sølvtrans – this is the largest vessel of its type in Scotland;
• SM95 hybrid feed barge – delivered to Cooke Aquaculture Scotland, running on a combination of diesel and electric power; and
• Hybrid D-E feed storage barge – deployed by independent salmon farmer Loch Duart to help cut the company’s carbon emissions.

Complementing the above is a market assessment by Moen Marin, the world’s largest supplier of electric and hybrid workboats for the aquaculture industry, which shows that the fleet of vessels serving this specialised market is becoming greener. For 2023, the company has stated that either hybrid or fully electric vessels will make up a higher proportion of the vessels it delivers than in 2022, when this category accounted for 80% of the company’s output.

Alongside this, the Norwegian Seafood Federation has suggested that the country’s aquaculture industry should become fully electric by 2030. This would reduce climate gas emissions by 360,000 tonnes annually, which is comparable to emissions from 180,000 cars. Reducing CO2 emissions is one part of going green and Moen Marin are convinced that electrification will also help businesses cut costs and save money.

Ian Ellis, Managing Director of MacDuff Ship Design Ltd, told Fish Farmer: “We are at a point where we need to start thinking about transition to net zero. In general terms, if you start thinking about a boat today it is likely 2024-2025 before you will see it, depending on yard and equipment.

He explains: “This means that we are already a long way towards the proposed 50% carbon reduction target of 2030.  It is also worth noting that it is likely that many of these boats built today will still be in service come the net zero dates proposed by governments, with these being a maximum of 2050 and many being closer than this.”

He elaborates: “The biggest issue is working out the most suitable options for the vessel’s operation, and giving flexibility.  Many of the alternative fuels are not available and require significant changes to the vessel layout for storage.  There is limited regulation for many and availability is limited and likely to remain so in many of the more rural areas where aquaculture happens for a long time to come.

“At present,” he remarks, “the transition in most cases looks like a hybrid vessel with some battery capacity which can be charged by shore power or by generators.  As technology moves forward the infrastructure for electric propulsion is on-board the vessel and it becomes a matter of how and how much power is made and stored.”

Ellis comments: “At present we are working on a number of vessels for the aquaculture sector and many have some battery capacity, from simple systems to allow the vessel to be engine-free overnight to vessels with electric drives and capability to operate for hours without charge. It is likely that the fish farms will be linked to some form of power generation with potential for plug in on-site in the future. As noted, we are working on a number of vessels which are all site working vessels but we know of other delicing vessels that are also set up with some hybrid technology.”

“I would envisage,” he adds, “the use of cleaner engines and diesel electric setups where the engines can be run at optimal efficiency.  The use of battery technology and potential for electric winches to regenerate power all helping with reducing power consumption and emissions.  At this time it is difficult to see the use of other fuel types on these smaller vessels.”

He concludes: “There is an increased cost but there is also potential for savings in operational costs, potential for higher sales prices for net zero product and going forward it is likely that the operating costs for diesel vessels and the cost of diesel will only increase.”

Moen Marin’s NabCat 1512 Hybrid workboat

The other key aspect of the move to more sustainability is that there is a sharing of knowledge, technology and expertise across a number of marine areas and other industries such as the automotive sector.

The UK government recently announced a £60m tranche of funding, under the UK SHORE programme, to support the development of green marine technology and systems. This is part of an on-going £210m funding of this specialised area. This announcement was made during a visit to Artemis Technologies based in Belfast.

Using technologies adapted from the worlds of high-performance yacht racing, motorsports and aerospace, Artemis is developing vessels that effectively “fly” above the water’s surface. The vessels produce zero emissions when foiling and offer energy savings of up to 90% resulting in significantly lower operating and maintenance costs. These include a “flying” workboat that might have applications in aquaculture.

Also benefitting from this UK government funding was award winning Devon-based Coastal Workboats Limited (CWL) which received under the UK SHORE programme. CWL was awarded more than £6m to support a £9m project that will deliver a UK-first demonstration of a fully-electric workboat and charging station.

Based in Devon and Scotland, CWL used the funding to expand and in developing its purpose-built Electric-Landing Utility Vessel (E-LUV). This is a flexible workboat vessel which can be used in the aquaculture market and other sectors. CWL is working with the Dutch shipbuilder and designer Damen group on this project.

As another example from a complementary marine sector the Port of Singapore, which has 1,600 harbour service craft, has a net-zero emission target that after 2030 all such craft will be electrically powered or use alternatives such hydrogen.

The maritime sector is facing significant challenges in the race to achieve net zero, but it is clear that the range of vessels serving aquaculture will look very different in the years to come.

Picture by Christian Cooksey/Braeside Photography.
The Ronja Star, the latest addition to the Bakkafrost fleet arrives at Stornoway harbour, Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.

The post Keen to be green appeared first on Fish Farmer Magazine. By David Robinson

Green-lipped mussels are a nutraceutical success story for New Zealand’s farmers. Could blue mussels do the same for the UK? Nicki Holmyard’s article explores the research that suggests there could be an opportunity for the industry – if it can overcome existing barriers to growth. Read her feature in April’s Fish Farmer magazine, available online here and out now in hard copy.

The post Alternative markets for mussels appeared first on Fish Farmer Magazine. By Editors

The March issue of Fish Farmer magazine celebrated International Women’s Day by featuring insights from women involved in aquaculture in the UK and beyond.

You can read Q&As with: Teresa Garzon, Chair of Women in Scottish Aquaculture; Bakkafrost Scotland’s Matilda Lomas; Global Women in Aquaculture scholarship students Marta Carvalho and Eliza Syropoulou and Eleanor Lawrie, Mowi Scotland’s first full-time female workboat deckhand.

Our Women in Aquaculture feature starts on page 56 of Fish Farmer’s March issue, available to read here online.

The post Making herstory appeared first on Fish Farmer Magazine. By Editors

Consumers in the US and Japan could save money and reduce their carbon footprint into the bargain, if only they were prepared to buy salmon that has been frozen and shipped by sea instead of carried fresh, by air, thousands of miles. The trouble is, as Vince McDonagh discovers, most of them are not yet prepared to make that change.

Read his article, on page 50 of February’s Fish Farmer magazine, online here.

The post Fresh beats frozen, consumers say appeared first on Fish Farmer Magazine. By Editors

As Valentine’s Day approaches, oyster farms gear up for an influx of orders as fishmongers and restaurants seek to increase sales by promoting “the food of love” for the traditional celebration of romance on 14 February.

Nicki Holmyard talks to the producers about the shellfish that many couples will be choosing for a taste of luxury this Valentine’s Day. Read it online here on page 28 of Fish Farmer’s February issue.

The post Recipe for love appeared first on Fish Farmer Magazine. By Editors

The salmon is an important icon on Canada’s Atlantic and Pacific coasts, connecting peoples on opposite sides of the world’s second largest country.

Canada stretches 3,500 miles from Newfoundland and Labrador in the east to British Columbia in the west. But while salmon unites these peoples, it’s also at the heart of an issue that divides them.

“People care about and benefit from salmon for many different reasons,” explains a spokesperson for the government of Canada. “It is fished for food, social and ceremonial purposes by First Nations and many Indigenous communities. Moreover, salmon angling is a valued recreational activity by both local residents and non-residents. Salmon are considered an indicator of environmental quality, an animal of respect and an attraction for eco-tourism, and have an importance beyond economic returns.”

Canada’s Indigenous communities comprise three distinct peoples – the First Nations, Métis and Inuit – each with unique histories, languages, cultural practices and spiritual beliefs. The 2021 census counted over 1.8 million Indigenous people, making up 5% of the country’s population. Most, just over a million, belong to the First Nations. Of the 630 First Nation governments across Canada, a third live in the Pacific Northwest province of British Columbia.

The five species of Pacific salmon found in British Columbia and the Yukon are: Oncorhynchus nerka (sockeye), O. kisutch (coho), O. tshawytscha (chinook), O. gorbuscha (pink) and O. keta (chum). Pacific salmon are an intrinsic part of many First Nation cultures.

“Native Nations of the Pacific Northwest define themselves as ‘Salmon People’,” according to the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, which goes on: “There are many geographic regions that distinguish Native Nations or language groups from one another in the Pacific Northwest. Despite physical distance and cultural diversity, salmon is a unifying factor.”

One such region, surrounding the cities of Vancouver and Seattle, comprises the Georgia Basin in British Columbia, and the estuarine Puget Sound in Washington State. At its heart are the Straits of Georgia and Juan de Fuca, sometimes called the Salish Sea, in honour of the native peoples who have lived there for thousands of years.

The Coast Salish is a group of ethnically and linguistically related Indigenous peoples who, long before colonisation, depended on salmon as a source of staple food, wealth and trade. Traditional fishing is deeply tied to Coast Salish culture. Salmon were seen as gift-bearing relatives and treated with great respect. They are a cultural symbol in totem poles, canoes and oars, representing life, abundance, prosperity, nourishment, dependability and the renewing cycle of life: through their death salmon sustain coastal forests, and they return every year, nourishing humans, bears and other animals over and over again.

Another region is the vast Columbia River Basin, reaching from the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia, down across the US border and into the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Nevada. The First Nations of the Columbia River Basin “could rightly be called Wy-Kan-Ush-Pum, or ‘Salmon People’, for how completely these sacred fish shaped our cultures, diets, societies and religions, and continue to do so today,” writes the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC).

“To call salmon a staple of the tribal diet would be an understatement. The First Salmon Feast is part of the traditional tribal religion of the Columbia Basin. The feasts move upriver with the fish. Known by various names including Washut, Longhouse and Seven Drums, this religion continues to guide tribal people and connect them with the Creator and the gifts He has given them. It also connects followers to the land and to the culture practised by their ancestors.

“Fishing for salmon is just as integral an aspect of tribal culture as consuming it. Salmon are worth our time, energy and sometimes even risking our lives. That is why it was troubling when the number of salmon that returned up the Columbia River each year grew smaller and smaller. By the 1960s, the numbers had dipped so low that tribal concern turned into alarm that we might lose our sacred fish. The tribes did not have the political voice or power to fight the decline. Fortunately, those days are past.”

“Pacific salmon stocks are declining to historic lows,” agreed Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) in its 2019 State of Pacific Salmon report. “Recent marine heatwaves, changes to marine food webs, warmer freshwater conditions, more extreme rain and drought, and various human activities are all contributing to current trends in salmon numbers.”

Dallas Smith (third from right) with other members of the Coalition of First Nations for Finfish Stewardship in Ottawa

Disappearing salmon

Tensions over plummeting wild salmon populations have simmered for decades. In British Columbia (BC), 2020 saw a recorded low for sockeye salmon returning to the Fraser River at an estimated 283,000 fish, down from a high of 28.2 million in 2010. First Nations and other campaigners have argued open-net fish farms have contributed to the collapse because sea lice and other pathogens transfer from them to migrating juvenile wild salmon.

In September 2020, 101 BC First Nations and their supporters called for the removal of salmon farms in the Discovery Islands, a major salmon migration corridor in the north of the Salish Sea, asking that the farmed salmon be moved to land-based closed-containment systems.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had directed the former Fisheries Minister, Bernadette Jordan, to transition away from open-net fish farming by 2025. As reported in this magazine, in a shock decision in December 2020, Ms Jordan announced a shutdown of fish farming in the Discovery Islands. All 19 farms had to be free of fish by 30 June 2022, when their renewed 18-month licences expired, and no new fish could be brought in. She expected 80% of the fish to go by April 2021 in time for the next Fraser River out-migration period.

The decision was difficult, she added, but reflected consultations with seven First Nations: the Homalco, Klahoose, K’ómoks, Kwiakah, Tla’amin, We Wai Kai and Wei Wai Kum.

Jordan said: “We heard overwhelmingly from First Nations in the area that they do not want these fish farms there. They feel that they should have a say in their territorial waters and I absolutely agree with them.”

Chief Darren Blaney, Homalco First Nation

Chief Darren Blaney of the Homalco First Nation told broadcaster CBC: “[Wild, local] stocks have been declining over the years. Salmon are pretty resilient. I think if we give them an opportunity, they will start to rebuild.”

The impact would be hard, argued the BC Salmon Farmers Association trade body. Salmon farming in the province, it said, is a CAN $1.6bn (£1.1bn) annual industry that employs 6,500 British Columbians, has participation agreements with 20 First Nations, and generates $89m (£55m) each year in tax revenue.

The majority of the 19 Discovery Islands salmon farms are owned by three companies: Mowi Canada West, Cermaq Canada Ltd. and Grieg Seafoods Ltd. BC salmon farmers said at the time there was no business case for entirely land-based salmon farming.

Plans surged on. “Pacific salmon need our help, with many runs on the verge of collapse,” the DFO said in June 2021, as it launched “the largest, most transformative investment Canada has ever made to save wild salmon”, the $647.1m (£400m) Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative (PSSI). “The decades-long declines are due to a complex combination of climate change, habitat degradation and harvesting impacts, and bold action is needed now to stabilise and rebuild the stocks before it is too late.”

The DFO quickly announced long-term commercial closures and a Licence Retirement Program. It said: “These plans are outlined in the 2021–2022 Salmon Integrated Fisheries Management Plan and will result in closures to nearly 60% of commercial salmon fisheries for the 2021 season.”

“We are pulling the emergency brake to give these salmon populations the best chance at survival,” Ms Jordan added. “The decisions were not easy, as they impact people, communities and livelihoods. But with fewer and fewer returning every year – disappearing before our eyes – we have to act now. Together, we will turn the corner.”

Consequences followed quickly. In January this year, BC’s largest salmon producer, Mowi, announced it would close its 23,000sq ft fish-processing plant in Surrey, which employed around 80 people. Surrey lies outside the Discovery Islands, but Mowi said losing 30% of its production in BC meant the plant was no longer viable.

Rupinder Dadwan, human resources manager at Mowi Canada West, said: “This is what happens when politics overrides science-based evidence. Our federal government doesn’t have to do this – it can choose fairness and engagement over divisiveness and exclusion.”

Suppliers to the fish farming sector formed a new campaigning organisation, the Canadian Aquaculture Suppliers Association (CASA), to lobby against the industry shutdown. “Those who supply our nation’s aquaculture sector directly employ thousands of Canadians, including in communities where jobs are scarce and economic opportunity is limited,” said CASA President Ben James.

“Aquaculture provides Indigenous Canadians with economic opportunities and well-paying jobs, drastically reducing unemployment in many small, coastal communities,” added Richard Harry, Executive Director of the Aboriginal Aquaculture Association, former Chief of the Homalco First Nation and owner of a company that provides net-cleaning services to a salmon farm.

He warned: “Without aquaculture, and specifically farmed salmon, I know many people who will have difficulties in finding work.”

An organisation of First Nations, the Coalition of First Nations for Finfish Stewardship (FNFFS), demanded they be allowed to farm fish on their own terms – and shouldn’t be stopped from doing so by the federal government. They called on the government to re-issue salmon farming licences in their territories.

“Many Canadians have been led to believe that all BC First Nations are actively opposed to salmon farming, but this is not the reality,” the FNFFS said. “Seventeen First Nations have a variety of relationship agreements with finfish aquaculture companies, with the longest going back over two decades. Altogether, these Nations’ territories make up most of the south coast of British Columbia.

“In total, BC’s farmed salmon sector is estimated to generate $29.2m [£18m] in economic activity within First Nations, $16.7m [£10.3m] in GDP and 247 jobs earning $12.8m [£7.9m] in wages per year. Further benefits are generated outside of First Nations communities, amounting to $54.2m [£33.5m] in economic activity, $31m [£19m] in GDP and $23.8m [14.7m] in wages for 460 workers. Some of these benefits accrue to First Nations members living outside their communities.

“Every First Nation is taking their own approach to these relationships. Some are in favour of industry and others have decided not to have salmon farms in their territories. While it isn’t clear what the federal government’s definition of ‘transitioning’ the sector is, this coalition is firm that it should not mean reducing or taking away salmon farming in their territories.”

Then, in a last-minute reprieve, the DFO gave the go-ahead for open-net pen salmon aquaculture to continue for the next two years at 79 farms off the coast of British Columbia. The decision, which came just days before the existing licences expired on 30 June, only represented a stay of execution – the DFO remained committed to its pledge “to transition from open-net pen salmon aquaculture in British Columbia’s coastal waters in a manner that protects wild salmon, the environment and the economy”.

A draft framework would be shared, the FDO said, and a consultation would run until early 2023, with publication of the final transition plan expected next spring. The new Fisheries Minister, Joyce Murray, who replaced Bernadette Jordan after the latter failed to win re-election in 2021, said: “Ottawa’s transition plan for the aquaculture industry will include new technology, while reducing or eliminating interactions with wild Pacific salmon.”

A separate consultation process is under way with First Nations and licence holders for 19 fish farms around the Discovery Islands, where licences are not being renewed.

Members of the Gwa’Sala-Nakwaxda’xw Nations hosting Canada’s Fisheries Minister, Joyce Murray, on a fish farm off Vancouver Island

Ms Murray said: “As the world’s appetite for high-quality fish and seafood continues to grow, we need to find better and innovative ways to farm fish and protect wild Pacific salmon stocks. A well-developed transition plan is the first step to growing a viable and sustainable industry in British Columbia.”

Welcoming the reprieve, Grieg Seafood CEO Andreas Kvame said: “Our industry is in continuous development with new technologies and innovations, and we are committed to improvements that strengthen biological control and reduce interactions with wild salmon.”

CASA reacted: “While the transition period will not be without obstacles, including issues of financial compensation, the association is buoyed by the government’s commitment towards the industry, including salmon farming. There’s a great deal at stake here.”

Following a meeting with the minister in October, the BC Salmon Farmers Association Interim Executive Director Ruth Salmon said: “Salmon farming is continuously evolving, improving and innovating, which can come as a surprise to those outside of the farming community. It was heartening to hear that the minister is seeking to work with us to support the development of the transition framework.

“In order to successfully drive further innovation and technology adoption, there needs to be flexibility to allow for various pathways. The ecosystems in which we operate, as well as the priorities of the Nations in whose territories we operate, are diverse. We need to have a full suite of tools and options available to ensure we are meeting the expectations of the Nations, protecting wild salmon populations, and providing healthy and sustainable meals.”

So, what should happen next?

Ben James, CASA President, says: “The government must offer financial compensation and proper retraining to those who will lose their livelihoods, including the operators of small businesses who supply the industry, due to its decision to not reissue salmon farm licences.

“It is our strong recommendation the federal government places science and common sense ahead of politics. It needs to listen to the industry and its own scientists and researchers over its unrealistic expectation for land-based farming. Our industry is innovative and is leading the way in protecting BC’s wild salmon stocks. This include advancements is semi-closed pen technology, disease detection and treatment.

“Unfortunately, wild salmon stocks in BC are still declining due to continued commercial and recreational overfishing, human encroachment into salmon habitat and climate change. The Liberal government in Ottawa has made salmon farming a politically expedient scapegoat, instead of addressing the real issues behind our declining wild salmon stocks.”

The BC Salmon Farmers Association says: “While we are encouraged to work with all levels of government to clarify what the elements of transition will be, transition is not new to our sector. We have been transitioning for decades through the development of cutting-edge technologies and innovations to continuously reduce our impact on the environment. We are looking for a flexible science-based pathway that supports regional characteristics and First Nations priorities.

“Current science shows that salmon farming in British Columbia doesn’t adversely impact wild salmon, meeting the federal government’s definition of ‘minimal risk’. Nevertheless, we are committed in this transition process to doing even more to minimise risk and protect wild stocks.”

Dallas Smith, spokesperson for the Coalition of First Nations for Finfish Stewardship, tells us: “For the government of Canada to truly recognise the rights, title and self-determination of Indigenous peoples, the transition of finfish farming in British Columbia must be led by the First Nations in whose territories the farms are located.

“First Nations will determine if, when and how salmon farms are operated in their territories. Some Nations are choosing to remove farms from their territories, as is their right. Many others wish to continue to partner with the sector to continue to benefit from the many economic, social and capacity-building opportunities.

“Above all else, wild Pacific salmon are the priority for coastal First Nations, and the transition of salmon farming in our territories must be done with the conservation and protection of wild salmon top of mind. This includes technology that minimises or eliminates risk, full transparency on operations, and increased oversight and monitoring by First Nations.”

But the fish that unites First Nations continues to divide them too. Clayoquot Action, a conservation society in Clayoquot Sound, says: “It is clear that open-net pens are harming wild salmon by spreading deadly pathogens, parasites and pollution. This is why 75% of British Columbians want fish farms removed from ocean waters. As do over 100 First Nations.”

Its Executive Director Dan Lewis says: “The DFO is seeking your input. But its online survey has a predetermined outcome: that fish farms will remain in BC waters – indefinitely! Do not wade into the DFO’s tricksy online survey. There are no in-water fish farm technologies that protect wild salmon. Land-based systems are being built around the world right now, while floating in-water systems require up to five years of further review.

“Wild salmon don’t have time to wait while the salmon farming industry tinkers with experimental technologies. Government must require the industry to get out of the ocean – by 2025 at the latest.”

The post An icon at stake appeared first on Fish Farmer Magazine. By Sandy Neil

South Korea’s first commercial RAS (recirculating aquaculture system) farm is due to start production later this year – and it won’t be producing salmon.

While Norwegian-owned Salmon Evolution plans to start construction on its RAS salmon farm joint venture early this year, BluGen will be producing another high value species, olive flounder. Read about BluGen’s groundbreaking plans in the January issue of Fish Farmer (starting page 49), available here online.

Dr Woo-Jai Lee, CEO and founder of BluGen

The post Korea ambition appeared first on Fish Farmer Magazine. By Editors

Scotland’s first semi-closed fish farm could find a home in Loch Linnhe, after a plan to site it on Loch Long was rejected by a national park. If built, it will be Scotland’s largest fish farm by volume.

Last year Loch Long Salmon (LLS), a joint venture between Simply Blue Aquaculture, Trimara Services and Golden Acre Foods, applied to Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park to build Scotland’s first semi-closed fish farm at Loch Long near Beinn Reithe, comprising four circular pens, 50m in diameter.

Fish Farmer reports on what could be Loch Long Salmon’s second crack at a project that aims to write a new chapter in Scottish aquaculture. Find out more in our January issue, online now.

The post Second time lucky? appeared first on Fish Farmer Magazine. By Sandy Neil