Tofino Chamber Pushes For Closed-Containment Fund

The provincial government should create a $10-million fund that would encourage BC’s salmon farms to develop closed-containment technology, according to chamber of commerce members.

The Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce voted to take that position Tuesday night, following presentations on closed-containment salmon farms by the Living Oceans Society and Friends of Clayoquot Sound.

“We need to find a made-in-BC solution that protects our marine environment and also facilitates the advancement of a sustainable aquaculture industry in our province,” said Will Soltau, salmon farming campaigner for the Living Oceans Society.

Soltau defined closed containment as any impermeable barrier between farmed species and the natural aquatic environment.

Almost all salmon farms in BC currently use open-net cages.

Soltau also asked the chamber to write a letter to the provincial government, asking for the creation of a new $10-million fund.

During his presentation, Mark Spoljaric, fish-farm campaigner for the FOCS, pointed to a handful of companies that he said are operating or developing closed-containment technology.

They included Akvaplan-Niva in Norway, Black Ridge Aquaculture of West Virginia, Silfurstjarnan Ltd. in Iceland, Aquafarm of Langley, BC, and Future Sea Technologies Inc. of Nanaimo, BC.

About 30 people listened to the presentation.

View the article in the Westcoaster or the Globe and Mail.