Dismay voiced over salmon site

While the Conservation Council of New Brunswick's Fundy Baykeeper has expressed dismay on learning that the provincial government has approved a new salmon aquaculture site for Cooke Aquaculture in Haley's Cove just east of Chance Harbour, a spokesman for the aquaculture company says the baykeeper does not understand the restructuring that is occurring in the industry.

"This decision just goes to show that the government sees no value in maintaining some coves and inlets in the Bay of Fundy without industrial development," says Fundy Baykeeper David Thompson. "The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquaculture does not seem to understand that for marine ecosystems to function properly, there must be enough undeveloped area of the coastline to allow fish to spawn, juveniles to mature, and natural processes to take place undisturbed."

Thompson is concerned that the Haley's Cove site marks the eastward expansion of the finfish aquaculture footprint in the lower Bay of Fundy. Janice Harvey, director of the Fundy Baykeeper program, says, "If the government couldn't bring itself to prevent the ever-expanding footprint of aquaculture by denying an application from a company that has no legitimate need for a new site, then we see no end to aquaculture sprawl and further loss of undeveloped coast." With Cooke Aquaculture now having approximately 60 sites, she comments, "If there was ever a company that doesn't need a new site, Cooke Aquaculture is it."

Nell Halse, director of communications for Cooke Aquaculture, argues that the approval of the site does not expand the footprint of aquaculture, it is simply moving it around. She points out that, under the new three-bay management system, areas will be dedicated to raising smolts, growing market fish and for lying fallow. The New Brunswick coast is being divided into three large sections so that fallowing of sites can be done properly. Entire areas, not just farms, are now lying fallow, which did not occur before. Companies, though, still need to balance out their production evenly.

In return for the site approval, Cooke Aquaculture agreed to "give up" four salmon sites farther west. Yet according to Thompson, the sacrifice was mere tokenism. "They turned two sites in Letete Passage into cod sites, so they are still operating them. The two other sites they relinquished weren't even in operation. One, in the Magaguadavic estuary, hasn't operated for years, as far as we know."

Halse, though, disputes that assessment. Two sites were given up in Passamaquoddy Bay, and the two in Letete Passage were designated for raising alternate species, in order to break the cycle of disease transfer from Deer Island to Letete. The production from the four sites that will now not be used for raising salmon is being moved to Haley's Cove.

Thompson also charges that the sites are very disruptive to the local environment. "Every aquaculture site discharges tonnes of untreated solid and dissolved wastes directly into the marine environment every year," he says. "Besides this, the associated beaches become dumping grounds for unused equipment; noisy boat traffic disturbs wildlife; feeding machines also create noise and lights disrupt fish migration. Chemicals are used to defoul equipment; drugs including antibiotics are discharged into the environment in waste feed and feces. Once an aquaculture site is established in a cove, that cove is essentially removed as a productive component of the coastal ecosystem. We have so few undisturbed coves left west of Big Salmon River that removing one more from the system makes a big difference."

But Halse points out that environmental monitoring under the regulatory system in the province is "very rigorous" and that there was an extensive review process conducted by government agencies before the site was approved. Cooke has not had a new farm site approved in the province since 2001. "There are no free rides in this industry for us," says Halse. "We are held accountable."

Halse notes that aquaculture companies are moving to deeper and more exposed sites that provide greater flushing action by the tides, and they have been pushing for additional sites around Grand Manan and along the coast toward Saint John.

Halse also says the Fundy Baykeeper has never contacted Cooke Aquaculture with any of its concerns. She says that, whenever complaints are made by people in communities about debris on beaches or other problems, Cooke has responded immediately to deal with them. The company has invested a great deal in training employees so that issues such as debris being left on beaches will not occur.