Saving Seafood

New ‘Salmon Wars’ Book Is Full of Fictions. Here Are the Facts.

July 28, 2022 — Earlier this month, Macmillan Publishers released Salmon Wars, by Douglas Frantz and Catherine Collins, which the publisher describes as a “deep dive” into the farm-raised salmon industry. After extensively reviewing the book, Saving Seafood has identified numerous falsehoods and misrepresentations.

Aquaculture farming of finfish, shellfish, and seaweed is a key industry in many U.S. states that operates within strict regulations to provide good jobs locally and healthy, sustainable protein for the world. Maine, for example, has active ocean salmon farming operations, with Atlantic salmon raised in coastal net pens since the 1970s. Maine farms comply with clean water and pollution discharge regulations, do not use antibiotics or hormones as growth promoters, conduct and report environmental effects, and have not experienced an escape of fish since 2003. All farms are monitored by multiple regulatory and management agencies and are certified by third-party environmental programs that establish standards above those required by law. The industry has been represented by the Maine Aquaculture Association since 1978.

Farm-raised salmon operations off Black Island, Maine.

Governor Janet Mills has expressed strong support for Maine’s growing aquaculture sector. “Aquaculture represents a promising opportunity to create new jobs, strengthen and diversify our economy, and expand Maine’s reputation as a premier destination for seafood,” Governor Mills said at a roundtable in May. “I have been proud to support Maine sea farmers as they overcome the pandemic, and my Administration will continue to support the responsible growth of this industry as it creates new jobs and builds on the strong foundation of our marine economy.”

Consumers have the right to choose what foods they eat. They also have the right to make informed decisions based on unbiased facts. Here are 10 fictions spread by Salmon Wars and the real facts behind them.

FICTION: Farmed salmon are crammed into cages.

FACT: Salmon occupy less than 4 percent of a typical marine cage. Farmers intentionally keep stocking densities low so fish have room to swim, grow, and mimic natural schooling patterns.

Farmers take great care to ensure the well-being of their salmon. Fish are vaccinated against several diseases, and pristine marine cage conditions are ensured with proper siting, regular fallowing (leaving sites unused), underwater cameras, and diver inspections.

FICTION: Farmed salmon are doused with pesticides and antibiotics.

FACT: Antibiotic use on salmon farms is far lower than that of any other agricultural animal producing industry in the world. In the rare instances when treatment is necessary, it is prescribed and overseen by licensed veterinarians under the oversight of government regulators.

FICTION: Farmed salmon contain dangerous levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other contaminants.

FACT: Farm-raised salmon contain lower PCB levels than other common foods like beef, chicken, eggs, and butter, as well as most species of wild salmon. The trace amounts of PCBs in farm-raised salmon do not pose a threat to human health, and meet or exceed standards set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and the World Health Organization. A 2007 study concluded that “regular consumption of these fish would not cause tolerable [PCB] daily intakes to be exceeded.”

The 2004 study cited repeatedly in the book has been heavily criticized for errors including flawed sampling, improper application of EPA guidelines, and failing to compare contaminant levels in salmon of the same species. But even that flawed study showed PCB levels well-below regulated levels. Citing that study also ignores nearly 20 years of progress as PCB levels — already low — have only continued to decline with the introduction of new feed ingredients.

Because farm-raised salmon is a fast-growing fish, there is little accumulation of other contaminants like mercury that can affect some types of seafood.

FICTION: Farms create toxic stews underneath them that drive away marine life.

FACT: Farmers know that pristine marine conditions are essential for high-quality salmon. When salmon farms are properly sited in deep, fast-moving waters, the massive ocean space quickly assimilates organic fish waste. Natural assimilation of organic waste is known to be a best solution from an environmental perspective. Lobsters thrive around salmon farms and catch landings remain strong in Canada and the U.S.

Farmers also use underwater cameras to properly disperse feed, carefully monitor the ocean bottom, and fallow sites (leave them unused) — all best practices that help ensure pristine marine conditions. Regulations do not allow salmon farms to continue operating if the space beneath them has been significantly impacted.

FICTION: Farmers pillage wild fisheries to create marine ingredients used in salmon feeds. For example, “overfishing” from the Gulf of Mexico to the Chesapeake Bay endangers a forage fish called menhaden.

FACT: Wild marine ingredients in salmon feed are critical to delivering high quality protein and indispensable nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids. However, marine ingredients comprise as low as 20 percent of salmon feed, and that number continues to drop. Today, a pound of wild marine ingredients produces more than a pound of farm-raised salmon, ensuring the sector is a net producer of fish.

The wild marine ingredients that are used are sourced from reputable fisheries certified by third-party organizations and/or actively participating in Fishery Improvement Projects. For example, contrary to the book’s claims, U.S. menhaden is “not overfished or experiencing overfishing,” according to fishery managers, and is certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council.

FICTION: Between 15 and 20 percent of all farmed salmon die each year before being harvested, while the average mortality rate of chickens is 5 percent.

FACT: This data ignores the return rate of Atlantic salmon in the wild, which is as low as 5 percent. That means farm-raised salmon have a survival rate 17 times higher than wild salmon over the two-year period in which they are raised. Broiler chickens typically live for less than 2 months, making this an apples to oranges comparison at best.

FICTION: Farmed salmon spread sea lice to wild salmon, killing young wild salmon in large numbers.

FACT: Salmon farms were not found to influence levels of sea lice on wild fish, according to a 2021 report. Farmers are required, under regulation, to manage sea lice to low levels. They employ a strategic approach to combatting sea lice, combining preventative farming practices like fallowing and low stocking densities with approved treatments when necessary. They are also investing millions into research and development of “green” sea lice treatment technologies, including freshwater well boats, warm water and water pressure systems, broodstock development, and “cleaner” fish.

FICTION: Farmed salmon introduced Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA) and Piscine Orthoreovirus (PRV) to wild sockeye salmon in the Pacific Northwest.

FACT: Neither ISA nor PRV were introduced to the Pacific Northwest by farm-raised salmon. In 2011, tests conducted by government researchers concluded there were no cases of ISA in Pacific Northwest salmon. Cases of PRV in wild salmon predate the arrival of farm-raised salmon, with a 2015 study finding PRV in Pacific Northwest salmon as far back as the 1970s. PRV and ISA do not affect human health in any way.

FICTION: Farmed salmon and wild salmon frequently interbreed, producing hybrids that weaken wild salmon populations.

FACT: Farmers are highly motivated to prevent their stock from escaping, and today escape events are rare. There are many reasons that farm-raised salmon are unlikely to interbreed with wild salmon, or generally compete with them for resources should they escape their enclosures. Farm-raised salmon, being domestic animals, are poorly suited to a wild environment and generally do not survive long enough in the wild to breed or learn to seek prey. On the west coast of the U.S. and Canada, farm-raised Atlantic salmon are genetically distinct from wild Pacific salmon, making them extremely unlikely to interbreed.

For context, over 5 billion salmon are purposely released from aquaculture facilities around the world — a practice known as “enhancement” or “ocean ranching” — and do share ocean space with wild salmon.

FICTION: Like “Big Tobacco” and “Big Agribusiness,” “Big Fish” employs counter-science and public relations campaigns to undermine challenges.

FACT: Farmers participate in studies because it is their salmon and nutritional data that help power them, and because they are committed to adhering to best science in their practices. Cherry picking science to support a narrative is not a best practice. Farmers consider all reputable scientific findings to guide their operations.

New ‘Salmon Wars’ Book Spreads Menhaden Myths

July 14, 2022 — The following was released by the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition:

Yesterday, Macmillan Publishers released Salmon Wars, a factually questionable book by former Los Angeles Times managing editor Douglas Frantz and former journalist turned private writer Catherine Collins. The book falsely claims that “overfishing from the Gulf of Mexico north to the Chesapeake Bay threatens a slender fish called a menhaden,” and inaccurately states that menhaden is “an integral player in minimizing algae blooms because it eats phytoplankton.”

According to the February 2020 stock assessment accepted by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, the Congressionally-chartered interstate compact that regulates shared migratory fishery resources among East Coast states, Atlantic menhaden is neither overfished nor is overfishing occurring. A simple cursory review of the assessment clearly illustrates that the Atlantic menhaden population has not been overfished in several decades. Similarly, in 2021, the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission found that the “Gulf of Mexico Gulf Menhaden stock is not experiencing overfishing and is not overfished.”

In fact, both Atlantic and Gulf menhaden are certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council, which operates the world’s most respected global fishery certification program. This designation indicates that the stock is “fished in a way that does not threaten the population’s long-term health and minimizes the damaging effects of fishing to the surrounding wildlife and ecosystem.”

Mr. Frantz and Ms. Collins also continued to misinform their audience by making the oft-repeated claim that menhaden minimize algae blooms. This statement was discredited in a study conducted by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science at the College of William and Mary that proved menhaden do not improve overall water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. The study examined “the amount of phytoplankton and nitrogen consumed and excreted by small groups of juvenile and adult menhaden during 6-hour periods,” and found that “older menhaden hardly fed on phytoplankton at all.”  

The study, published in the February 22, 2010, issue of the Marine Ecology Progress Series, concluded that “based on [their] results as well as ecosystem modeling simulations, menhaden do not appear to represent a significant mechanism for removing nutrient inputs to the Bay.”

NWAA Reaction to New Anti-Aquaculture Book: “A Rehash of Old Claims”

July 14, 2022 — The following was released by the NWAA:

The Northwest Aquaculture Alliance (NWAA) is an organization of industry leading companies from Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska, who are engaged in the responsible production of aquatic foods. Our member companies embrace and comply with some of the most stringent standards in the world in the production of both finfish and shellfish—making these products highly desirable and in-demand in restaurants and retail supermarkets. Consumers care how their seafood is produced. So do we. For this reason, we take exception to the latest anti-aquaculture book to hit the market. We believe it does a disservice to the public to publish what is essentially a rehash of old, largely disproven, claims.

From a Washington state perspective, agencies such as the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), the Washington Department of Ecology, and the Department of Natural Resources, have been leaders in developing stringent regulations governing the production of aquatic foods such as salmonids, while protecting wild fish stocks and the environment. Our members welcome the regulatory oversight of these agencies and strive to be transparent and open with respect to aquaculture practices in Washington.

For example, in 2020, when our member company, Cooke Aquaculture Pacific, sought to transition from farming Atlantic salmon to steelhead, the state approved the petition to grow all-female, sterile trout. That approval imposed numerous new conditions on fish farming in Washington, which Cooke readily accepted. As part of that approval, WDFW engaged in extensive analysis and found no risk of significant adverse impacts associated with Cooke’s farming.

Environmental groups unsuccessfully appealed that decision, losing a hearing in Superior Court in 2020, and then again after the Washington State Supreme Court upheld that approval in a unanimous decision. Additionally, after a multi-year evaluation, the National Marine Fisheries Service/NOAA recently completed its extensive analysis of fish farming in Washington, concluding that there is no harm to listed species at farming levels equal to or less than the historic maximum production in Washington.

Our NWAA member companies depend on a healthy environment to farm and are committed to supporting the environment. Cooke Aquaculture Pacific, for example, has not only embraced increased regulation of its operations, but the company has made enormous strides in working on fisheries enhancement projects in Washington as well as elsewhere. Cooke is committed to developing partnerships with the Tribes and local communities that benefit residents and the region, helping to ensure that there are wild fish for generations to come, and healthy, sustainable farmed fish to help meet the food demands of a growing global population.

Read the full release at NWAA

30 big names in aquaculture sign on to call for action

July 12, 2022 — At the United Nations Ocean Conference from 27 June to 1 July, 2022 in Lisbon, Portugal, more than 30 executives representing the international aquaculture sector issued a call to action to accelerate the development of purpose-driven aquaculture.

It is the first time that sector leaders from fish production, juvenile supply, feed manufacture, fish health and investor organizations, have united behind such a shared vision, according to several of the letter’s signatories, which included executives from Cermaq, Regal Springs, Multi X, Lake Harvest, Aqua-Spark, BioMar, Skretting, Cargill, Bakkafrost, Pescanova, and Benchmark.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

 

‘Talk with us, not for us’: fishing communities accuse UN of ignoring their voices

July 1, 2022 — Small-scale fishermen and women from coastal nations in the frontline of the “ocean emergency” have accused world leaders and other decision-makers at the UN oceans conference of ignoring their voices in favour of corporate interests.

More than half of the world’s fish caught for human consumption comes from small-scale fishing communities, yet their contribution to food security and ocean protection is not being sufficiently recognised, they say.

Suzanne Njeri, from Kenya, vice-president of the African Women Fish Processors and Traders Network, which has members from 44 out of 54 African countries, said coastal fishing communities needed “a seat at the table” and were too often sidelined.

“We want policymakers to talk with us, not for us,” said Njeri. “We see the damage to the fish breeding grounds. We are the ones who fight malnutrition. We need more practitioners here to tell their stories.”

Daniel Caniullan, an Indigenous leader, diver and fisherman from Chilean Patagonia, said his community had been fighting to defend their territories for many years.

Read the full story at The Guardian

 

MAINE: Growing number of Down East towns block new aquaculture projects

June 30, 2022 — In less than 10 minutes Monday night, the handful of voters at Cutler’s special town meeting passed a moratorium on industrial-scale aquaculture, halting any local approvals on large aquaculture projects for the next 180 days.

The small coastal town is one of a growing number of fishing communities Down East leery of fish farms that are looking to tighten their local regulations.

“Everybody [in town] is really on the same page,” Cutler’s town clerk Teresa Bragg said after the vote. “No one wants something in our harbor.”

Read the full story at the Bangor Daily News

 

Maine relief plan seeks to buoy seafood industry

June 27, 2022 — Maine Gov. Janet Mills is diverting $8.3 million in federal funding to help the state’s seafood industry absorb the impact of rising costs from inflation and new whale protection rules.

The funding, which will be provided by the state Department of Marine Resources, will be used to reimburse commercial fishermen, dealers, processors, and aquaculturists for the cost of their 2022 licenses and associated fees. The department will also waive lease fees for commercial leases this year through a separate process, the Mills administration says.

“Maine’s commercial fishing and seafood industry is a crucial cornerstone of our economy, and they are facing unprecedented increases in costs,” Mills said in a statement. “This puts money back in the pockets of Maine’s fishermen, aquaculturists and dealers to help them offset growing business expenses, hopefully providing a small measure of relief for them.”

The initial round of payments, totalling $4.2 million, will be mailed by the end of this month for commercial fishermen who purchased their license between Nov. 15 and March 31, according to the Mills administration. Reimbursements for licenses purchased during the remainder of 2022 will be mailed separately.

Read the full story at The Center Square

US public backs aquaculture, poll finds

June 24, 2022 — The US public would support moves to create “a clear, predictable pathway for offshore aquaculture”, according to a poll commissioned by lobby group Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS).

The survey, which polled just over 1,000 likely voters, found that two-thirds of voters would “feel more favourable towards” a member of Congress who voted to establish pathways for offshore aquaculture.

When informed that when learning that doubling US aquaculture production could create 50,000 direct and indirect jobs, 87% agreed that it is important to expand American seafood production.

Read the full story at Fish Farmer Magazine

 

Canadian Fisheries Minister Announces 2-Year Renewal of Discovery Island Fish Farm Leases

June 24, 2022 — Progress is being made to transition from open-net pen salmon aquaculture in British Columbia.

Joyce Murray, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, announced on Wednesday that the Government of Canada is committed to transition from open-net pen salmon aquaculture in British Columbia’s coastal waters in a manner that “protects wild salmon, the environment and the economy.” As part of that commitment, the government agency is introducing draft framework for the transition. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) will be relying on input from the Government of British Columbia, First Nations, industry, local governments, stakeholders, and British Columbians to develop the final transition plan. Consultations will continue until early 2023, with the expectation that the final transition plan will be completed by spring 2023.

As the DFO works with partners and receives feedback, marine finfish aquaculture facilities outside of the Discovery islands will have a two-year renewal of licenses. These licenses will have stronger requirements for aquaculture facilities, including the implementation of standardized reporting requirements and sea lice management plans, as well as wild salmon monitoring. The DFO says that all of this will “improve the management of the salmon aquaculture industry and help protect wild salmon stocks and their habitat.”

Read the full story at Seafood News

Canada renews BC salmon farm licenses for two years

June 23, 2022 — Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has announced a two-year renewal of licenses for marine finfish aquaculture facilities outside the Discovery Islands in British Columbia, Canada.

The decision by the government impacts salmon farms run by Mowi, Grieg, and Cermaq, and according to a release by the DFO, is part of a planned transition from open-net pen salmon aquaculture in B.C. The decision is part of an ongoing government push to phase out all net-pen fish farming in the area – Canada’s Liberal Party and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have called for a shift away from net-pen farming by 2025.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource