After a Decade of Controversy, Fish Feedlots Expanded by BC Libs Govt, then by DFO, Has Anything Changed at BC Salmon Farms - David Suzuki quote: Salmon farming threatens some of the planet’s last remaining viable wild salmon—a keystone species that touches all our coastal ecosystems. The issues in dispute include feed ingredients, disease transmission between farms and wild salmon, bird and marine mammal deaths, pesticide and antibiotic use, and the effects of multiple farms in concentrated areas. Aquaculture must stop using the ocean as a free waste-treatment system. Closed-containment—in the ocean or on land—is better at controlling water and removing feces and chemicals like antibiotics and pesticides used for sea lice. Despite the risks, last year the federal government quietly opened the door to expand B.C.’s aquaculture industry. Thirteen applications for new or larger farms along the coast have been submitted. Fish farm expansion avoids the bigger question: what kind of economic development is best for our coastal ecosystems? Closed-containment systems, which have fewer impacts on the environment and wild fish, are also growing. The Namgis First Nation on northeastern Vancouver Island recently starting shipping its first closed-containment “Kuterra” Atlantic salmon to Safeway stores in B.C. and Alberta. Unless we chart a sound course, salmon will lose—but so will we, and the bears, eagles, and magnificent coastal forests that support so much life. unquote straight/print/news/635211/david-suzuki-after-decade-controversy-has-anything-changed-bc-salmon-farms
Posted on: Fri, 02 May 2014 05:00:20 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015