SALMON FARMING’S RESPONSIBLE GROWTH CAN BRING JOBS TO NOVA SCOTIA

Salmon farmers are ready to work with the Nova Scotia government to complete a strong regulatory aquaculture framework and move forward with responsible industry growth that will bring jobs and prosperity to coastal communities.
 
The Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association (ACFFA) welcomed today’s final report from the Doelle-Lahey Panel’s Independent Aquaculture Regulatory Review for Nova Scotia.
 
“Now that the review has been completed and a report has been submitted, we must continue to move forward to grow the sector and create jobs in rural Nova Scotia,” says Pamela Parker, Executive Director of the ACFFA. “Our industry already meets high regulatory standards that cover all aspects of our farming operations. We look forward to working with the Province of Nova Scotia to finalize any regulatory amendments or, where necessary, the introduction of new regulations in a timely manner.”
 
Nova Scotia’s salmon farming industry generates about $80 million in economic activity and employs 670 people in direct and supply and service jobs, largely in coastal communities. The industry contributes $41.9 million to Nova Scotia’s GDP.
 
“Our industry has shown over the past 40 years that we can grow Atlantic salmon in their natural environment with minimal potential for risk to wild stocks or the marine habitat. Salmon farming is bringing much needed jobs and prosperity to Nova Scotia, especially to its coastal communities.  However, we have not tapped our potential,” says Parker. “Our region is facing record debt, skyrocketing health care costs, an aging population and high unemployment. Salmon farming represents an extraordinary opportunity to bring economic prosperity to our rural communities – while producing one of the world’s healthiest foods.”
 
She says it’s time Nova Scotia moved ahead with its Aquaculture Strategy to grow this valuable and important sector.
 
“Tremendous economic opportunity awaits. Nova Scotia can’t afford to keep saying no to responsible industries that can bring jobs to our province. Salmon farming offers one of the few bright spots of hope in our region’s challenging future. It’s time to embrace it – not shun it,” says Parker.
 
 The Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association (ACFFA) is an industry-funded association working on behalf of the salmon farming industry in addition to a wide range of service and supply companies and organizations in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Salmon farming employs over 3000 people in our region and has a value of over $356 million to provincial economies.
 
For more information, please contact:
Pamela Parker, Executive Director
Ph: 506-755-3526
Email: p.parker@atlanticfishfarmers.com

Statement: Aquaculture Activities Regulations

The federal government’s proposed Aquaculture Activities Regulations will do the opposite of what detractors are claiming. They will, in fact, strengthen environmental protection measures, ensure greater public reporting and transparency while at the same time allowing farmers to continue to grow healthy and sustainable seafood in a responsible manner.
 
The Fisheries Act was created at the time of Confederation – when commercial aquaculture in Canada did not exist. The proposed regulations will help to modernize aquaculture regulation and don’t cover just salmon farming. The proposed regulations cover all aquatic species farmed in Canada, including trout, clams, mussels and oysters to name a few – in both freshwater and the oceans.
 
Canada’s aquaculture industry is now regulated by no fewer than 10 federal agencies in addition to provincial ones too. The regulations and rules often overlap and are even contradictive in many cases, making it cumbersome for operators and confusing for the public.
 
The proposed regulations will now set clear parameters around issues such as how mussel farmers can remove invasive species such as sea squid from their mussel socks; how barnacles can be removed from equipment; or how salmon farmers use sea lice treatments and feed their fish. Although these matters are largely covered in provincial regulation, they will now be articulated within a clear, federal regulation.
 
Aquaculture is one of Canada’s most promising industries. We produce one of the healthiest proteins in the world. The regulations governing our industry need to be updated and modernized if we want it to continue to evolve and meet the growing demand for seafood.
 
None of the proposed regulatory changes will change the way sea lice treatments are approved or used in Canada. Only treatments that have undergone extensive risk assessments by Health Canada to ensure they are safe for salmon and other species, the environment and human health are registered for use.  Farmers have access to two approved bath treatments for sea lice management – both used under the direction of a veterinarian and by prescription.
 
Based on independent field research conducted right here in New Brunswick, Canadians can be confident the use of Salmosan or hydrogen peroxide pose very little risk to the marine environment and to fisheries. The risk assessments conducted on each product plus an independent review by the Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat also comes to this conclusion. The treatments used in Canada have been used in other countries in Europe for more than a decade.
 
The aquaculture industry will continue to be regulated and monitored by both the provincial and federal governments. We will always have to consider the Fisheries Act.  We welcome that.  The proposed regulations address that. There are Fisheries enforcement officers from both the federal and provincial governments on the water. They stop at our farms on a regular basis and inspect records and operations. This will continue to be the case. The proposed regulations do not change that.

Our farmers have built this industry and co-existed with traditional fishermen for nearly 40 years.  Many of our salmon farmers are lobster fishermen too.  We are partners in a diversified economy so important for New Brunswick. As our industry has grown, so too have the lobster catches.
 
I encourage anyone interested in the getting the facts about the proposed Aquaculture Activities Regulations to read about them in the Canada Gazette on the Government of Canada website.

Pamela Parker
Executive Director
Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association

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