Salmon escape raises concern

By Neil Horner
July 7^th, 2008

The escape of salmon from a fish farm last week shows how important it is for the province to enact the recommendations of the special committee on sustainable aquaculture, says one of its members.

Alberni-Qualicum MLA Scott Fraser said the loss of 30,000 Atlantic salmon from a fish farm in Campbell River is a cause for great concern.

"This is exactly why the committee came up with its recommendations, which are being ignored by this government,"he said.

"We said it's time to move the industry towards closed containment."

Fraser said he's a proponent of the precautionary principle, wherein if it comes to a choice between enhancing the fish farming industry or protecting wild stocks, the wild stocks should take precedence.

Nanaimo-Parksville MLA Ron Cantelon, who served as the vice-chair of the aquaculture committee, wasn't as concerned by the escape.

"Sometimes things will happen,"he said. "I would think incidents like this should never happen and when they do, we should take a look at why it happened and upgrade the whole system and take measures to ensure it doesn't happen again."

Cantelon said the Atlantic salmon are unlikely to thrive in the wild.

"They are trained to eat pellets and are not trained to fend for themselves,"he said. "When they are caught they tend to be pretty much emaciated. They usually realize they're on the wrong side of the net for feed and they try to get back in."

Fraser disagrees.

"There's no evidence of that,"he said. "Even though they are fed pellets, out-migrating chum and pink salmon are attracted to the farms also, and when they enter the pens, the Atlantics no doubt will be feeding on them as well."

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Original Source:
http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_central/parksville_qualicumbeachnews/news/24038909.html