DFO boss defends draft aquaculture regs

Dan MacLennan
September 1, 2010
Courier Islander

Federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea defended her governments draft Pacific aquaculture regulations in Campbell River last week, along with the manner in which they've been presented for public comment.

With a 60-day public feedback period set to close one week from tomorrow, the draft regulations have been under fire from tourism operators and environmental groups.

"The finfish aquaculture regulations are woefully inadequate to protect wild salmon", said Brian Gunn, President of the BC Wilderness Tourism Association (WTA). "They do not address the impacts that open net cage salmon farms have on the wild salmon stocks. For example, there are no requirements in the current proposed regulations for the salmon farming industry to monitor the health of juvenile wild salmon for impacts due to disease and sea lice around farms during their out migration. In fact there is little in the proposed regulations to protect wild salmon. DFO seem to have forgotten what should be their primary mandate, which is to protect our wild fisheries."

Read the full story in the Courier Islander

Read related story: 

• Georgia Straight; September 3, 2010; "DFO must ensure B.C. fish farms well monitored, says salmon activist Alexandra Morton"