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FACTS ABOUT SALMON FARMING What's the current controversy? • An extensive study in Science, Jan. 9, 2004, revealed higher levels of chemical contaminants (PCB's) in farmed salmon than in wild salmon. Scientists conducting the study consider these levels dangerous. • The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs has challenged the fish farming industry for its threat to wild salmon and traditional ways of life. • Salmon farming is seen as a key factor in disrupting coastal economies. See Michael Milstein's "Seeds of Fleet's Destruction," The Oregonian, July 20, 2003. • A new study was recently released by the same team who found higher PCB's in farmed salmon. The study found much higher levels of chemical flame retardants in farmed salmon than in wild salmon. These substances have been associated with nervous system, reproductive, and endocrine system effects in lab animals and have been banned in Europe and the state of California. Visit |
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Why is this important? · Salmon are a major and growing source of protein for consumers, and salmon are valued for their Omega-3 fatty acids, considered to lower risks for heart attacks. Farmed salmon are now consumed at a greater rate than wild salmon in the U.S. For general information, visit Seaweb Aquaculture Clearinghouse: (www.seaweb.org/resources/sac). Background Info · For thousands of years wild salmon have been hatching in the rivers and streams of the northern hemisphere. After a few weeks to over a year in fresh water, they swim out to sea, returning from one to six years later to spawn. There is only one species of Atlantic salmon and several species of Pacific wild salmon-- king, sockeye, pink, coho, chum, steelhead, and the "cherry" salmon unique to the Asian coast. · There are no native salmon in the southern hemisphere, but Chile, on the Pacific, is now the largest exporter of farmed salmon in the world - most of them Atlantics. · British Columbia is the world's fourth largest farmed-salmon producer after Norway, Chile and the U.K. B.C. produced 85,000 tons in 2003, according to the BC Salmon Farmers Association. (www.salmonfarmers.org) · Almost 90% of farmed salmon worldwide are produced by 30 companies - topped by Nutreco Holding as reported by Intrafish (www.intrafish.com) in May, 2003. |
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What's to come? · Aqua Bounty Technologies is seeking approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to sell salmon genetically engineered to grow twice as fast. · Washington, Oregon, and Maryland have banned the production of genetically engineered fish. Alaska has banned all finfish farming, and in 2003 California prohibited raising farmed salmon, genetically engineered fish, and other non-native finfish in California waters. · The fish farming industry and U.S. National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are promoting the expansion of aquaculture sites 3 - 200 miles offshore intthe Exclusive Economic Zone. · Some salmon farms are improving their ecological performance and appealing to niche markets (www.tidepool.org/dispatches/salmonfarmsolutions.cfm). |
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