SALMON FARMERS INSPIRED BY MINISTER’S MESSAGE; SECTOR IS JOB CREATION ENGINE

St. Andrews, N.B. – Atlantic Canada’s salmon farming industry has the expertise and experience to ignite this region’s economy and create much-needed jobs for coastal communities, New Brunswick’s new Minister of Aquaculture told ACFFA annual dinner guests this week.
 
Rick Doucet, who was sworn in last month as New Brunswick’s Minister of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries, was guest speaker at the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association’s (ACFFA) annual fall conference this week in St. Andrews. The Minister said salmon farming is already one of this region’s biggest economic drivers, employing over 3,000 people in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia alone and generating $356 million to those provincial economies.
 
Doucet said salmon farmers have built a strong industry over the past 30 years, becoming an economic backbone, especially in Charlotte County where salmon farming creates 1,600 jobs alone.
 
“On behalf of the province of New Brunswick, I would like to thank you sincerely for the jobs and the GDP that you have brought to the table. Your industry helps pay for our roads, helps pay for our schools, helps pay for our hospitals. You help pay for a way of life for many of us,” said Doucet. “I don’t know if historically, you have ever had somebody stand up and thank you for what you are doing for this province, but from what I have seen over the past 12 years as being your elected member, I want to thank you, because I am pretty proud of what you do.”
 
Larry Ingalls, ACFFA Board Chair and CEO of Northern Harvest Sea Farms, said this region should be proud of what our family-owned salmon farming companies have accomplished on the world stage.
 
“Few people have any idea that the Atlantic industry is led by two privately-owned, Charlotte County family businesses. We produce upwards of 50 per cent of all the salmon in North America,” said Ingalls. “We’ve done that while facing stiff competition from publicly-owned, multinational companies. It’s something we should be proud of.”
 
Minister Doucet, who also serves as New Brunswick’s Minister of Economic Development, said in his speech that the province needs to get serious about promoting a business-friendly atmosphere and that he plans to take steps to streamline government decision-making processes, reduce red tape and cut fees for small businesses. He pledged to work together with industry to create an atmosphere that promotes stability and growth and to assist the industry in getting its products to the rest of the world.
 
“We are going to work hard and work together to tap into your industry’s economic potential, because it’s there. It’s on our doorstep,” said Doucet.
 
Ingalls said 2014 was a solid year for salmon farmers, with stable market prices, strong production and few fish health issues. He said salmon consumption is slated to increase around the world.
 
“The outlook for 2015-16 is bright for our industry. It will give us a chance to strengthen our position in the world, which is very important for companies like ours that are competing in a global industry,” said Ingalls.
 
Approximately 120 salmon farmers, industry stakeholders, scientists, researchers, provincial and federal government representatives, and community members attended the ACFFA’s fall conference held in conjunction with its AGM.  The conference was launched with a presentation from Ruth Salmon, Executive Director of the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance who reviewed a recent study on Social Licence and the Aquaculture Industry in Canada.
 
“The research suggests that even in the face of a very small but vocal group of activists, aquaculture companies in Canada have achieved, and continue to maintain, high levels of support with their communities,” said Salmon. “In addition the demand for the quality salmon and other seafood products continues to rise.”
 
Workshop participants also heard presentations on an award-winning collaborative partnership that relies on the expertise of salmon farmers to help recover wild salmon stocks; the latest innovations in net technology, climate change, ocean acidification, sea lice trends and eco-system based management of fish farming.

The ACFFA 2014 Year in Review can be found here.
 
The Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association (ACFFA) is an industry-funded association working on behalf of the New Brunswick and Nova Scotia salmon farming industry in addition to a wide range of service and supply companies and organizations. Salmon farming employs over 3000 people in our region and has a value of over $330 million to provincial economies.
 
For more information, please contact:
Pamela Parker, Executive Director
Ph: 506-755-3526
Email: p.parker@atlanticfishfarmers.com
 

Could you wear only five pieces of clothing to work for an entire month?

ACFFA staffers take up the Five Easy Pieces Heart and Stroke Challenge

Staffers at the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association (ACFFA) are kicking off a fun, fashion challenge today to raise money for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

Full-time , part-time and contract staffers at the ACFFA are challenging themselves to pick only five pieces of clothing each to wear to work for the month of April. Sure, it sounds easy. But think about it – only five pieces for an entire month. ACFFA staff will collect pledges and hold fundraising activities with their members in the salmon farming industry to raise funds for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

“We’ve all been touched by heart disease and stroke, and this is a terrific way for us to raise awareness and support research into Canada’s biggest killers,” says Pamela Parker, Executive Director of the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association. “It’s a perfect fit for us. The Heart and Stroke Foundation encourages healthy lifestyle choices to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke for men and women. Eating more heart-healthy salmon is a big part of that.”

The idea originated from the BC Salmon Farmers Association who created and launched this successful initiative in 2011. This year, they invited the ACFFA to take up the challenge, help raise funds for Heart and Stroke and spread heart-healthy messages from coast to coast.
“We’ll be able to spice up our chosen outfits with different shoes, scarves and jewelry, but we’ve got to stick to our basic five core pieces,” says Parker. “It’s going to be a challenge but we’re up for it. It’s a great cause.”

Staffers will post their progress on our Facebook page (Atlantic Fish Farmers Assoc) and tweet about it on Twitter (@AtlFishFarmers).

The ACFFA will divide the funds raised between the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s events The Heart Truth in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia’s Red Hot in the City.
For more information or if you want to get involved by pledging a donation, please email:  or call us at (506) 755-3526.

The Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association (ACFFA) is an industry-funded association that works on behalf of the salmon farming industry in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The ACFFA represents 95 per cent of salmon production in the Maritime region in addition to a wide range of supporting companies and organizations.
 
For more information, please contact:
Pamela Parker
Executive Director
Ph: 506-755-3526
Email: p.parker@atlanticfishfarmers.com
 

Salmon Farmers Continue to Use 'Green' Technology in 2011

Letang, N.B. - New Brunswick salmon farmers will continue to use well-boats to control sea lice this year after successfully piloting the ‘green’ technology last summer.
 
The Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association (ACFFA) today released the final report of its cooperative pilot project on the evaluation of well-boat technology to deliver sea lice treatments. The evaluation determined that using well-boats can reduce the amount of approved product needed to treat sea lice by approximately 75 per cent compared to treatments delivered in skirted net pens.
 
The study also found that treatment efficacy is significantly increased when well-boats are used and that Interox Paramove 50, an environmentally benign hydrogen peroxide product, is highly effective in treating most stages of sea lice.
 
“Our well-boat pilot project has been a huge success,” says Pamela Parker, Executive Director of the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association. “New Brunswick salmon farmers are so impressed with the technology that local companies have invested millions of dollars in purchasing their own well-boats for use this year and have leased a third for use in 2011.”
 
Sea lice are a naturally occurring parasite that affects wild and farmed fish alike and are not an issue in all farming areas. New Brunswick salmon farmers are leading the way in developing and implementing effective, innovative and sustainable treatment and management strategies for this parasite. Well-boats are large vessels that contain holds, or wells, that are filled with water and then the fish are pumped onboard for sea lice treatment.
 
Three well-boats – the Ronja, Ronja Carrier and Colby Perse – began delivering treatments this spring, said Parker, adding these treatments are being done using only hydrogen peroxide.  Last year’s pilot project saw the ACFFA bring well-boat technology to Canada for sea lice treatments the first time by chartering one well boat – the Ronja Carrier - on behalf of a cooperative of all salmon farming companies in the region.
 
“Atlantic Canada’s fish farmers are committed to building a world-class, sustainable aquaculture industry. Besides investing in well-boats, they are investing in a number of research projects to explore other non-chemical treatment options like cleaner fish and sea lice traps.  We’re always looking for innovative ways to address the challenges our industry faces,” said Parker. “This pilot project was a strong step forward for our industry.”
 
To read the Evaluation of Well Boat Technology Project Final Report, please click here.
 
The Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association, formerly known as the New Brunswick Salmon Growers’ Association, is an industry-funded association that works on behalf of the salmon farming industry in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The ACFFA represents salmon producers in the Maritime region in addition to a wide range of supporting companies and organizations.
 
For more information, please contact:
Pamela Parker
Executive Director
Ph: 506-755-3526
Email: p.parker@atlanticfishfarmers.com

Closed Containment: It's not as 'green' or as 'viable' as it's cracked up to be

At least eight thousand football fields.

That’s approximately how much land would be needed to develop closed containment systems for Atlantic Canada’s farmed salmon production. It’s also about 50 times more space than we need in the water to grow our fish to market size.

And the price tag?

Well, the capital cost to develop land-based facilities for all of Atlantic Canada’s farmed salmon production would be more than $1.5 billion – and that does not include the cost of finding and purchasing the enormous amount of land required.

While closed containment is often touted as an easy option for Atlantic salmon farmers, the fact of the matter is, at this point and time, raising fish in closed systems for their entire life cycle is neither viable nor as ‘green’ as it’s cracked up to be.

The costs would be astronomical, and the carbon footprint would be exceptionally high.
A 2008 study led by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans examined 44 closed containment trials conducted around the world, including one in New Brunswick. All failed. To date, no closed system has successfully grown Atlantic salmon on a commercial scale.

Even if farmers could find and purchase the huge tracts of land necessary to support the buildings, tanks and other equipment needed to grow their fish and even if they could find a way to pay for all that, they would also need access to a consistent and abundant water supply as well as to a consistent electrical supply and backup generators. The amount of continuous electricity needed to run closed systems would leave a huge carbon footprint by producing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming.

And where would the water come from for these land-based tanks? Locating these operations close to shorelines wouldn’t likely be an option, so the water would have to be pumped from the ground at a time when many areas are already facing freshwater shortages that are expected to get worse.

Some have pointed to a new floating salmon-farming tank installed earlier this year in the Middle Bay of Campbell River, B.C. as the magic bullet for aquaculture, but the technology - which still allows the bay water to flow through the system - is far from proven and only recommended in areas with very low wave action.

In addition to cost and environmental concerns, closed containment systems are not the best option in terms of fish health because the salmon would have to be cramped into tanks in order to make the systems viable. A 2010 DFO economic study shows that to make closed containment marginally viable, farmers need to grow fish at a biomass of 50 kg/m3. Our fish are stocked at 15-17.

It’s somewhat baffling to me why a small faction is asking salmon farmers to move our production to an unnatural feed-lot style farming method. Atlantic salmon raised on east coast farms are healthy, native stocks that swim in their natural environment, contained by a system of nets, cages and mooring systems that are designed to meet the challenging, high-energy environments of the Bay of Fundy, the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine. Fish are not crowded into their net pens. On average, salmon take up less than four per cent of their pen, which gives them plenty of room to follow their natural schooling instinct.

Why would we want to grow salmon in an unnatural closed system when we can grow them in a natural environment, uncrowded and using minimal energy?

Our farmers are experts in closed containment technology. Our fish spend the first third of their lives in land-based hatcheries where recirculation is used. We also know that it simply is not commercially viable to use these systems to grow our fish to harvest.

Our industry believes we have demonstrated that we can grow Atlantic salmon in their natural environment with minimal impact on wild stocks or habitat. We have many tools – such as government-audited ocean floor sampling and underwater cameras and sophisticated feeding management systems to prevent waste – to minimize any potential impact on the environment.
Atlantic Canada’s salmon farmers are committed to building the most responsible and innovative aquaculture industry in the world, and we’re leading the way in research and development in our industry. We’re wholeheartedly supportive of new ideas and improved technology, but at this point in time, closed containment farming may work for specific niche markets but at the commercial scale necessary to meet the growing demand for one of the world’s most heart-healthy foods, it is not economically viable or environmentally-friendly.
 
Pamela Parker is the Executive Director of the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association (formerly known as the New Brunswick Salmon Growers Association), an industry-funded organization that works on behalf of the salmon farming industry in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

ACFFA Joins International Colleagues at Online Hub

Letang, N.B. - A new website launched today will bring together salmon farmers from around the world while educating the public about the benefits of this important industry.
 
The International Salmon Farmers Association (ISFA) unveiled its new website, www.salmonfarming.org, today in a co-operative launch by its members around the world. Representatives from countries such as Norway, Scotland, Chile, United States and Canada have all contributed to this project.
 
 “We’re always looking for ways to share accurate information about this increasingly important food sector and this new website will help educate people about salmon farming across the globe,” said Nell Halse, president of the International Salmon Farmers Association (ISFA) and chair of the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association (ACFFA).
 
Salmon farming is a vibrant and growing industry in Atlantic Canada, and our region is playing an increasingly significant role on the international level, says Halse, who has served three terms as ISFA president.
 
The website includes information about ISFA, its members and their information sites, development of the industry and the life cycle of farmed salmon.  It also includes the shared vision of these international salmon farming colleagues and a photo gallery of operations around the world.
 
“As the world’s population grows and the need for sustainable protein increases, we know the global context of salmon aquaculture will be very important to understand,” said Pamela Parker, Executive Director of the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association. “This website is an example of how the international salmon farming community is working together.”
 
The International Salmon Farmers Association represents 11 associations from around the world committed to responsible farming, based on innovation and research, and environmental and social sustainability.
 
Farmed salmon is New Brunswick’s single biggest agriculture-based export. Nova Scotia enjoys a rich and abundant coastline and salmon farming is poised to take its place as a leading industry in the province’s south shore, especially in communities such as Shelburne and Digby.   Maritime Canada produces just over 30 per cent of Canada’s total farmed salmon. Our industry generates over $300 million in revenue, which in turn triggers economic activity valued at over half a billion dollars  across Canada.
 
The Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association is an industry-funded association that works on behalf of the salmon farming industry in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The ACFFA represents 95 per cent of salmon farming production in the Maritime region in addition to a wide range of supporting companies and organizations.
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For more information, contact:
Pamela Parker
Executive Director
Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association
Ph: 506-755-3526
Email: p.parker@atlanticfishfarmers.com

Atlantic Salmon Farmers Reach Out to Federal Election Candidates

Letang, N.B. – With the May 2nd federal election fast approaching, the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association is providing candidates from all political parties in the region with current information about the thriving and innovative salmon farming industry.
 
“Election campaigns are an important time for citizens to ask their potential representatives about issues that are most important to them,” says Pamela Parker, Executive Director of the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association. “Our industry is a complex one, and we want to ensure candidates are well-informed about the value our industry brings to the New Brunswick and Nova Scotia economies and to Canada as a whole, about our farming practices and  our commitment to protecting the marine environment.”
 
Today, the association sent letters to candidates outlining the economic and socio-economic impacts from salmon farming as well as the industry’s Integrated Pest Management Plan to manage sea lice. The letter also asks candidates for their support for a new federal Aquaculture Act which will provide the clarity and security needed to attract investment, bring new jobs and support a modern industry that will ultimately allow Canada to become a global leader in aquaculture.
 
“Too often, candidates base their positions on misinformation that circulates about our industry and some feel that supporting salmon farming is contrary to supporting a traditional fishery or wild salmon conservation. That’s just not the case. It’s not a ‘we’ versus ‘them’ scenario,” says Parker. “We all share the same goals of protecting our valuable marine ecosystem upon which we all depend and of maintaining a healthy fishery. Both the traditional fishery and our industry continue to provide important benefits to our community, and we firmly believe we can co-exist and work cooperatively.”
 
To read our letter to candidates, please click here.
 
The Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association, formerly known as the New Brunswick Salmon Growers’ Association, is an industry-funded association that works on behalf of the salmon farming industry in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The ACFFA represents 95 per cent of salmon production in the Maritime region in addition to a wide range of supporting companies and organizations.
 
For more information, please contact:
Pamela Parker, Executive Director
Ph: 506-755-3526
Email: p.parker@atlanticfishfarmers.com

Final Report Released

The Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association today released the proceedings from its annual general meeting, technical reviews and research workshop held November 29 – December 1, 2010. This meeting brought together aquaculture industry representatives from various provinces with other stakeholders to learn the preliminary results of the various initiatives and research projects undertaken in 2010 and to help plan a research program for 2011.
 
Over 160 individuals attended this meeting, including representatives from various pharmaceutical companies and federal and provincial regulators as well as other interested stakeholders such as students, researchers, fishery and conservation representatives and, of course, industry representatives from British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and New Brunswick. 
 
This meeting was gratefully supported by: Fisheries and Ocean’s Aquaculture Collaborative Research and Development Program, Solvay Chemicals, Novartis Animal Health, Intervet / Schering Plough, Pharmaq AS, Aqua Pharma, The Fish Vet Group, Future Nets and Northeast Nutrition.
 
Click to read the 2011 Technical Report and 2011 Sea Lice Management and Program Development Workshop Final Report, please click here.
 
The Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association, formerly known as the New Brunswick Salmon Growers’ Association, is an industry-funded association that works on behalf of the salmon farming industry in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The ACFFA represents 95 per cent of salmon production in the Maritime region in addition to a wide range of supporting companies and organizations.
 
For more information, please contact:
Pamela Parker
Executive Director
Ph: 506-755-3526
Email: p.parker@atlanticfishfarmers.com

Monitoring, Surveillance & Research in Support of Emergency Registration of AlphaMax and Salmosan Sea Lice Treatments

The final report of the monitoring, surveillance and research of AlphaMax in 2009 in New Brunswick has been completed.

The research was designed to fill key information gaps required for the application for full registration of AlphaMax and the re-registration of Salmosan, which are both sea lice bath treatments used for many years in Norway, the UK and Chile.

Access to these treatments in Canada will support the implementation of an Integrated Pest Management Program for the Canadian salmon farming industry.

The research was being done in collaboration with the pharmaceutical companies, federal and provincial researchers and by provincial aquaculture associations as well as the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance. The work examined fate-related and effects-related issues involved in sea cage and well boat bath treatments with emphasis on determining treatment impacts on non-target planktonic and benthic species in the vicinity of the farms, as well as on the fate of the product in sea water.

The final report of the monitoring, surveillance and research of AlphaMax in 2009 can be found here. Monitoring, surveillance and research on AlphaMax and Salmosan is continuing through 2010 and 2011.
 
For more information, please contact:
Pamela Parker
Executive Director
Ph: 506-755-3526
Email: p.parker@atlanticfishfarmers.com

Letter to the Editor - Aquaculture Grows Healthy Food in Healthy Ocean

By Pamela Parker

In his Jan. 30 column "Keep salmon farms out of the ocean," Silver Donald Cameron does a disservice to the people of Nova Scotia who are working to grow the economy and social fabric of their communities.

He also does a disservice to the proud men and women who already work in the region’s salmon-farming sector. They are proud because they know they are working in a responsible, innovative and home-grown business that is keeping families together by providing well-educated young people with highly skilled jobs and a reason to stay home to raise their families.

Mr. Cameron is correct when he says there is controversy over salmon farming. Most of it is due to misinformation that is spread by articles such as the one written by Mr. Cameron. We invite him to tour a farm to get a first-hand experience of how salmon are farmed in Nova Scotia. There are issues, but let’s consider them in light of the facts, not fiction.

The entire salmon-farming sector in Atlantic Canada is owned and managed by Atlantic Canadians. Our people are investing in the region and putting our own people to work. Consumers can go to their local grocery stores and buy fresh, nutritious salmon that is farmed in Atlantic Canada’s pristine coastal waters by their neighbours and friends within Canada’s tough regulatory regime.

Consumers and business owners alike want to be sure salmon farms are an efficient and sustainable way to produce food. Thanks to investments in research and the work of feed specialists in Nova Scotia, it now takes much less than one kilogram of wild fish (not four) to grow one kilogram of farmed salmon. Compare that to beef, pork and chicken, which are far less efficient both in feed and water usage.

Our local feed companies use far fewer fish ingredients than were used in the past and in other areas of the world. This has been possible partially through the increased use of plant proteins and grains, many of which are locally sourced; and because, where possible, we use byproducts from our local fishery for fishmeal. This recycles seafood waste and reduces our reliance on wild fish even further.

We do not use growth hormones. We rely on preventive measures and best practices to make sure our fish stay healthy but, like all farmers, we need to be able to treat our animals when they are attacked by parasites or disease. This is done only under the direct supervision of veterinarians and only with treatments that have been approved by Health Canada.

Waste from excess feed and feces is strictly controlled by underwater cameras, better feeds and farm staff who are trained by fish behaviourists so that fish are fed only when they are hungry. A government-run environmental monitoring program requires routine sampling of the ocean floor and underwater videos to measure impact. We also use low stocking densities and fallow or rest our farms between crops.

Rather than listen to messages of doom from well-funded anti-salmon farming activists in Norway, B.C. or Scotland, Nova Scotians should talk to the farmers, scientists and community leaders who have direct knowledge and experience with the sector. This includes experts in our own world-class academic and research institutions: Dalhousie University, Atlantic Veterinary College, Nova Scotia Agriculture College, Memorial University’s Marine Institute, Huntsman Ocean Sciences and the University of New Brunswick.

Our members welcome public scrutiny. That is why our companies are submitting their farms to audits for certification to internationally accredited quality and eco-labels, why they are opening storefront offices in communities where they do business and why they are answering questions and sharing information about their investment and job-creation plans. Websites that will provide information can be found at www.aquaculturegrowsns.com, www.allaboutsalmon.ca or www.atlanticfishfarmers.com.

Half of the seafood that is eaten in the world today comes from a farm. That number will increase as the world’s population and demand for healthy seafood grow. Let’s have a respectful dialogue about the future. We need to decide whether we want our children and grandchildren to eat fish that is farmed in other parts of the world or right here at home in their natural environment.

Pamela Parker is executive director, Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association ( www.atlanticfishfarmers.com).

The Truth About Salmon Farming and Sea Lice

By Pamela Parker
Just enough to fill a one-ounce shot glass.

That’s the approximate amount of approved chemical that Atlantic salmon farmers use to treat sea lice in an entire net pen.

And that bath treatment, which has been approved for use only after rigorous risk assessments and studies by federal and provincial regulators and scientists, is used only as a last resort, usually in a closed system and only under the supervision of a veterinarian.

Misconceptions about salmon farming have abounded in recent months, with the most notable mistaken notion being that farmers are haphazardly dumping chemicals into the ocean.

That is just not the case.

Atlantic Canada’s salmon farmers are committed to building the most responsible and
innovative aquaculture industry in the world. Although we already work in a heavily regulated industry, we continually strive to do more to ensure the health of our fish, to protect the marine environment and to grow high-quality and healthy food.

Why?

Because we are local people who have built this industry over the past 30 years and we care about its future and about the marine environment in which we live and work. If we don’t care about sustainability, then we can’t farm, and our neighbours can’t fish, and the ocean we love won’t be here in its present form for our children and grandchildren.

We recognize that traditional fishers and others have questions and concerns about our industry, especially about how we manage sea lice. We have worked hard through farm tours, media releases and our participation on working groups with the traditional fishery to share information about our sea lice management practises and on research and monitoring results, but yet, misinformation about our industry continues to show up everywhere.

We are concerned about these misconceptions and would like to share some information about our sea lice management practices.

Sea lice are a naturally occurring marine parasite found on a variety of fish stocks around the world but their populations vary from area to area. For example, salmon on farms in Nova Scotia have never been treated for sea lice while salmon in some areas of New Brunswick, like Grand Manan, were treated only once or twice this year. Sea lice do not pose a human health risk, but high levels of sea lice harm our fish and make them vulnerable to other potentially fatal infections.

Prevention has always been – and always will be – our first line of defence against sea lice. We’ve developed farm management practises to reduce the likelihood and severity of sea lice, including selecting sites with good water circulation, reducing stocking densities, regularly fallowing production sites and ensuring that only salmon born in a single year are grown at each farm site.

Like all other farmers, however, we sometimes have to rely on the professional advice of veterinarians who can prescribe approved treatments when our animals are infected with disease or threatened by parasites.

All products used to treat sea lice in Atlantic Canada undergo extensive risk assessments by Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency to ensure they do not harm the environment or non-target species such as lobster. Every product we use is strictly regulated and available only through a prescription by a veterinarian. The amount of active ingredient that is mixed with seawater in a bath treatment is extremely small and the treatments are delivered most often in closed systems. In fact, Canadians use similar products in larger quantities to treat head lice and bed bugs.

The Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association does not condone the use of any product that has not been approved by the appropriate regulators. We do not know why trace amounts of cypermethrin, which is not approved for use in Canada, were detected in the Bay of Fundy, but we are cooperating fully with Environment Canada’s investigation. What we do know from monitoring and research is that the products our farmers use do not harm the environment or non-target species.

During and following the use of the approved treatment Salmosan in the late 1990s, lobster landings in New Brunswick continued to increase. A comprehensive monitoring and surveillance program in New Brunswick in 2009 found the approved treatment AlphaMax was effective in treating sea lice with no effect on non-target species such as lobster and that no disruption to the normal life cycle of lobster was observed in the field at all stages of development. Some of these lobsters are still being monitored in the lab for long term impacts.

In addition, AlphaMax has been used in Norway since 1997 and cumulative impact studies have shown no impact on their shrimp or crab fishery.  Managing sea lice is complex because farmers must deal with a wide range of biological and environmental factors including the various life stages of lice and variances in water temperatures. Some approved treatments don’t work well on certain life stages of louse or in certain water temperatures.

Other salmon producing countries such as Norway, Chile and Scotland have had access to four or more sea lice treatment options for many years. However, here in Atlantic Canada, the aquaculture sector – unlike the agriculture sector – does not have a variety of products approved for use in treating parasites or disease. Between 2000-2008, New Brunswick salmon farmers had access to only one approved product, SLICE, which is an in-feed treatment.  For months now, we’ve been working with federal and provincial regulators, veterinarians as well as industry and fishery organizations to develop an Integrated Pest Management Program (IPMP). An integrated approach combines our current preventative farming practises with access to a variety of approved treatments that farmers can use strategically based on the life stage of the louse and environmental factors such as water temperatures. This approach will allow farmers to use the right product at the right time, thus reducing the amount of treatments used.

In 2010 we did see a higher than normal sea lice abundance in one area of New Brunswick, due to higher than normal water temperatures and our inability to follow an integrated approach because we did not obtain regulatory approvals for products when we needed them. Fish health professionals have shown that sea lice abundance is not related to the number of farms in an area or to stocking densities, which have already been reduced by 50 per cent in recent years.

Without approvals to use the right products at the right time, farmers were left with just one bath treatment option – Salmosan – from October 2009 to July 2010. This meant we couldn’t target our treatments and were forced to use far more of this one product than we had planned. Our records show New Brunswick farmers used just over 400kg of the active ingredient - equivalent to about 20 bags of dog food - to treat 200 net pens of salmon in the Bay of Fundy during those eight months. We want to and can use less. If we have enough treatments so that we can use the right product at the right time as part of an integrated approach to managing the health of our fish, we can reduce the amount of products by 50 per cent. That is why we have invested millions of dollars in green technologies like tarps and well- boats for the delivery of sea lice bath treatments in enclosed systems.

We’ve invested over $1 million to support monitoring and research to make sure we understand potential impacts on the environment and on non-target species in collaboration with federal and provincial regulators, the Atlantic Veterinary College and private research institutions. We’re also investing in research into other green technologies such as sea lice traps, cleaner fish and Ecobath systems.

We share our information on treatments, our research findings and our monitoring work in a variety of ways with fisheries organizations and other groups. We have invited those stakeholders to attend meetings in the past; we will continue to do so. We have sought their input into future research; we will continue to do so.

We’ve grown our industry into one of this region’s major economic drivers. Our farms are owned and operated by local people and our working families are part of the social fabric of our coastal communities. Let is work together as neighbours so that we can farm for the future – yours and ours.

Pamela Parker is the Executive Director of the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association (formerly known as the New Brunswick Salmon Growers’ Association). The ACFFA is an industry- funded association that works on behalf of the salmon farming industry in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. It represents over 95 per cent of salmon production in the Maritime region in addition to a wide range of supporting companies and organizations.

A United Voice for the Maritime Salmon Industry

The New Brunswick Salmon Growers’ Association shifts to a regional approach and changes its name to the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association

October 14, 2010 - St. George, N.B. – The Maritime salmon farming industry is adopting a regional governance structure that will strengthen the growing sector and result in a strong and united voice for finfish aquaculture farmers.

The New Brunswick Salmon Growers’ Association today officially announced its Board of Directors has voted unanimously to expand the organization’s focus to include Nova Scotia and to change its name to the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association.

“It just makes sense for farmers in our region to work together to continue to grow and strengthen this innovative sector,” says Pamela Parker, Executive Director of the New Brunswick Salmon Growers’ Association. “More and more finfish aquaculture companies farm in multiple provincial jurisdictions, and they are all facing similar issues, challenges and opportunities.  Having a single, regional voice representing their interests with consumers, government agencies, communities and regulators is a positive and forward-thinking move.”

Parker says the expansion will mean finfish farmers in the region can work together on projects ranging from research and development initiatives and fish health programs to marketing programs and code of practice procedures.

Parker also announced the appointment of Murray Hill of Pictou, N.S. as the new Nova Scotia Regional Manager for the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association. A former Director of Inland Fisheries with the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Hill has extensive experience in sustainable development and resource management.

“This is a great move for our industry. There’s a tremendous opportunity for growth in our industry with our new, regional focus,” says Hill, who started in his new role in August and is based in Pictou, NS. “Having a strong association presence in Nova Scotia is absolutely critical, and I am looking forward to working with all industry stakeholders to continue to build this sector.”

The New Brunswick Salmon Growers’ Association (NBSGA) is an industry-funded association that has worked on behalf of the salmon farming industry in New Brunswick since 1987. The NBSGA represents 90 per cent of the farmed salmon production in New Brunswick, in addition to a wide range of supporting companies and organizations. The ACFFA will represent 95 per cent of salmon production in the Maritime region. Although the vast majority of finfish farmers grow salmon, many companies are now expanding to include other finfish species such as cod, trout and arctic char as well as mussels and seaweeds from integrated multi-trophic aquaculture farms. The expanded regional approach is already getting renewed interest from those in the sector. The ACFFA welcomes membership from companies that produce other finfish species for the consumer market or those that supply or support the industry.

Farmed salmon is New Brunswick’s biggest agriculture-based export, generating over $270 million in revenue yearly, which in turn triggers economic activity valued at $588 million across Canada. Second only to British Columbia, New Brunswick produces 30 per cent of Canada’s total farmed salmon, and the salmon industry alone has created 2,400 jobs in New Brunswick, 1,870 of which are located in Charlotte County.

Salmon production is still developing in Nova Scotia, but significant potential exists for the industry with new farming sites and fish processing facilities being planned in that province and employment statistics also on the rise.

The transition to this regional approach is underway, with the formal name change to take effect by the end of October and the launch of a new website (www.atlanticfishfarmers.com) to follow soon afterward. The administration of the ACFFA will be based in St. George.

NB Salmon Growers Host Open Farm Tour

The New Brunswick Salmon Growers, on behalf of local salmon farmers, once again participated in the 2010 Open Farm Day on September 19th.  Open farm day is an Atlantic wide aquaculture/agriculture awareness event that lets people learn more about local food production.

On Sunday September 19th the NBSGA held complimentary boat tours from their Limekiln Service Centre visiting several salmon cage sites in the area.  Pamela Parker, NBSGA Executive Director and Betty House, NBSGA Research & Development Coordinator were onboard to provide an overview of the salmon aquaculture industry and to answer any questions about the sector.

Another highlight to the day was a salmon BBQ compliments of Northern Harvest Seafarms Inc., True North Salmon and the New Brunswick Salmon Growers Association along with hot dogs from the St. George Save Easy.

Almost 100 people enjoyed a beautiful day on the Bay of Fundy including people from Texas, Ontario, and around the Province.

NB Salmon Farmers Trigger Over Half Billion Dollars in Economic Activity Across Canada

 St. George, NB – Based on three key indicators – GDP, employment and labour income a new socio-economic report commissioned by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans demonstrates how the Canadian aquaculture industry generates over $2 billion annually for the national economy with New Brunswick triggering over half a billion dollars of economic activity across Canada.
 

NB Salmon Farmers Invest in Green Technology

The Ronja Carrier, chartered from the Norwegian company Solvtrans, is in the Bay of Fundy for the next six months to help salmon farmers control sea lice on salmon farms. Salmon will be carefully pumped from the farm enclosure into the hold of the well boat where they will be immersed in a mixture of seawater and approved therapeutant to remove sea lice, a naturally occurring parasite. Fish are then returned to their enclosure. 

INTEROX® PARAMOVE® 50, or hydrogen peroxide, is also being introduced for use in the well boat. This product is environmentally friendly and will not build up in the environment or in the salmon itself. Hydrogen peroxide degrades quickly to water and oxygen in the presence of organic material and aeration.

The NBSGA, by chartering the well boat on behalf of a cooperative of all salmon farming companies in the region, is bringing this technology to Canada for the first time in order to reduce by half, the amount of bath product required per treatment, while improving treatment efficacy of each bath treatment and to support the use of hydrogen peroxide. 

This is another example of the NB salmon farming industry being responsive to fish health concerns. This intiative with further support the refinement of an effective Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy for sea lice that is founded upon good husbandry and fish health practices such as bay management, fallowing, crop rotation and low stocking densities. 
However, it also relies on access to a broad range of sea lice management tools whose use is based on current science and a comprehensive research program.

Trials Show Treatment Effective on Sea Lice With No Impact

 ST. GEORGE - Field trials conducted over the past month have shown that AlphaMax, a treatment for sea lice on farmed Atlantic salmon, is working and is having no impact on other marine life. 

The New Brunswick Salmon Growers Association met Thursday, August 13 with representatives from various New Brunswick fisheries organizations to provide preliminary findings on the monitoring and research program supporting the AlphaMax® trials in the Lime Kiln, Bliss and Back Bay areas in the Bay of Fundy.

“This meeting fulfills the commitment we made when we met with the fisheries groups in May to share preliminary results as soon as they were available,” said Pamela Parker, Executive Director of the Salmon Growers Association. “We appreciate concerns people can have when new management techniques are introduced so it’s been important to us to talk to people about this program over the past few months. New Brunswick’s provincial vet, Michael Beattie, has also been very supportive by maintaining ongoing communication.”

Regulatory agencies have been monitoring the treatments. Research activity is recording short and long-term impacts of AlphaMax on the marine environment. Preliminary field results show the amount of AlphaMax® being used in salmon cages has no impact on other species and that by the time the treatment is finished, AlphaMax® is virtually undetectable in the water near the cage sites and downstream. The monitoring includes testing the impact on lobster at all stages of development and the lobsters used in the testing will continue to be monitored in a lab for the next four months.

It is essential for industry to have access to a broad range of tools to optimize fish health
management in the prevention of disease and to control parasites. In managing sea lice the salmon farming industry uses natural control measures such as fallowing and temperature variation; however, therapeutants are also necessary at times. Currently SLICE®, or emamectin benzoate, is the only treatment approved by Health Canada’s Veterinary Drugs Directorate for the control of sea lice while other salmon farming countries have access to up to four different treatment options. Alternating a variety of treatment options helps to ensure optimal benefit from each over time.

“A tremendous amount of research was conducted by the industry and by governments to ensure that AlphaMax® would not negatively impact the environment or marine life,” said Parker.

“We are very pleased that the trials on AlphaMax® supported the findings from other
jurisdictions. I think it’s important to remember that New Brunswick fish farmers have a genuine concern about the environment. A broad diversity of natural species is evidence of a healthy marine environment and it’s important that this be maintained – not just because it’s the best environment for growing healthy fish but because it supports a diversified working waterfront and benefits our neighbors too.”

Key findings released today indicate that:

• Monitoring of all treatments by industry was conducted by both federal and provincial
• agencies
• AlphaMax® was effective in treating sea lice (Lepeoptherius salmonis and Caligus
• elongates) with no effect on non-target species
• No disruption to the normal life-cycle of lobster was observed in the field at all stages of
• the lobster’s development; lab observations will continue over the next four months
• AlphaMax® is not detectable outside the net pen skirting during trials and within 10
• minutes following release of the skirting following treatment
• Concentrations of the therapeutant immediately following removal of skirting was less
• than one half part per billion, well below the target of three
• Active ingredient deltamethrin was undetectable within 10 minutes of release either at
• the farm site or down current from the site

CONTACT:

Pamela Parker, Executive Director
New Brunswick Salmon Growers Association
(506) 755.3526

Slice Receives Full Health Canada Approval

After ten years of rigorous review and study, Health Canada's Veterinary Drugs Directorate (VDD) has announced the full approval of SLICE (emamectin benzoate) for control of immature and adult stages of sea lice on farm-raised salmon. 

As has always been the case, under the new approval SLICE® treatment is only available through veterinarian prescription. The approval was granted after the drug met all of Health Canada’s requirements for human safety. Prior to this announcement, SLICE® was authorized for sale to veterinarians on a case-by-case basis through the VDD’s Emergency Drug Release (EDR) program.

SLICE® is a veterinary product available by prescription to minimize the number of sea lice on farmed salmon. The active ingredient in SLICE® is emamectin benzoate, a derivative of
a naturally occurring chemical produced by soil bacteria. Based upon the concentration and form utilized for sea lice treatment, SLICE® is classified as a drug or therapeutant. Other uses for emamectin benzoate include vegetable crops in Japan and the US.

SLICE® treatment is effective against all stages of the sea lice and provides protection from re-infection for several months post-treatment. It is administered to fish by adding it to fish feed.

The active ingredient in SLICE® is not very soluble in sea water and instead has a strong tendency to bind to particles like fish feed or feces or to other organic matter. Released through fish feces, it loses its active properties. It is biodegradable and will eventually be
incorporated into soil components.

SLICE® is tolerated well by salmon and they show no measurable effects at the recommended dose and treatment length. Other animals living in the marine environment adjacent to the fish farms have been studied to determine any impact of the treatment.
Overall, no toxic effects were found; however, marine worms living in the sediment are considered to be slightly sensitive to emamectin particles.

Approval of SLICE® for use in aquaculture required a rigorous and extensive review by the Veterinary Drugs Directorate (VDD), a branch of Health Canada. In other salmon farming countries – UK, France, Chile, Iceland and Norway - SLICE® has been approved for a number of years. A zero day withdrawal time is common to some countries and has been adopted by Health Canada.

More about Sea Lice, Lobster and Sea Lice Management

• Sea lice are a natural parasite of salmon and other fish species. Sea lice live in saltwater; therefore, farmed salmon enter saltwater free of the parasite and get sea lice from wild fish.
• Sea lice on farmed salmon are monitored and lice are managed to minimize negative impacts from the lice on fish. Slice® is highly effective against all stages of sea lice.
• Any chemical administered in sufficient quantity can be hazardous to living organisms. Once a hazard is identified, it is important to evaluate the risk to susceptible organisms using estimates of the actual level of exposure to the chemical. This risk analysis is still required for the use of Slice® in the treatment of sea lice infestations of cultured salmon.
• Based on current knowledge, it is thought to be unlikely that lobsters would eat enough salmon feed to ingest the high doses of emamectin benzoate used in this laboratory study (0.6 and 0.8 micrograms EB per gram of lobster). In a preliminary 7-day study, lobsters ate relatively little medicated salmon feed, even after they had been starved for 2 weeks prior to being offered the feed.
• Lobsters were used in the study because crustaceans are more sensitive to the drug than are other invertebrates, and because of concerns expressed by fishermen that lobsters may be eating salmon feed and faeces that have collected under fish cages.
• New Brunswick salmon farmers are using Slice® as part of an integrated pest management approach which will include a menu of natural and therapeutic options for the control of sea lice. The integrated pest management strategy includes the Bay Management Areas which ensures only single year class fish are stocked in each area, fallowing of farms, the use of SLICE® and, currently undergoing trials - AlphaMax®, as an alternative therapeutant bath treatment.

NBSGA Contact: Pamela Parker, Executive Director
New Brunswick Salmon Growers Association
(506) 755.3526

Letter to the Editor - Response to Aquaculture Not Eco-friendly

Letter to the Editor - Saint John Telegraph Journal I am responding to the June 17th editorial "By common sense, aquaculture is not eco-friendly" and would like to clarify a few points raised. 

I am responding to the June 17th editorial ‘By common sense, aquaculture is not eco-friendly’ and would like to clarify a few points raised.

The New Brunswick salmon farming industry, with the full support of both federal and provincial governments, is conducting trials on a new treatment for sea lice control called AlphaMax®. AlphaMax® went through a scientific review, with a risk assessment on both
health and environmental impacts before receiving approval for limited use by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency. AlphaMax® is licensed in Norway, the EU and Chile
where it has gone through the appropriate approval processes.

The active ingredient in AlphaMax® is deltamethrin which is registered for use in Canada in the agriculture sector. The trials entail an extensive monitoring, surveillance and research
program developed in collaboration with the province, DFO, Health Canada, PMRA, Environment Canada and the New Brunswick Salmon Growers Association. The research studies will ensure that the concentration of the deltamethrin in the water does not exceed
target dosages of 3 parts per billion, determine what if any, concentrations remain 12 hours after release and ensure early warnings of any potential adverse effects on the environment.  There are also studies being conducted on potential impacts of the therapeutant on non-target species such as lobster and mussels, in the water column and on or near the benthos.

The industry is seeking additional treatment options to support an integrated pest management approach which will help to ensure that all treatments will deliver optimal results and to prevent resistance to any one product.

Meetings have been held with area stakeholders to explain this activity and we will meet with them again as soon as we have interim results available from the research.

The salmon farming industry in New Brunswick has changed its operational practices significantly since it began in the 1970’s. Nitrogen and phosphorus are monitored on an on- going basis during operations and farms would be shut down if they exceeded allowable limits. Farms are fallowed on a regular basis as an additional safeguard. Salmon farmers know it is critical to safeguard the ecosystem where their fish are grown – it’s not only the responsible thing to do, it just makes good business sense.

Finally, having been involved in the WWF Salmon Dialogues I’m surprised to read that they have developed screening criteria for standards – to my knowledge they are still collecting
the data necessary to develop those standards with eco-labeling standards not due until 2010.

To learn more about the AlphaMax® trials visit the NBSGA website at www.nbsga.com.

Pamela Parker
Executive Director
NB Salmon Growers Association

NBSGA Chooses New Executive Director

The Board of the New Brunswick Salmon Growers Association (NBSGA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Pamela Parker as its new Executive Director.

Pamela Parker is a native of Saskatchewan with a background in organizational and project management and marketing. Most recently Pam served as Managing Director of the BC Pacific Salmon Forum (BCPSF). The BCPSF was appointed by the Premier of British Columbia to provide policy recommendations that would improve the economic, social and environmental sustainability of wild salmon stocks and salmon aquaculture on BC’s coast. Following four years of research and dialogue, the Forum released its final report in February 2009. Prior to this role, Pam served as Executive Director for the BC Shellfish Growers Association.

“We are very pleased that Pam will be making the move to the east coast to represent our association’s interests and drive the long-term success of our industry,” said Nell Halse, President of the NBSGA.
 
“Pam’s experience with government, the science community and
community stakeholders as well as her commitment to the sustainability of both wild salmon stocks and the Canadian salmon farming industry, fit well with the objectives of our association. Our Board looks forward to working with her to realize those objectives.”

Pam Parker will assume her new duties as Executive Director on June 1, 2009 replacing Dr. Jamey Smith who left the position at the end of February to accept a new post with Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

“Over the past four years of working with the BC Pacific Salmon Forum, I’ve had the opportunity to study the industry from many perspectives and have come to believe that salmon farming can operate in an environmentally sustainable manner while at the same time providing a healthy food choice and much needed economic activity in coastal communities,” said Pam Parker. “The salmon farming industry is always changing and improving and I’m looking forward to working with the members of the NBSGA and other association colleagues to support that evolution and also the growth of the industry in Atlantic Canada.”

The NBSGA represents the majority of salmon production in NB, including large and small producers, a number of service and consulting companies and the majority of the feed production in Atlantic Canada. The salmon farming sector contributes approximately $300 million to the province’s annual economy and is a major employer in Charlotte County.
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For further information, contact:
Nell Halse, President: 506-651-2434
Larry Ingalls, Vice President: 506-755-6192