Salmon Aquaculture: Views of an Independent Scientist

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Salmon AquacultureViews of an Independent
Scientist

• Rick Routledge
• Centre for Coastal Studies
• Simon Fraser University

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• Captain George Vancouvers map from his 1792-94
  explorations.

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The Precautionary Approach

• Is there a reasonable chance that our present
  actions may cause irreversible or very long-term
  damage?
• If so, then we need to make changes.

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Summary of Current Status Sockeye

• Some large stocks still faring well.
• Three major stock complexes in deep trouble
• Rivers Inlet,
• Early Stuart, and
• Late-Run Fraser River.
• Numerous small stocks faring poorly or
  unmonitored.

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B.C. Catch Statistics 1961

• These two areas Rivers and Smith Inlets
  produced 1,056,000 sockeye or 23.1 of the
  provincial total. Area 9 Rivers Inlet was the
  second highest producing sockeye area in the
  province.

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Rivers Inlet Sockeye Returns
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Rivers Inlet Sockeye Escapement Estimates
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Summary of Current Status Other Pacific Salmon

• Coho Thompson River and Strait of Georgia still
  depressed.
• Chinook Increasing concerns especially for WVCI.
• Steelhead Signs of chronic depression for many
  southern stocks.
• Some signs of improved ocean conditions.
• Global warming impacts?

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Simon Fraser University MeetingMarch, 2000

• Focused on state of scientific knowledge
• Identified key knowledge gaps
• Discussed associated risks
• Considered relevance of Precautionary Principle

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Adaptive Management

• The provincial government representative, in his
  opening remarks, stated the governments
  intention to deploy adaptive management in salmon
  aquaculture.

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Three Areas of Potential Impact

• Genetic Interactions
• Disease Impacts
• Ecological Interactions

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Genetic Interactions

• Major impacts on interbreeding populations.
• Of potential concern in B.C. for farmed chinook
  and coho.
• Lack of knowledge of local genetic adaptations.
• Critically needed in light of depletion of wild
  stocks and hatchery releases.

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Transgenic Fish

• Not of interest at present, but this could change
  rapidly.
• Critical need for stringent rules to be laid out
  in advance.

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Disease Impacts

• Disease and parasite transfers between farmed and
  wild salmon have had serious consequences on both
  sides of the Atlantic.
• Special concerns when wild stocks depressed.
• Continuing need for tight restrictions on fish
  and egg importation and for disease monitoring.
• Side concerns over ballast water and food
  importation.

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Disease Interactions Related Concerns

• Lack of expertise in fish diseases in government
  and universities.
• Serious concerns over other sources of exotic
  species, including pathogens, especially ballast
  water and live food importation.

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Ecological Interactions

• Three key areas
• Juvenile competition with steelhead in
  freshwater,
• Spawning interactions, including egg eating by
  precocious smolts and gamete wastage, and
• Ocean survival of the progeny of escaped Atlantic
  salmon.

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Unavoidable Conclusion (RR)

• The possibility that Atlantic salmon will
  successfully invade the northeastern Pacific can
  no longer be characterized as remote.
• How large an impact might such an invasion have?

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Answer

• It is impossible to predict the eventual outcome
  of the evolutionary process.
• Could be as benign as the introduction of the
  horse.
• Could be as devastating as the introduction of
  the sea lamprey to the Great Lakes.

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Precautionary Principle

• General Consensus on the following
• There is sufficient lack of certainty in the
  potential impacts associated with salmon farming
  to invoke the Precautionary Principle.
• Of special concern was the risk of changes to
  wild Pacific salmon that will be either
  irreversible or long-term.

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Questions (RR)

• Who is taking responsibility for ensuring that
  Canada honours its international commitment to
  the Precautionary Principle as applied to
  aquaculture?
• Are the management agencies in compliance with a
  Precautionary Approach?

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The Tough Questions

1. Have the needs of future generations been
   considered?
2. Will changes that are not potentially reversible
   be avoided?
3. Have undesirable outcomes and measures that will
   avoid or correct them been identified?

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The Questions (continued)

1. Can corrective measures be initiated without
   delay?
2. Will the corrective measures achieve their
   purpose promptly?
3. Has priority been given to conserving the
   productive capacity of the resource?
4. Has there been an appropriate placement of the
   burden of proof?

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Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries

• Signed by Canada, this document states that
  governments
• should apply the precautionary approach widely
  to conservation, management and exploitation of
  living aquatic resources in order to protect them
  and preserve the aquatic environment.

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More from the Code

• The absence of adequate scientific information
  should not be used as a reason for postponing or
  failing to take conservation and management
  measures.

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Questions

• Are Canadian management agencies in compliance
  with a Precautionary Approach?
• Who is taking responsibility for ensuring that
  Canada honours its international commitment to
  the Precautionary Principle as applied to
  aquaculture?

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Closing Paragraph of Meeting Summary

• Managers to develop measures to ensure compliance
  with the precautionary approach.
• Essential to face the evidence squarely.
• Focus on long-term, serious consequences.
• Need for thorough, demonstrably objective
  monitoring.
• All results to be made freely available.