Salmon Farming: The Whole Story.

Ann Turner is Financial and Budget Manager at the University of British
Columbia Library.

There seems to be no middle ground where British Columbia’s salmon farming industry is concerned. Proponents and antagonists are entrenched in their positions and news supporting either side makes headlines. Almost everything about salmon farming is controversial: the siting of the farms; the controlled life cycle of the salmon; their feed, diseases and parasites; waste disposal; the effects of escapes from the net-pens into the open ocean; and the nutritional value and safety of farmed salmon as a food source. This study sets out both views along with facts and statistics about the industry from its beginnings in the 1970s up to 2006. The author’s background is with wild salmon. Having worked in the commercial and sports fisheries, he also has training and volunteer experience in stream-keeping and salmon-enhancement programs. To understand the views of salmon farm supporters, he examined every study and publication he could find on the subject. By observing salmon farms and interviewing their operators and opponentshe developed a thorough understanding of the industry. His book presents not only a clear and unbiased summary of the opponents’ points of view but also a well-documented description of B.C.’s salmon farming industry in general. The controversy and headlines will continue, but with the information in this study the reader will have a sound basis for evaluating them.