Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Salmon, Environmental Protection, and First Nations Groups form Coalition for Aquaculture
Reform
A broad-based Coalition pushing for changes to the provincial finfish aquaculture industry will
be launched tomorrow, March 28, in St. John's.
A PRESS CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD IN THE FORAN ROOM AT ST. JOHNS CITY HALL
BEGINNING AT 11:00 AM. YOUR ATTENDANCE WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Coalition for Aquaculture Reform (NL-CAR) is made up of
more than 20 organizations, including conservation, environmental, and First Nations groups,
prominent academics, scientists, and special advisors. A list of members is attached along with
the Goals and Objectives and some key issues. NL-CAR has significant support outside the
province as well through the regional councils of the Atlantic Salmon Federation.
NL-CAR will advocate for significant regulatory improvement and public involvement in the
management of aquaculture in the province. A 2016 report by Gardner Pinfold Consultants that
compares aquaculture regulations in six jurisdictions to an international standard, found the
Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) government regulations ranked at or near the bottom on
environmental safeguards and transparency. The report also noted that in NL, the public does
not get to share in decisions about aquaculture and recommended a multi-stakeholder
committee should be established to provide more balance in decision making. Ironically, a 2014
NL government Report, What We Heard recommended the same.
At the same time, the provincial government is contemplating a $45 million dollar investment in
the Placentia Bay project, with possibly more money coming from the federal government. The
Coalition believes it is a clear conflict of interest for regulators to invest in projects they are
supposed to oversee.
Open net-pen aquaculture threatens not only wild Atlantic salmon stocks, but other fish
species, and crustaceans like lobster and crab. That's why the Port au Port Bay Fishery
Association has joined NL-CAR.
As wild fish stocks are depleted around aquaculture operations, the industry itself enjoys access
to lucrative compensation programs when its fish are culled for disease. To date, companies
with operations in Newfoundland and Labrador have collected more than $42 million of public
money as a result of infectious salmon anemia (ISA) outbreaks in the aquaculture pens. The
virulent form of ISA can pass from the net-pens to several wild species. Sea lice are also a major
problem and have been treated with ever greater amounts and more toxic chemicals while
consumers are becoming increasingly alarmed over the excessive use of antibiotics, pesticides
and other chemicals in their food. Who suspects that salmon bought at a local supermarket has
been treated with antibiotics and pesticides and is artificially coloured?
NL-CAR members believe that industry and government should be cautious, not cavalier, with
public waters and natural resources. Lax regulation and permissive lawmakers have allowed the
aquaculture industry to offload its costs onto taxpayers and the environment, and this must
stop.
Up until now concerned groups in this province have been totally ignored when expressing
their views about the severe environmental impacts of finfish aquaculture, said Leo White, Vice
President of the Salmonid Council of Newfoundland and Labrador, but we will be ignored no
more. The formation of such a strong and diverse Coalition should send a very serious message
to the Provincial Government, DFO, and the Aquaculture Industry that we mean business, and
we will expect nothing less than a total change of direction for this industry, one that is truly
environmentally sustainable.
A list of coalition members and specific goals and objectives are attached to this news release.
Leo White:
Phone: 1-709-753-4034 or 1-709-727-8419, e-mail: leopwhite@hotmail.com