Proactive study to look at wild/farmed fish interactions
While some local fishermen on the south coast of Newfoundland are still skeptical about the idea of fish farms being installed in one of their favourite fishing spots, commercial prawn and halibut fishers in British Columbia are seeking out fish farms as some of their more productive harvesting areas. Lobster catches in the Bay of Fundy have also blossomed since salmon farming started, unfortunately leading to a glut in the market and poor prices.
As Clayton Hunt of the Harbour Breton- based Coaster newspaper reports, this project received the bulk of its funding from the Department of Fisheries and Ocean (DFO) Aquaculture Collaborative Research and Development Program (ACRDP). This program has recently been cut to the point that little or no industry production-related research will receive support as was the case in previous years, while the bit of money available under the ACRDP program now if focused on research for regulatory purposes. Funding for this study, which is aimed at addressing farmed interaction with traditional species, was also provided by the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as the industry partner- Cooke Aquaculture;
Gehan Mabrouk, the Section Head for Aquaculture Research in Newfoundland and Labrador (Department of Fisheries and Oceans), is very excited about leading a project in Connaigre Bay that addresses the interaction of aquaculture with wild fisheries - a topic that is considered a high priority in Newfoundland and across Canada. The four-year project, which is being funded by the Canadian Aquaculture Collaborative Research and Development Program, will examine the possible interaction of aquaculture with wild species that exist in the bay, particularly snow crab and lobster.
Mabrouk, the lead researcher for the project, said that the study began as a result of the concerns expressed by local fish harvesters about the future of wild species when Cold Ocean Salmon (Cooke Aquaculture) was granted permission to place two grow-out sites in the area in 2012. Mabrouk said, “We were approached by the FFAW and Cold Ocean Salmon to put together a scientific study to look at the possible effects of the interaction between aquaculture and wild species in Connaigre Bay. “The project went through a rigorous scientific review and was granted funding by the federal government’s program. The research started in the fall of 2012 and we did our most recent work in May of this year.”
According to Mabrouk the four-year study will have multiple components. It will involve a stock assessment component to determine the catch per unit effort for each species including the percentage of male and female of each species and will also look at the percentage of females with and without eggs. The second component of the project involves oceanography surveys to make sure any effects on traditional species is not due to the environment and/or climate change. The study will also involve mapping the bottom of the bay through analyzing Multibeam data to determine where suitable habitat for lobster and crab are most common and what types of substrate they prefer.
Cold Ocean Salmon has been very proactive and keen to ensure the success of the study. They delayed putting cages in Connaigre Bay in 2012 and have decided to stay out of the area until 2014. Mabrouk said, “The fact that Cooke will not put grow-out sites in the bay is really important for us as it will give us the opportunity to acquire a full year of base-line data to look at the stock and oceanographic conditions in the bay. The more base-line date we have the more we will be able to distinguish what effects aquaculture might have in the area. “Some of the points we will look for will be any change in stocks,
the recruitment potential of the stock and whether this has changed or not from our base-line information. “We will do this by studying the effects of placing the actual physical structure of the cage or cages in the bay and throughout the production cycle once the sites are stocked. “
Why project is so interesting
Maboruk said that the Connaigre Bay project is the first of its kind in Canada where harvesters and an aquaculture company is working hand-in-hand to address the sustainability of the industry and the concerns of fish harvesters. She said, “It’s important for harvesters to ensure that the stocks will be healthy well into the future. It’s also important that aquaculture companies show that they are proactive and doing their work in a sustainable manner. “DFO has been encouraging both groups to work together and, so far, this project has been very rewarding for us.
What project may mean for future of aquaculture in Canada
Maboruk said that science in itself is no good unless it feeds into a bigger picture. “One of the points that will come from this study will feed into decisions on site selection and inform future decisions for bay management. “ What we determine in Connaigre Bay might be able to be applied to bay sites with similar conditions so, again, it will be important for bay management projects all across Canada. “It will also be important in that it will shed light on whether harvesters’ concerns are real and how we will need to address those concerns and mitigate any negative effects going forward. “Overall, the aquaculture section in DFO science Newfoundland is fully committed to conducting research that ensures that aquaculture and the traditional fisheries can co-exist in a sustainable way that benefits our coastal communities.
The Honourable Derrick Dalley, the provincial Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture said, “The Provincial Government was pleased to partner with DFO and the FFAW on the Connaigre Bay project by providing $18,370 (~€ 13,800)through our 2012-13 Fisheries Research Grant Program. “This project provides the opportunity for the fishing and aquaculture industries to work together in monitoring any changes in the fishery within the bay. The Provincial Government’s involvement in this project is further evidence of our commitment to supporting Aquaculture while respecting and protecting the wild harvest.”
Response from local harvesters
Alex Snook (Levi) said that no aquaculture sites should be placed in Connaigre Bay given the abundance of crab in the area. “There’s a really big biomass of crab in the bay right where Cooke plans to place their cages,” Snook said. “The chemicals Cooke has used to treat sea lice in other areas of Atlantic Canada has destroyed crustaceans, and we don’t want to see this happen here. “I’m not against aquaculture or bringing more jobs to this area, but I want to keep on fishing in this bay well into the future. This company says they’re a family oriented business, so if this project proves to be harmful to the species in the bay I hope Cooke does the right thing and pulls out before it’s too late.” Newman Short said that he does not approve of placing salmon cages directly over snow crab stocks. Short said, “This bay is prime ground for species like lobster and crab. We should keep it a clean bay and not let it be destroyed by aquaculture. If we had a conscientious government there would be absolutely no aquaculture projects at all going into Connaigre Bay.” Sid Stoodley said that Cooke Aqua did not consult with fishermen about its plans to have aquaculture projects in the bay. “The coordinates where Cooke plans to place their cages are the same coordinates where local fishermen catch crab. We want Cooke to be more cautious about where they place their cage sites. “Connaigre Bay is small but is very good fishing area for a number of harvesters in this area. I just feel that it’s wrong to place salmon nets directly over crab spawning grounds. It will be an environmental disaster if we destroy this bay as it can continue to be a good fishing area for today’s generation and for harvesters who can be there in the future. “We’re not against aquaculture as the industry has been really good to Harbour Breton and surrounding communities. However, government officials need to take a serious second look at the proposed project in this bay.”
Response from Cooke Aqua
Nell Halse, a communications official with Cooke Aqua said that it is important to remember that Cold Ocean Salmon has licenses in place and authorization to stock the Connaigre Bay farms. Cooke Aqua went through a rigorous process of evaluation for the site license approval, which fully examined the fisheries interaction issue. Both the federal and provincial decision makers were satisfied that all concerns, including the fishery interaction issues, were addressed when they approved the licenses. We acknowledge that there is still local concern about both industries operating within this bay.
Halse said, “However, our experience in Newfoundland and Labrador and in other jurisdictions is that both industries can coexist very successfully without detriment to the traditional fisheries. “Out of respect for local concerns, we entered into a Memorandum of Understanding in 2012 with the fish harvester’s representative, the FFAW, whereby we would use Connaigre Bay to establish a research project to further examine these issues. “The intent was to first develop base line data and then following the establishment of the aquaculture farms, continue to collect fisheries, aquaculture and environmental data in order to evaluate the interactions. Even though we were fully licensed to stock the farms in 2012, we delayed our initial stocking plan to allow time to organize the science-based study and collect base line data. “We contributed financially to this study and together with the FFAW, sought federal and provincial financial support for this initiative. We all agreed that this independent science-based study would be conducted by third party researchers. “We are currently waiting to receive the final protocols for a new Bay Management approach for aquaculture from the NL Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture. We look forward to stocking Connaigre Bay once we have a Bay Management system in place and a coordinated stocking plan for the industry has been established. “We will continue to dialogue on this and other aquaculture matters with the local harvester representatives through the established committee, which has representation from both industries.”
