In a blog posting today, independent salmon biologist Alexandra Morton calls attention to the recent listing of Norway-based Marine Harvest – the world’s largest salmon farming company – on the New York Stock Exchange. The move comes on the heels of the revelation that the Harper Government is planning a major expansion of open net-pen salmon farms on BC’s coast, made public by First Nations Chief Bob Chamberlin.
As Chamberlin noted, the plan utterly disregards the conclusions of the $26 million Cohen Inquiry into collapsing Fraser River sockeye stocks, which recommended a partial moratorium on new farms and urged more scientific study into disease transfer from fish farms to wild salmon, calling for the Precautionary Principle to be implemented:
[quote]It’s time for us to hold this government to account. This is an urgent message to all the people who rely upon wild salmon in BC…I urge all of you to take a stand, to start writing letters to the editors, for First Nations people to start demanding that your chief and council stand up and do what’s right for wild salmon. We cannot sit back idly and hope something gets done. It’s up to you, it’s up to me. I want to lock arms with all of you and do what’s necessary to save wild salmon.[/quote]
For her part, Morton, connects the dots between the federal policy change and Marine Harvest’s move to recruit North American investment on the NYSE:
In early January, we learned the Harper government quietly invited the Norwegian salmon farming industry to expand in BC. He did this despite specific warnings to the opposite by his own federal Commission. He did this ignoring his constitutional responsibility to consult with First Nations. See press release by Living Oceans.
A few days later on January 28, 2014, Marine Harvest (the biggest of the three Norwegian operators using BC to grow “their” fish) was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. They rang the Opening Bell. Their press release states they plan to lead the blue revolution similar to 5000 years ago when we went from hunting to farming. They fail to mention salmon farming requires aggressive wild fisheries. Truth is a scarce commodity in this deal.
READ MORE on Morton’s blog.
I have worked with Marine Harvest and they are a leader. Clean, professional, dry sites. They are working towards land based systems, they offer good paying jobs, work well with many 1st nations on the West Coast.
As for Salmon farming, it is the reality of over population, wild stocks can not supply the demand.
As for feed, soy and other options are the norm. Feed ratio’s beef, 7/1, pork, 5/1 poulty 3/1, aquaculture, 1.5-2/1. You tell me how we will feed human kind. As much as it would benifit us all the get our protien from grains such as hemp and chia the reality is the market place [society] will demand fish and other animal protiens.
Not all farmers are equal. Saying ban it is redicuolous and unrealistic, if your going to have an opion at least it should be informed and reasonable.
As for Ms. Morton, ‘Independent’ biologist. is that the same as biased.
Is that a real fish that guy is holding?
Guarantee an immediate plunge in this stock, not just due to the vulgarness of the industry but this listing is an IPO the insiders will make money on as soon as it hits the board. After that it is anyone’s guess.
I’m a staunch supporter no “fish farming”, however I’d like to point out that MH is blowing up a stock bubble on this one.
Here’s the cheerleader pitch from Bloomberg:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-12-18/billionaire-fredriksen-s-marine-harvest-seen-driving-fish-deals.html
A fool & his money are soon parted.
Their pitch will further drain the pool of dupes.
Don’t overlook that the “Somali Pirate Problem” didn’t exist until factory ships cleaned out local fish to supply Norwegian fish farms with “reduced product” ie: fish meal to be laced with ………….
No one knows.
Proprietary,ya’know.
Just like fracking juice.
Hey mot: I like your style. What do you have to say about over fishing of salmon on the west coast of Canada?