PARTIAL LIST OF SERIOUS ISSUES IN FINFISH AQUACULTURE

1. ESCAPEMENT OF FISH FROM THE PENS. ESCAPED FISH INTERBREED WITH WILD
POPULATIONS WEAKENING THE GENE POOL AND CAUSING DISEASE
2. THE FOOD FED TO FARM FISH CONTAINS TOXIC CHEMICALS SUCH AS ETHOXQUIN
3. EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF ANTIBIOTICS ARE USED TO TREAT DISEASES SUCH AS
INFECTIOUS SALMON ANEMIA
4. EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF PESTICIDES ARE USED TO TREAT AND CONTROL SEA LICE
WHICH THRIVE IN THE NET PEN ENVIRONMENT AND SPREAD TO WILD FISH
5. THE AREA UNDER THE NET PENS BECOMES A DEAD ZONE WITH FECES, UNDIGESTED
FOOD AND ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT PATHOGENS. OTHER SPECIES BECOME
CONTAMINATED
6. OPEN NET PENS ATTRACT PREDATORS SUCH AS SEALS, TUNA, WHALES, SHARKS AND
EAGLES WHICH THEN BECOME AFFECTED BY CHEMICALS AND ALSO MAKE HOLES IN THE
PENS LEADING TO ESCAPEMENT OF FISH
7. WILD FISH ARE USED TO PRODUCE FEED PELLETS FOR FARMED FISH. IT TAKES MORE
THAN 2 KG OF WILD FISH TO PRODUCE 1KG OF FARMED SALMON FILET
8. MORTALITY OF FARMED FISH IS AS HIGH AS 20% ANNUALLY
9. THE OFFAL FROM FISH RAISED IN OPEN NET PENS IS EXTREEMLY TOXIC. THERE IS NO
SATISFACTORY PROCESS FOR TREATMENT AND IT ENDS UP CONTAMINATING THE
OCEAN
10. THE FINFISH AQUACULTURE INDUSTRY IN NL IS BASICALLY SELF-REGULATING WITH
VOLUNTARY REPORTING AND NO INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT
11. PUBLIC FUNDING HAS BEEN USED TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN THE FINFISH
AQUACULTURE INDUSTRY MAKING IT UNSUSTAINABLE