600,000 farmed salmon die of disease in BC annually — with what effect on wild fish and human health?
June 21, 2014
Dig into the mass of data produced by the Cohen Commission that closed in 2012 (full name: the Commission of Inquiry into the Decline of Sockeye Salmon in the Fraser River) and you find a rather unassuming Technical Report by Josh Korman of Ecometric Research.
Given what Mr. Korman reveals in his report, it’s good that the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program (and its Canadian analog, Seachoice) continue to list farmed salmon as a red “Avoid” for consumers:
Over 90% of salmon die before returning to spawn — are farm-borne diseases partly to blame?
June 18, 2014
Last post we mentioned the renewed Seafood Watch rankings of BC-grown farmed salmon: red, which means “Avoid.”
David Suzuki commented on the new ratings in a recent article in Common Ground:
Salmon farming threatens some of the planet’s last remaining viable wild salmon – a keystone species that touches all our coastal ecosystems. The issues in dispute include feed ingredients, disease transmission between farms and wild salmon, bird and marine mammal deaths, pesticide and antibiotic use and the effects of multiple farms in concentrated areas.
A Victory for Science over PR? Updated Seafood Watch Guide Gives Farmed Salmon a Red “Avoid” Ranking
June 14, 2014
On April 28, 2014, the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program released its latest updated rankings on the seafood you see in supermarkets and on restaurant menus.
As noted in a report from the seafood industry website Intrafish:
The Seafood Watch's farmed salmon ratings were last updated in 2005. [Monterey Bay Aquarium Communications Director Ken] Peterson didn't point to any specific information or data that determined the report's outcome, instead referring to the massive amount of research published in the last decade.
Help FRK find a new office!
June 10, 2014
We need bigger office space! As our work to keep our local waters swimmable, drinkable and fishable continues to grow, we need to expand to a larger office.
We're looking for affordable, professional office space that can accommodate 3-4 desks. We're currently combing Craigslist and working our networks, so you have any leads, or ideas about creative ways to partner with FRK in providing such space, please get in touch!
Thanks for getting Chopped with us!
May 16, 2014
A big thanks to everyone who participated in the second race of the MEC Big Chop Summer Paddle Series on May 16 — and especially to all those who took a moment to visit us at the water table!
