If wild salmon are going to survive, the open net cage farms must get out of the water. If the salmon aquaculture industry is to survive, it must get into closed containment. Most British Columbians are calling for this transition. But what does it mean and how close are we to making it happen? Only two years ago, government and industry were claiming that growing salmon in tanks was impossible and would never happen.

Sales at OverwaiteaBut times have changed and we are on the cusp of an enormous shift. For example, Overwaitea Food Group has committed to switching to selling farmed salmon only if it is grown in closed containment. You can now buy salmon grown entirely in tanks at their Save-On-Foods stores, at comparable prices to open net cage farmed Atlantics, and the company is still turning a profit. Numerous commercial scale closed system salmon farms are being planned and developed in BC. Most noticeably, the conversation has changed from dismissive to problem solving. It’s beginning to feel like a gold rush.

The key to closed system aquaculture is control of the interactions between the wild and the farmed fish. Systems that allow control of water intake, water and waste outputs, and separation from surroundings ..... http://www.greenmuze.com/animals/farm/2676-the-future-of-fish-farming-.html

"We have a wealth of expertise and motivation to address the few remaining challenges. The only real hurdle remaining is political will. The federal government supports the current open net cage industry financially in a number of ways. This could easily be shifted to support a transition to closed containment technology.

Let your government know that you want this to happen – to protect the wild salmon, the wild marine environment, and the economy and jobs of the coastal communities."


I'd like to nominate Todd to contact Slade Gorton and see if we can get a bail out going on this. C'mon Todd, in the name of wild fish. (just yankin')

Seriously, farmed fish ARE the only way to satisfy the world's urge, IMO.