Claims by anti-fish farms activist not true says minister
Having more constructive discussions about aquaculture will require that we are forthright in our use of information, says Fisheries Minister Jonathan Wilkinson in an op-ed
By SeaWestNews
This
op-ed by Fisheries Minister Jonathan Wilkinson was originally published in the
Georgia Straight to correct misinformation spread by anti-fish farm activists
By Jonathan Wilkinson
We’re all familiar with the saying “an
ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Beginning in the 1980s, policy
makers began using these aphorisms to describe a “precautionary approach”.
It’s a concept at the heart of many
applications of science and is something that will increasingly underpin how
Canada will manage aquaculture.
It is the cornerstone of a suite of
measures I announced in December to ensure Canada’s aquaculture industry is
economically successful and environmentally sustainable.
Over 90 percent of the planet’s wild fish
stocks are either fished to the maximum or overfished, yet demand for healthy
sources of protein is increasing. Nearly half of fish consumed by humans now
comes from aquaculture. It is clear the world needs aquaculture.
Over two-thirds of Canada’s farmed salmon
production occurs in B.C.—the economic opportunities for coastal and Indigenous
communities in B.C. are significant. However, concerns about the potential
impacts have become divisive.
The good jobs and economic prosperity from
aquaculture will only be realized if Canadians know that aquaculture is being
undertaken in an environmentally sustainable manner.
It’s time to refresh the federal
government’s approach to aquaculture by emphasizing more fulsome implementation
of the precautionary approach. We must move forward in ways that address and
don’t ignore areas of concern.
This means asking: if those with concerns
about environmental impacts were eventually found to be correct, which concerns
would be most damaging to the environment and what can we do to mitigate?
For example, one area of significant debate
has been whether a specific virus could harm wild juvenile salmon near open-net
farms along migratory pathways. There is disagreement on this topic. In the new
federal framework, this means moving towards an area-based approach to managing
aquaculture—an approach that takes into consideration environmental, social,
and economic factors when identifying potential areas for new aquaculture
development.
This is a discussion that has recently
taken place here in B.C. regarding the Broughton Archipelago where the DFO will
be working with B.C., industry and First Nations—listening to concerns and
moving to an area-based approach.
Another element of our new approach is a
focus on emerging technologies—including closed-containment. Recently, we
announced an expedited technical and economic study. Results will inform
technology development efforts and broader public policy considerations.
Over the past several years we have
witnessed a sometimes acrimonious debate regarding aquaculture. It’s important
that we move beyond this unproductive conversation—to better engage people of
good intent in working to enhance sustainability.
To do this, all interested
parties—including DFO—will need to reach out to those with other perspectives
to engage in a more productive conversation. In this regard, DFO recently
committed to creating a new position of “Science Advisor” and to creating an
advisory committee to provide external perspective on aquaculture science
priorities.
Having more constructive discussions will
however require that we are forthright in our use of information. Too often
over past years has one side or the other misconstrued information for the
purpose of making their point.
For example, in an article that ran on this
website (Georgia Straight) earlier this month, a noted environmental activist
asserted that (if not appealed) a recent Federal Court decision regarding
piscine orthoreovirus (PRV) requires, by law, that, as of June 4, smolts be
tested for PRV before being transferred to open-net pens.
In
fact, what the court actually found is that DFO’s current policies set the
threshold for “harm” to wild stocks too high and should be revisited. The court
also said that upon revisiting this matter, “it is possible that the Minister
will still conclude that it is appropriate to maintain the PRV Policy,” i.e.
that it is not necessary to test for PRV.
This is simply an example but one that I
think highlights an important issue and underlines that we collectively need to
be working to ensure we can have a thoughtful, forthright discussion founded on
science and evidence.
I believe that folks on all sides of these
issues are people of good intent—the vast majority of whom care deeply about
the natural environment and about wild salmon. I do however believe we all need
to be judicious in our use of facts and that we should all be striving to find
ways to speak with each other in more effective ways.
I trust the vast majority of British
Columbians do not think that we must choose between growing the economy and
protecting the environment—I am one of them. That is why I firmly believe our
new science-based approach to aquaculture will support a healthy ocean, good
jobs, and economic prosperity on our coasts.
Jonathan
Wilkinson (pictured) is the minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian
Coast Guard.
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