November 28, 2007

Canada's Creative Salmon spends US$1 million on predator nets

Creative Salmon spent more than US$1million improving its fish pens after 100 sea lions drowned in its nets last year.

The company has removed shark guards - a layer of netting designed to stop dogfish - from its Tofino-based production farm.

The shark guards are where sea lions tend to get caught. Creative Salmon is now using stronger material for the nets.

Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans investigated the sea lion deaths and issued the company a formal warning rather prosecution.

The incidents also prompted a review of the effectiveness of farm procedures for predator protection. It further pushed conservationist groups to ban farmed salmon production in the province.

The Federal Committee on Sustainable Aquaculture's has recommended for the entire industry to switch to closed containment systems within five years.

Currently, British Colombian farms use open-net pens, which environmentalists believe contribute to the spread of disease and sea lice, pollution from fish waste, and escapes.