Salmon farming in B.C. could be regulated to prevent impacts on the marine environment and wild salmon stocks.

A good starting point would be to fully implement the 49 recommendations that came out of an independent environmental review in 1997. That review called for tough escape prevention measures, strict disease control, seabed pollution prevention regulations, comprehensive marine use planning and precautionary siting criteria. It also called for local input into siting decisions. To date, few of the recommendations have been implemented as set out in the environmental review.

We believe that salmon farming could be made environmentally sustainable by:

• using closed contained farming technologies that eliminate the risks of disease transfer and fish escapes
• stopping seabed pollution
• developing fish feed that doesn't deplete global fish stocks
• ensuring that marine mammals are not harmed as a result of fish farming
• eliminating the use of antibiotics and pesticides in fish farming
• banning fish farms in areas opposed by First Nations and local communities or in sensitive habitat such as salmon migration routes

Mandatory labeling of fish as "farmed" would ensure that consumers can make informed choices about the seafood they buy.

There is one salmon farm in B.C. that is addressing some of these issues by using a land-based system that eliminates escapes and reduces the risk of transfer of disease to wild salmon. This farm is working to improve its systems, and we hope to see it eliminate all harmful waste discharge. More pilot projects like this are needed to develop successful models for the industry.