And the industry does not come off well. While the opening interview with salmon farming manager Ian Roberts paints a ‘normal’ picture of the industry, much to their credit, 60 minutes Dr. Gupta works in Alexandra Morton and her concerns, along with Alaskan wild salmon supporters. When he finally gets around to interviewing a government official, Brian Wallace, he comes off totally inadequate to the task of defending the government’s inaction in the face of real scientific concern.
Based on this, and the rest of the scientific information that we have presented here over the last years, is it any wonder why our county commissioners have fought to create a moratorium on salmon farming in our county until more science is brought to the table on this issue?
Or is it any wonder why we have been so critical of the Washington State Department of Ecology and NOAA in their bureaucratic stance that net pen aquaculture is fine, based on 25 year old science? The recently resigned Ted Sturdevant, highlighted here just yesterday, was a typical bureaucratic supporter of the industry, and stonewalled county efforts to bring even a moratorium over the last five years.
Watch the 60 Minute segment here:
http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/saving-the-wild-salmon/
Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: Alexandra Morton, brian wallace, ian roberts, ISA fish virus, NOAA, Puget Sound, salmon farming, ted sturdevant |
I watched the episode and was left with the impression that salmon farms are well run, and much needed to help conserve our wild salmon. While critics were given time to express their opinions (so they should), they didn’t provide any evidence that would suggest ocean aquaculture isn’t an important part of the future. I need to understand more about “ocean ranching”…that does concern me a bit, and I think the scale of it needs some attention.