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[alwaysfishn]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/fish-farm-rejected-by-nova-scotia-government-risk-to-wild-salmon-cited/article9726828/

Fish farm rejected by Nova Scotia government, risk to wild salmon cited
HALIFAX — The Canadian Press
Published Wednesday, Mar. 13 2013, 3:22 PM EDT
Last updated Wednesday, Mar. 13 2013, 3:33 PM E

The Nova Scotia government is turning its back on rural communities and throwing away dozens of jobs by rejecting an application for a fish farm in Shoal Bay, aquaculture company Snow Island Salmon said Wednesday.

Shane Borthwick, vice-president of operations, said it was a “terrible day” for the company, adding that the decision has jeopardized the firm’s future.

“We’ve brought money and talent to this province, provided a strong, sustainable sea farming model, and are now facing the most serious threat to the viability of our business at the hands of the government that invited us here in the first place,” he said in a statement.

The province’s Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Sterling Belliveau, said Fisheries and Oceans Canada expressed concern about the salmon farm’s impact on wild salmon in the bay near Sheet Harbour during the 22-month review process.

The federal department said the site would represent a moderate risk to wild salmon. The province said it is the first time Fisheries and Oceans has described a proposed fish farm as representing a moderate risk to wild salmon.

Belliveau said the province’s decision is not a sign that the government is changing its support for fish farms, which was part of its aquaculture strategy released last year.

He said the government believes the aquaculture industry can help rural Nova Scotia’s economy.

“We are growing aquaculture into an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable industry, creating year-round jobs and increased wealth in rural Nova Scotia,” he said in a statement.

Snow Island criticized the government’s handling of the application, saying the decision was unexpected and did not appear to be based on science.

President Alan Balfour said the firm’s Scottish parent company, Loch Duart, would have to assess whether to maintain operations in the province.

There has been opposition to fish farms around Nova Scotia, including proposals by Snow Island Salmon to develop farms in Spry Harbour, Shoal Bay and Beaver Harbour on the province’s Eastern Shore.

Several groups have asked for a moratorium until a full environmental assessment can be done on open-pen farming to determine its impact on wild salmon, the lobster fishery and residents.

[chris gadsden]

Getting somewhere now with this issue. Nice to see others being concerned like Alex and many others in BC and around the world.

Thanks for posting and I am sure others will jump in on this but maybe not as the tide appears to be going out on their case.

[Dave]

Getting somewhere now with this issue. Nice to see others being concerned like Alex and many others in BC and around the world.

Thanks for posting and I am sure others will jump in on this but maybe not as the tide appears to be going out on their case.

This decision is not applicable to BC at all.    Farmed Atlantics pose an environmental risk to wild Atlantics; that has been proven in many countries that have indigenous Atlantics, mainly through farm fish escapees breeding with the ultra low population of wild salmon, trashing the remaining gene pool.  The difference is BC has Pacific salmon that cannot interbreed with Atlantics.  As for disease transfer between the two species, all that can be confirmed here in BC, today, is that Atlantics are very susceptible to Pacific salmon viruses.  If the opposite is also true, Riddell and Miller will confirm that.

[alwaysfishn]

"Several groups have asked for a moratorium until a full environmental assessment can be done on open-pen farming to determine its impact on wild salmon, the lobster fishery and residents."

What a novel approach to feedlots.....?!?  ....doing an environmental assessment before dropping the cesspools in the ocean!!! To bad some of that progressive thinking isn't being applied on the west coast.

[chris gadsden]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2013/03/14/ns-snow-island-rejection.html

[alwaysfishn]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2013/03/14/ns-snow-island-rejection.html

Talk about a "cry me a river story". DFO has done the science, why doesn't the feedlot just accept it like a grown up would. Next they'll be crying about all the jobs the province is forfeiting.

Hopefully this is the first of many victories for wild salmon on both our coasts.

[troutbreath]

http://donstaniford.typepad.com/files/chemical-use-2008-2011-loch-duart-from-sepa-1.pdf


"Loch Duart was the most frequent user of the lobster-killing chemical Tefluebenzuron with
half of all cases including use in Loch Laxford Special Area of Conservation and Badcall
Bay. "



I guess there is some concern about the mother companies use of chem and Nova Scotias lobsters as well.