A Considered Future Arguments for Rational Salmon Conservation Policy

1. A Considered FutureArguments for Rational Salmon Conservation Policy Andrew S. Wright PhD Technical Advisor to SOS Marine Conservation Foundation Tides Canada Aquaculture Innovation Fund and DFO

2. West Coast Salmon Aquaculture • West Coast Salmon Aquaculture has two key issues • Global use of precious forage fisheries for feed • Local environmental impacts • Disease, lice, benthic fowling etc • In 2007-2008 the SOS Marine Conservation Foundation attempted to resolve the conundrum • Shrinking wild fishery worth $500 million/annum • Farmed salmon industry also at $500 million/annum but a lack of social license has stalled growth • Burgeoning multi-billion eco-tourism business at risk • Summary • BC/Canada’s eternal dilemma of Resources & Jobs vs. Environment

3. SOS Marine Conservation Foundation - Long Term Vision • Integrated multi-trophic - polyculture agriculture business • Delivering full size salmon and plate size salmon per year • Waste from 200kg living salmon support 3,000 head of lettuce every 6 weeks • Diverse vegetable crop line for value add – lettuce, spinach herbs, tomatoes, peppers…

4. B.C’s First Mover Advantages – the logical place to locate • Access to source water • Significant transportation cost advantage to US ($.20 vs. $1.20/lb from Chile) • Localized feed production industry • Localized harvest, processing and packaging • Initial Pacific Northwest consumers are highly food-aware and looking for farmed salmon alternatives • Trained employee and strong skill set base (Gov’t & Industry) • Access to low lease Crown and private social venture investment land • Lowest continental power costs • Low carbon – near zero GHG power source • Nascent equipment industry (Pr Aqua - Point 4 etc) • Potential Government funding programs (AIMAP, SRED, VCC investment credits)

5. The Closed Containment Opportunity • Provides a socially acceptable means to expand the industry • Increase the landed tonnage of fish • Vegetable & secondary aquaculture crops extend profitability • Supplementary fertilizer and energy revenue options • Premium, sustainable products that satisfy market demand • BC Benefits Include • Jobs (Fish culture, fish husbandry, mechanical engineering, aquaponics, construction) • Localized agricultural food security • Equipment industry in B.C can differentiate and grow on sustainability platform • Breaks the Resource Jobs vs. Save the Environment paradigm

6. Dogma, Ideology and Clouded Judgments • Biologically, technically and economically unfeasible • The unified response from both industry, provincial and federal politicians • Despite real world examples in North America • An example of the elimination of science and analytic based decision making in policy recommendations • Yet there is hope for we have found federal support! • SOS Marine Conservation Foundation, Tides Canada AIF and the Federal Government came together to build a 400MT fish farm with the ‘Namgis nation. • Yet overseas major investments are now being made by Scandinavian companies building full size land based farms • BC is simply missing this opportunity

7. The Cost of Poorly Informed (Ideologue) Decision Making • Kaho’olawe –exploitation left the island devoid of topsoil and life. • Cost to recover - $500,000,000 to date! • Brief present day riches achieved by exploitive industries burden subsequent generations • It undermines progress in human well being that science has provisioned thru responsible economic development • The current political zeitgeist of attacking science is really an attack on future human well being and rejects centuries of scientific contributions

8. Hope, Leading from in Front – the ‘Namgis Project • Construction has started • Fish in by this winter • Land based bio-secure facilities with no harmful local environmental impacts • Fish will be raised free of chemical theraputants, pesticides and vaccines • No interaction between wild and farmed populations • Carbon footprint lower than ocean farms due to BC hydro power and heat pumps • Global issues of fish farming can be resolved • Requires university research into sustainable algae and plankton based salmon diets

9. Science – the key to progress • Simon Fraser University, University of British Columbia, Victoria University, Watershed Watch, Alexandra Morton, Fresh Water Institute at University of Virginia, Provincial and Federal Scientists • These institutes have lent their scientific expertise and knowledge to helping us contemplate, design and build the ‘Namgis farm • Thus rational informed decision making leads to enduring economies and sustained human well being • This illustrates the very essence of responsible progress and the importance of scientific institutions and a populous that is literate in science

10. Conclusions • The Cohen commission has revealed great failures in management by our government in protecting our oceans • Preservation and conservation should be prime directives in future wild salmon governance • Closed containment salmon farming should be central in the responsible development of Canada’s aquaculture industry