Salmon farms

[Ian Burrett]

The Salmon Farm Protest Group

 

An ruda na bo bhroin, cha bhi e na do thmhnadh

 

‘That which you have wasted will not be there for future generations’

 

 

 

PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE USE

 

26th May 2006

 

 

 

The farm salmon scam - UK-wide Action Hour planned for October 2006

 

 

 

The Salmon Farm Protest Group (SFPG) has announced plans to hold a UK-wide ‘Action Hour’ outside the nation’s supermarkets on 14th October. From 11.00 am to 12 noon. SFPG supporters will distribute leaflets to shoppers highlighting the damage that fish farms have done and are doing do to wild salmon and sea-trout, and to the natural environment.

 

 

 

Supporters are being asked to register their interest in participating in the event by emailing SFPG chairman Bruce Sandison at bruce@hysbackie.freeserve.co.uk saying which supermarket they will visit.

 

 

 

Bruce Sandison said, “We want to draw people’s attention to the hidden costs of buying cheap salmon from fish farms: pollution of coastal and freshwater lochs; wild fish that have survived for thousands of years being driven to the point of extinction by fish farm sea lice; the toxic chemicals used to treat diseases that plague fish-packed cages; the significance of levels of PCBs and dioxins found in farm fish; the dominance of multi-national foreign-owned companies that has led to hundreds of job losses in remote, fragile rural communities.”

 

 

 

The SFPG mounted a similar event in October 2002 when supporters spoke to shoppers in front of supermarkets in more than 100 cities and towns throughout the UK. Sandison continued, “We are calling for even greater support this time round. The only way to get the factory salmon farmers to clean up their act is to persuade consumers to think twice before buying their fish.”

 

 

 

Similar events are being planned during the week 7th/14th October around the world, including USA, Canada, Chile and Europe themed on an international slogan, ‘The Farm Salmon Scam’.

 

 

 

For information about the work of the SFPG see www.salmonfarmmonitor.org

 

 

 

Hysbackie, Tongue, by Lairg, Sutherland IV27 4XJ, Scotland

 

Tel: 01847 611274; Fax: 01847 61262; email: bruce@hysbackie.freeserve.co.uk

 

A company registered in Scotland, No.240223

[Leon Roskilly]

See also

 

http://www.puresalmon.org/resources.html#partners

[Jaffa]

Hi Ian,

 

Nicely done

 

If people are to draw their own conclusions, then they need both sides of the argument, and not just the opinion, and carefully edited choice of sources , of those already convinced that its bad.

 

Leons link is interesting; it starts with an opinion that contained systems are the way forward (fails to really answer, why if its such a good idea, that so few farms are doing this now) , then reels off a few anti salmon farming papers, though never gives the reader the benefit of the counterargument.

 

Of particular interest to me, just because i have had an interest in salmon lice, is the paper by Martin Krkoesk et al on the "Transmission dynamics of parasitic sea lice from farm to wild salmon" .

 

The site links to the paper but not to the criticisum of it by one of the very scientists it cites (someone who is an expert in the field of salmon lice) IMO the points he raised were serious and i'd hoped to see a response but have yet to see it.

 

I have seen anti salmon farming groups publish that scientists home address on the net though. Disgraceful IMHO but when you know you are absolutely right then why should things like peoples rights get in the way?

 

Think I'll have to make sure im at me local supermarket on 14th Oct; be interesting to hear how much those picketing actually know about the debate

[Gillies]

Its a very interesting and topical debate - that of Salmon Farms, but there are lots of sides to the arguement I feel ... since I'm located in the Isle of Lewis in the North West of Scotland it is a topic that is close to home for me, and I hear debate regarding them often. Its big business up here, and the farms are everywhere ... dotted around the coastline in many sea lochs.

 

The farms In my eyes - yes they are a huge scar on the coastline, and yes as far as I know (have been told) they do damage to the coast line and the environment. But as mentioned before you have to look at each side of the coin, and also look at the broader picture.

 

When it comes to angling - It is well know and documented that Salmon and Sea Trout catches by the rod angler throughout Scotland on Salmon Fisheries have decreased dramatically over the past number of years - signaling less and less Salmon and Sea Trout in the systems - electric shocking of juvenile and adult fish in systems has also proved this.

 

The reasons for this drop in fish numbers though can not be wholey blamed on Salmon Farms I feel, they are just a small factor that has contributed to the drop in Salmon and Sea Trout numbers.

 

My local Salmon system has seen the catches through the 90s drop to levels of almost non-existance, the reason for this has been down to poor management mainly.

 

The figures for Salmon catches from the mid 90s until now read as.

 

1997 - 19

1998 - 43

1999 - 23

2000 - 34

2001 - 112

2002 - 63

2003 - 78

2004 - 128

2005 - 260

 

The system came under new management in 2001 however, and increased surveilance for poaching seen an increase in catches initially .... and with a stocking programme also introduced, the 4 year cycle shows massively increased catches by the rod angler on a relativey small system - which has been very positive so far, I look forward to seen how 2006 fishes.

 

Looking at the broader picture from the outside, it could be argued also that Salmon Farms have helped increase numbers of Wild Salmon in systems (a bold statement, that could be argued tooth and nail). There is a huge demand for Salmon to eat throughout the UK --- to satisfy this need, we need farmed Salmon, because with declining stocks of Wild Salmon over the years, if Supermarkets, Restaurants and Fish Shops were to rely on Wild fish then it would be a huge strain on the already severly depleted and dwindelling Wild Salmon stocks on systems throughout Scotland.

 

There is also the legislation that has been brought in (I think - I may be wrong) that means Fish Shops, Supermarkets, and Restaurants that are 'Fish Buyers' have to show where their fish come from ... this could be seen as an added aid for the Wild Salmon, as it lessens 'to an extent' the purchasing of illegally caught Wild Salmon (removing - again 'to an extent' the days of the illegal Salmon netter selling fish through the back door)... and besides, if farmed Salmon can be pruchased so cheapily, it almost prices Wild Salmon out of the market on a broader scale, as to the run of the mill consumer - Salmon is Salmon ... wild or farmed ... so to be more cost effective Fish Buyers would look for cheaper Farmed Salmon as opposed to Wild Salmon (this is where cheap Norwegian imports becomes a worry when thinking economically).

 

The point of jobs in a fragile rural community - in the Western Isles of Scotland, Fish Farming provides jobs for a very large number of people with various skill sets ranging from Accountants and Managers to Fish Processors and Delivery Drivers, there are so many jobs, there are more jobs available than can be filled by the local work force, mainly in the more less skilled areas, hence an influx of Latvians and Polish into the fish farming work force - but also for a local non-skilled worker the Fish Farm is a lifeline in a community which they may otherwise struggle to gain employment.

 

On the environmental effect - yes, I believe harm is been done around the sea bed, coastline and in the water, there is also an issue that has been debated regarding the problem of Sea Lice on Sea Trout and the finger is been pointed by some at fish farms for this problem. I caused a stir with this debate last year catching Sea Trout from a beach almost 10 miles from the nearest migratory fish river, the fish were overly covered in Sea Lice with unacceptable numbers ... and this beach is at the top end of the Isle of Lewis, a beach well filtered by the Atlantic Ocean --- so this made some of those whom argued the point that fish farms are causing an increase of Sea Lice think a little about their arguements, and open up the debate even more.

 

For me taking everything into account regarding Salmon Farms - I beleive that Salmon Farms in a sense have become a "Neccesary Evil" ... as I mentioned before - yes they are a scar on the coastline, yes they cause environmental damage .......... but, there is a huge demand for Salmon for human consumption, and the Salmon Farms satisfy that demand ... in turn taking the pressures of the Wild Salmon stocks in a sense to help aid their recovery. Taking that into account, as well as the employment that they provide in rural communities, I really dont have to much of a problem with them - a worry would be if these fish farm companies pull out due to cheaper Norwegian imports etc the economic and finacial consequences to rural communities would be terrible due to the job losses - and its something I possibly seen happening in the near future.

 

Maybe better management of Salmon and Sea Trout systems to increase stock levels (which many systems have in place now, and are seen the benefits), and better measures brought in by Salmon farms to reduce any enivormental damage they are causing, along with making sure farmed fish are not escaping into the wild to the best of their abilities ..... this in my eyes would help a wee bit.

 

Anyway, thats my view on the topic, I am not very qualified to give any valid arguement --- but in my eyes its a bit of a double edged sword as there are so many arguements for and against the fish farms, for everything I say for them I think of lots of reasons against, and vice versa. I'd like to see fish farms look at how they farm the Salmon and contain the fish - and hopefully evolve what they do just now to a more environmentally friendly and contained solution.

 

Gillies

[Ian Burrett]

Hi Ian,

 

Nicely done

 

If people are to draw their own conclusions, then they need both sides of the argument, and not just the opinion, and carefully edited choice of sources , of those already convinced that its bad.

 

Leons link is interesting; it starts with an opinion that contained systems are the way forward (fails to really answer, why if its such a good idea, that so few farms are doing this now) , then reels off a few anti salmon farming papers, though never gives the reader the benefit of the counterargument.

 

Of particular interest to me, just because i have had an interest in salmon lice, is the paper by Martin Krkoesk et al on the "Transmission dynamics of parasitic sea lice from farm to wild salmon" .

 

The site links to the paper but not to the criticisum of it by one of the very scientists it cites (someone who is an expert in the field of salmon lice) IMO the points he raised were serious and i'd hoped to see a response but have yet to see it.

 

I have seen anti salmon farming groups publish that scientists home address on the net though. Disgraceful IMHO but when you know you are absolutely right then why should things like peoples rights get in the way?

 

Think I'll have to make sure im at me local supermarket on 14th Oct; be interesting to hear how much those picketing actually know about the debate

 

Hi Chris

I knew I could rely on you to post the other side.

 

My trouble is, I can't decide if I am for or against fish farms. I can see both arguments

Edited May 27, 2006 by Ian Burrett

[Norm B]

Hi Chris

I knew I could rely on you to post the other side.

 

My trouble is, I can't decide if I am for or against fish farms. I can see both arguments

You don't have to be for or against. I don't think it's a "If you're not for you're against" debate, surely if you are open minded enough to see both sides, unfortunately some can't, then you could say "it's of a benefit to all". Just a view from an impartial angler who buys farmed salmon but has fished for and caught wild salmon and sea trout.

[Leon Roskilly]

Leons link is interesting; it starts with an opinion that contained systems are the way forward (fails to really answer, why if its such a good idea, that so few farms are doing this now)

 

I should imagine that the answer would be that it's very much like why power generation utilities never fitted sulpher dioxide scrubbers before legislation was bought in to require them to do so.

 

Significant additional costs would arise which are eventually passed onto the consumer.

 

Unless all farms are required to do so, then any farm that does so unilaterally becomes uncompetitive

[seaside]

......... big snip

 

For me taking everything into account regarding Salmon Farms - I beleive that Salmon Farms in a sense have become a "Neccesary Evil" ... as I mentioned before - yes they are a scar on the coastline, yes they cause environmental damage .......... but, there is a huge demand for Salmon for human consumption, and the Salmon Farms satisfy that demand ... in turn taking the pressures of the Wild Salmon stocks in a sense to help aid their recovery. Taking that into account, as well as the employment that they provide in rural communities, I really dont have to much of a problem with them - a worry would be if these fish farm companies pull out due to cheaper Norwegian imports etc the economic and finacial consequences to rural communities would be terrible due to the job losses - and its something I possibly seen happening in the near future.

 

......... snip

 

Gillies

 

I'd say the above para sums it up nicely.

 

The public want salmon but todays consumers are focussed on 'rolled back' prices and to many 'holiday home' owners and those not directly affected, the farms are unwanted, but for the local economies where there is little alternative, they are essential.

 

As far as environmental harm goes, I'm certain they do not damage the seabed to the extent trawlers do, but as it is still basically an emergent technology I'm sure that not all the operational risks are fully understood.

 

I can't find any pointers to the Scottish Executive, or anyone else, having funded any INDEPENDENT research into those types of issues, does anyone know of any.

[glennk]

Dont think you can bring trawlers into this one seaside.

[seaside]

Dont think you can bring trawlers into this one seaside.

 

I wasn't being malacious, just making a comparison.