B.C. government 'very interested' in moving open-net fish farms onto land, minister says

The B.C. minister in charge of aquaculturetenures for the province is hinting at a sea change in the provincial government's approach to Atlantic salmon farming in Pacific waters.

Doug Donaldson, the B.C. minister of Forest, Land and Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, saysthe provincial government can't ban open-net fish farms - as Washington state did last week because they are regulated by the federal government.

However, withprovincial tenures for 22 fish farms coming up for renewal in June, the ministersaid the provincialgovernment's vision for the future includesmoving them out of the ocean and into land-based operations, wherever possible.

'Closed containment where feasible'

"We're very concerned as a government about protecting wild salmon and the migratory routes that they use and we're very interested in moving to closed containment where feasible," Donaldson said in an interview with On the Island hostGregorCraigie.

Provincially-issuedforeshore tenures allow people to access the fish farm fromland, and to anchorstructures that sit in shallow water.

Provincialofficials have launched "government to government" discussions about the future of the 18 fish-farm tenuresin theBroughtonArchipelago, which are opposed by five bands representing six First Nations with traditional territories in that area.

Meanwhile, the NamgisFirst Nation protested last week thatMarine Harvest, which ownsone of those fish farms, at Swanson Island, appeared to be preparing to restock its empty pens.

Donaldson saidrestocking is entirely within the industry'sjurisdiction, even though itstenure could expire in three months.

"What we really want to do is look at the long term of aquaculture with the first nations involved, with community and with industry," he said.

"We know there's bright spots in the future as far as closed containment when it comes to Atlantic salmon farming."

The cabinet minister's enthusiasm for closed containment comes at a time of growth forland-based salmon farming in several countries.

In PortMcNeillon Vancouver Island, theNamgisFirst Nation's closed-containment salmon farm isnow marginally profitable after four years,company spokesperson JosephineMrozewskisaid.The company harvestsfive tonnes of salmon every week.

Growing momentum

The pilot project fulfilled its mission of proving that the technology works, she said, but itwould need tobe 10 times bigger to earn"investment grade returns."

"It's happening,"Mrozewskisaid. "The momentum is being picked up elsewhere than B.C."

Newer land-based salmon farms, including the world's largest, under construction in Florida, are 70 to 300 times larger than the one in Port McNeill.

Jeremy Dunn, executive director of the B.C. Salmon Farmers Association,said that while 99 per cent of farmed salmon spend the second half of their livesin ocean net pens, aquaculture companies are open to change.

Some companies operating in B.C. are involved in new methods under developmentin Norway, Dunn said, "with tremendous government assistance to help fund those costly programs."

With files from CBC Radio One's On the Island with GregorCraigie.