In B.C., there’s something almost sacred about salmon. So when the salmon runs started to dwindle, the blame game began in earnest. The disastrous decline in salmon stocks has been blamed on everything from misguided first nations’ fishing policy to global warming, pollution and habitat loss – to say nothing of mismanagement by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. But the biggest villain is fish farms. Many people believe the fish farms are responsible for spreading deadly sea lice and disease to wild fish. Three years ago, activists warned that B.C.’s population of pink salmon would be virtually wiped out if the infestations continued.
Now, to everyone’s astonishment, the fish are practically leaping into the boats. It’s the biggest sockeye run in a century. The pink salmon are also back in droves. In Atlantic Canada and Quebec, too, salmon returns are setting records. So much for sea lice.
“I think it’s sad,” says fish researcher Vivian Krause. “We’ve spent close to $15-million on sea lice research and now the Cohen commission, which was largely forced into existence by sea lice fears.”
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One of the loudest against fish farms in B.C. was Rafe Mair. He sat in his bully pulpit crowing about his “split cane fly rod ” and interviewing and fawning over anyone with a British or New Zealand accent who would back up his position. The man is an snob both socially and intellectually and really hurt the local industry.
My personal view is that fish farms are the wave of the future — especially in Ontario which has lot’s of cold water and a very tasty product. We’ll see how it goes as we fire Suzuki.