Re: "Salmon aquaculture not worth the risks," Aug. 8.
The use of fishmeal and fish oil in salmon feed is certainly one of the most important sustainability questions to consider when discussing salmon aquaculture. Unfortunately, the information shared by our critics is significantly out of date by B.C. standards.
Salmon farmers have made efficient use of fishmeal and fish oil resources a top priority for many years. Our members have led the way in the most efficient use of these resources, drastically reducing the amount of fishmeal and oil in their feed in the past decade, replacing them with other ingredients while still providing farm-raised salmon with the nutrients they need to be a healthy and nutritious protein source.
Thanks to these improvements, today it only takes about 1.2 kilograms of these small fish to grow one kilogram of farmed salmon, which are very efficient feed converters compared to other farm-raised animals that have to consume more feed to give them energy to heat their bodies and to stand.
The fish meal that is used in salmon feed is sourced from sustainable fisheries - and according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the vast majority of it would never provide food to humans.
We take the responsibility of our operations and our role on the coast very seriously. The work done in this area is a good example of that proactive work.
Mary Ellen Walling Executive director,
B.C. Salmon Farmers Association Campbell River
