June 30, 2008
Marine Harvest revamps fish farm operations to limit environmental impact
Marine Harvest, British Columbia's largest aquaculture company, has announced that it will coordinate its operations in the Broughton Archipelago to create migratory corridors during the spring out-migration of wild juvenile fish to protect them against possible sea lice infestations from its salmon farms.
Clare Backman, director of environmental compliance and community relations at Marine Harvest, told local newspaper Vancouver Sun the company's move is made in response to calls from environmental groups who have been accusing fish farms of spreading sea lice to wild species.
Marine Harvest said in a release that under its Coordinated Area Management Plan (CAMP), the company will create migratory corridors in the Broughton Archipelago during the outmigration season from March 1st to June 30th each year.
Beginning in 2010, four of the company's farms near the area will be emptied of fish during this time period. In odd-numbered years beginning in 2011 Marine Harvest's five farms in Tribune-Fife will be empty during the out-migration.
At no time during the out-migration will any Marine Harvest Broughton-area farms contain adult fish. During the out-migration season in 2009 only one farm at the western end of the Tribune-Fife corridor will have fish present," the release stated.
"The plan is intended to continue for six years while monitoring the effectiveness of the migration corridors," the release said.
In return for reduced production at these farms, the government will have to allow Marine Harvest to increase production of farmed salmon at sites away from the migration corridors to keep the company's production unchanged.
He said approximately 2.6 million fish will be moved as part of the plan, which will cost the company "in the hundreds of thousands of dollars."
The plan was received with mild skepticism by environmentalists, who commented that although the plan is a beneficial interim measure that will help wild juvenile salmon, fish farms should aim to shift from open nets to close containment technology over the long term.
