Tuesday, May 31, 2005

Report examines impacts of salmon farms on the health of wild Atlantic salmon

Under Embargo Until 6:00 a.m. ADT, Tuesday, May 31, 2005

St. Andrews, New Brunswick – Two prominent conservation groups today released a report that gauges the impact that aquaculture policies in several nations are having on their wild Atlantic salmon populations. Canada, however, has lagged behind other North Atlantic countries and ended with a diminished score since an earlier report released two years ago.

The Atlantic Salmon Federation and the World Wildlife Fund issued their 2005 edition of Protecting Wild Atlantic Salmon from Impacts of Salmon Aquaculture: A Country-by-Country Progress Report. The study by independent Washington D.C. consultant Dr. Gareth Porter examined six different nations’ aquaculture regulatory policies, and assigned a final score based on the steps their governments and aquaculture industries are taking to minimize threats to wild Atlantic salmon populations. National performance was scored on a set of 8 criteria ranging from the proximity of aquaculture pens to wild Atlantic salmon rivers and migration routes, to monitoring and inspection regimens. Canada’s score in 2005 was 2.1 out of a possible 10, a 26% decrease over the first study in 2003.

In North America, wild Atlantic salmon populations have drastically declined over the past 30 years. While there are different factors at hand, scientists and conservation groups believe that some aspects of aquaculture have contributed to the decline. Salmon farms can generate and transmit diseases and parasites that infect wild salmon in the area. Farmed salmon also regularly escape their pens and can further weaken the wild populations through inbreeding and competition for food and habitat.

According to Bill Taylor, President of the Atlantic Salmon Federation, “Part of the reason for Canada’s weaker showing is the high concentration of aquaculture sites in southwestern New Brunswick. It’s estimated that 95% of the province’s aquaculture sites are in the Bay of Fundy, but what’s more significant is that the Bay of Fundy alone has 90% of all aquaculture sites in Canada’s Atlantic region. New Brunswick’s L'Etang Inlet is believed to have the world's highest concentration of salmon farms. So, when you factor in the impact of escaped farmed salmon, cumulative environmental impacts on an entire bay or ecosystem and the spread of diseases and parasites to wild salmon, Atlantic Canada’s aquaculture industry does have unique challenges to be addressed. Unfortunately, the wild Atlantic salmon in the Bay of Fundy are severely distressed. Just across the border in Maine, fewer than 1,500 wild salmon returned to the Penobscot River last year and the populations of eight smaller mid coast and Downeast rivers are listed under the Endangered Species Act. We’re facing that scenario here due to several factors, and aquaculture is one of them.”

Mr. Taylor emphasized, “We support responsible aquaculture. It has the potential to address commercial over fishing at sea, to serve as a nutrient-rich food source for the world’s growing population, and to help the economies of our rural maritime communities in light of the ground fish collapse. But with any industry, there has to be a responsible framework to protect the public interest. There are very compelling environmental, economic and cultural reasons to be concerned about wild salmon populations in Atlantic Canada.”

Still, Mr. Taylor noted that there have been improvements in Canada for some aspects of aquaculture regulation. He cited the example of the federal government and provincial government in New Brunswick working successfully to combat an outbreak of Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA) among the province’s salmon farms in the late 1990s. The disease is often associated with overstocked aquaculture pens, and can be transmitted to wild salmon. Through an aggressive regimen of ISA detection and response, the disease is now believed to be limited to just one farm in New Brunswick’s portion of the Bay of Fundy. “We gave Canada a perfect ‘10’ in that specific criterion,” Mr. Taylor said. “Now, it’s time to start working to achieve that distinction in the other categories.”

Mr. Taylor pointed out that in 2003, the United States was given a 0.5 score in the report. This year, the score is 7.1, a 92% increase. “In addition to our neighbours in the North Atlantic, there are also some other examples right here in Atlantic Canada with regard to aquaculture practices. In Newfoundland & Labrador, there are very comprehensive standards for the ‘seaworthiness’ of fish farms, as well as for site management, contingency plans and notification of escapes. If our report had been broken down by province, Newfoundland & Labrador would certainly earn a ‘10’ in those types of categories.”

According to the Atlantic Salmon Federation, scoring the regulatory performance of different nations is not simply for competition’s sake. “We feel that international governments and the aquaculture industries working in their nations should strive toward uniform standards. Wild Atlantic salmon or escaped farm salmon don’t stop swimming at an international border,” Mr. Taylor explained. He further noted that one nation’s problem can easily and quickly become another’s, citing the outbreak of ISA in Maine’s salmon farms shortly after New Brunswick’s industry was afflicted.

The Atlantic Salmon Federation and the World Wildlife Fund’s report comes as delegates from North America and Europe prepare to attend the annual international North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (NASCO) convention. The “signatory nations” that participate in the NASCO convention and its resolutions are Canada, The United States of America, The European Union, The Russian Federation, Norway, Iceland and Denmark (representing the Faroe Islands and Greenland). Each nation is represented at the conference by its federal government. In addition, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) such as the Atlantic Salmon Federation and the World Wildlife Fund participate as observers and advisors.

Among NASCO’s early achievements were resolutions that limited the commercial wild Atlantic salmon fishery, which has now been completely eliminated in North America. Mr. Taylor concluded, “As bad as it is in some places, think how much worse the situation would be for wild Atlantic salmon today without those early resolutions. Today, we want our report to likewise help NASCO advance common regulatory standards for the salmon aquaculture industry - standards that do not unreasonably burden this important industry - while allowing for greater protection of the wild Atlantic salmon.”

For further information, please contact:

ATLANTIC SALMON FEDERATION

Muriel Ferguson, Manager

Public Information

506 529 -1033

asf@nbnet.nb.ca

or

Sue Scott

Vice President Communications

(506) 529–4581

policy@nb.aibn.com

WORLD WILDLIFE FUND

Scott Burns, Director

Marine Conservation Fund

(202) 778-9547

scott.burns@wwfus.org

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