John Volpe Biological Sciences University of Alberta [email protected] http://www.biology.ualberta.ca Science Friction: The incredible story of Atlantic salmon in British Columbia
Dec 23, 2015
John VolpeBiological Sciences
University of [email protected]
http://www.biology.ualberta.ca
Science Friction: The incredible story of Atlantic salmon in British Columbia
46,738 tonnes dressed (capture fishery all spp. 30,200 t)
$347M farm gate (capture fishery$53M)
81% Atlantic salmon
Largest agricultural export product (77%) in BC - 4th largest salmon producer in the world
1999 Production
Atlantic salmon in BC. Why?
• Faster growth and feed conversion• Docility • Larger market• Better price• Knowledge base
2002
1984 Import of AS eggs for aquaculture
1905
1934
5.5 - 13.2 M eggs + alevins released in B.C. Interspecific agonism (ST) 10 resistance factor
1987 First capture of AS in B.C. waters
1991 First reported escape of AS
1997First Atlantic salmon research on Pacific coast initiated
?????
1995 SAR initiated
SAR released
Revenueloss
resulting from
escapedfish
Retention of salmonin net pens
Cost of building / maintaining net pens
0%
100%
According to DFO’s ASWP 396,552 Atlantic salmon have been reported as escaped 1991-2001
Escapes
• 0.5 – 1% of cage population lost via “leakage” (not reported) Therefore in 1999
55,400 – 110,800 Atlantic salmon + (~443,200)12,650 – 25,300 Chinook + (~101,200) 2,900 – 5,900 Coho + (~23,600)
sub-adults escaped in addition to the 35,730 reported Atlantic salmon escapes.
• Only rough estimates of fish on on hand• Holes in nets a constant problem• Reporting of escapes is voluntary
Actual number of escapees per year = UNKNOWN
Recoveries
7833 Atlantic salmon reported captured in BC marine waters and
145 Atlantic salmon reported in BC fresh waters in 2000
Like escapes, recovery reports are voluntary. No work has ever been conducted to evaluate the precision or accuracy of these data – however it is widely accepted these numbers do not represent reality.
Continued use of these “estimates” sets a dangerous precedent for reliance on fictitious data.
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Date
Nu
mb
er o
f A
tlan
tic
salm
on
re
po
rted
cap
ture
d 4500 Atlantic salmon escape inJohnstone Straight
Commercial fishing season opens in Area 12
32,000 Atlantic salmon escape in Sargeaunt's Pass
Two major farm escapes in summer 2000
DFO’s passive ASWP = 7833 AS; All BC marine waters, whole year
15 day active survey in only Area 12 = 10,826 AS (+41%)
How many captures if there were noopenings?
•58 m channel
•Variable habitat
•30 females; 20 males transplanted without acclimatization
Spawning Chronology
Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May
Pink
Sockeye
Chinook
Chum
Coho
Steelhead
Little Qualicum Atlantic Salmon
Wild Atlantic salmon in native range
Tsitika River August 18 1998
• Natural reproduction• Two year classes present (0+ & 1+)• ~50 juveniles identified to date• Sympatric with strong steelhead population • 0+ AS > ST (50%) 1+ AS >> ST (125%)
0+ 1+
Port Hardy
Campbell R.
Nanaimo
Victoria
Tofino
Port Alberni
Feral Atlantic Salmon populations in Vancouver Island Rivers
Eve R.N
100 km
Amor de Cosmos Cr.Tsitika R.
<< 0.01% suitable habitat surveyed
Atlantic salmon have been reported in 79 BC streams and rivers
Atlantic salmon are now part of the terrestrial food webvia predation
What we know so far...
• 10’s - 100’s K escaping annually
• Significant marine survival - commercial fisheries, Alaska fresh water captures
• Adults ascending all major drainages on Vancouver Island
• Production fish will spawn to produce viable offspring and may do so during low native spawner density
• Feral progeny are capable of persisting with steelhead
But,
Why did historical AS introductions fail?
Wetted area:2.2m x 0.6m x 0.9 m
Coarse river cobble (19.4 5.6cm)
~ 10% replacement perhour
Flow 0.85 ms-s (4542.5 L min-1)
10 hp centrifugal pump
Water temp maintained by a 240V, 60amp chiller
Clear Lexan viewing windows
Natural prey provided by a unique “upweller”feeding system
4 AS 4 AS
4 AS
4 AS
4 ST4 ST
4 ST4 ST4 ST
4 AS
High Forage
AA assembly
4 AS 4 AS
4 AS
4 AS
4 ST4 ST
4 ST4 ST4 ST
4 AS
Low Forage
Treatments• High / low forage• Density• Intra- / interspecies comp.• Assembly of “community”
Response Variables• Growth• Foraging• Agonism (action + result) • Territory size
comp. coefficient (Δ g)A = Atlantic salmonS = Native Steelhead
SA
SS AS
ST engage in agonism 5:1 over AS ST show intraspecific bias 2 : 1AS show interspecific bias 2.2 : 1
Residents with 3 days prior residency performed better than challengers under all conditions
A significant “residency effect” was observed in both species
Small Falls
N
50 m
Experimental Site (AS & ST)
Control Site (ST Only)
From Bear Lake (2km)
To Straight of Georgia / Inside Passage (~3km)
ST
ST
AS ST
Amor de Cosmos Cr. Study Site
86.5 hrs behaviour data
•ST - ST aggression 11.8 x > ST - AS
•ST - ST aggression > 3x AS - AS; but AS - ST aggression >2x ST - AS
•ST horizontal range on average 9 x > AS
•ST-ST aggression was significantly higher with AS
Steelhead
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
Pro
port
ion
> 1
0cm
Atlantic Salmon
Vertical Partitioning
10
5
0AtlanticSalmon
SteelheadExperimental
SteelheadControl
F
ora
gin
g a
ttem
pts
per
5 m
inForaging
**
75
25
0
50
F
ora
gin
g e
ffic
ien
cy %
**
Atlantic salmon in Competition
Perform wellrelative to steelhead
Perform poorly relative to steelhead
+ residency - residency
1905-1934: Very low likelihood of establishing prior residency in Vancouver Island rivers
Today: Vancouver Island steelhead populations are at ~ 10 - 20% of historical abundance
Potential for successful colonization is likely much
higher today than during historical intentional introductions
But,
Inputs and outputs
“What are the impacts of salmon farming on the sea floor
below fish pens?
Salmon farms occupy a very small percentage of BC coastal waters, so the habitat affected is also very small. If placed side by side, all the salmon farm sea cages would occupy only about 70 hectares, less space than the new runway at Vancouver International Airport.”BC Salmon Farmers Assoc. web page
TSS allocation for 4 Salmon Farms Bremerton, WA Seattle (830k people)
Filtration & Sterilization(US$536M buildUS$80M / yr.)
No Filtration & SterilizationUS$0
Effects of effluent generated at BC’s 104 active farms is unknown
Dr. Arthur Whitely U. of Washington
5.2 M lbs. feces 4 M lbs. TSS
Outputs
Antibiotics Pass through the net cage intact or in fecesare ingested in low chronic doses by benthos6.4 tonnes used in 1998Effects: - generation of “superbugs”; transfer
across individuals possible, including to humans - significant alteration of sediment species composition affecting nutrient cycling
Pesticides Neurological disruptors used to control sea liceEffects: - Lethal to crustaceans (zooplankton,
shrimp, crab etc.) and other fauna including polychaetes and starfish Irish farm company being sued
Copper Toxic net treatments to kill fouling organismsEffects: - Undetermined
Inputs
Organic
Salmon, unlike all other cultured “farm” animals (save shrimp)are carnivorous – feed is 45% fishmeal and 25% fish oil.
2.8 kg wild fish to produce 1 kg farm fish(equivalent by-catch)
The marine area required to produce the feed consumed in a salmon farm is 40,000 to 50,000 times the production area
The European industry (production leaders) consume the equivalent of 90% of the North Sea’s 1o production
Naylor et al. 2000. Nature 405: 1017-1024
Herring; Mackerel; Anchoveta; Anchovy; Sardinella.
South American oceans being mined at tremendous rates to satisfy northern hemisphere demand for fish meal in the production of a luxury product.
Many of these fisheries are in a state of collapse forcing commercial fishers to target species even lower in the food web, further aggravating the problem.
Currently a salmon glut on world market. Commercial salmon fishers must now catch more wild salmon to maintain historical earnings
Outputs
The Product
Feed contaminated with PCBsPolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) - genotoxin / mutagenPolybrominated biphenyl ethers (BPDE) - flame retardantOrganochlorine pesticides (OPs)
# of servings of BC farm salmon required to exceed WHO guidelines: 1.5 / week
Easton et al. 2002. Chemosphere 46: 1053-1074
Inputs
EnergyIndustrial Energy Inputsper round tonne (litres of
diesel equivalent)
Greenhouse Gas Emissions (tonnes of CO2 equivalent
per round tonne)1
Cultured Atlantic 2,612 6.5
Cultured Chinook 3,244 8.0
Captured Chinook 977 2.0
Captured Coho 1,144 2.9
Captured Sockeye 755 2.3
Captured Chum 665 2.0
Captured Pink 616 1.8
Tyedmers 2001. PhD Thesis, UBC
Food Production System Edible Protein EROI
Seaweed culture (West Indies) 100%
Cultured carp (Indonesia) 94%
Wheat (USA) 41%
Purse seine fishery for salmon (B.C.) 18%
Groundfish trawl fishery (Washington State) 17%
Commercially caught pink salmon (B.C.) 14%
Commercially caught chum salmon (B.C.) 13%
Commercially caught sockeye salmon (B.C.) 11%
Turkey (USA) 7.7%
Milk (USA) 7.1%
Swine (USA) 5.6%
Commercial cod fishery (USA) 5%
Chicken (USA) 3.8%
Intensively cultured Atlantic salmon (B.C.) 3.3%
Intensively cultured chinook salmon (B.C.) 2.6%
Intensively cultured shrimp (Thailand) 1.4%
Beef (USA) 0.8%Tyedmers 2001. PhD Thesis, UBC
Sea Lice
Sea lice are native however the density of farms may act as bio-magnifiers of parasites and disease such that the migratory habitat becomes saturated ie. pink smolt run
Pink salmon smolts
June 2001
“Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution“Theodosius Dobzhansky
Character Trait (e.g. Aggression)
“Normal curve”NaturalSelection
Pro
port
ion
of P
opul
atio
n
Aggression
Pro
port
ion
of P
opul
atio
n
Low High
Farm
Escape Spawn
Wild
Aggression
Pro
port
ion
of P
opul
atio
n
Low High
Wild
Second feral generation displays appropriate levels of aggression - much greater performanceand survivorship.
Escapees selected for “wild type” behaviours and traits
Treatments for parasites and diseases “select” for resistant and more virulent strains – passed back to wild populations (Anti bacterial soaps - “97% effective”)
Processes are likely to change as fast, or faster, than we are capable of describing them.......
Is there a plan?
How many escaped Atlantic salmon are too many?
What infestation rate of sea lice on native salmonids is too high?
How much industrial waste is too much?
Etc....etc.....etc.....
Is salmon aquaculture so different from other industrial activitiesthat threshold effects on the environment are unnecessary?
Principle 15 of the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (towhich Canada is a signatory) explains the precautionary principle as, "Wherethere are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certaintyshall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to preventenvironmental degradation."
1) all reasonable actions must be taken to protect the environment
2) inherent to this statement is the understanding of “reverse onus” - the burden of proof lies with industry to satisfactorily demonstrate their activity is not detrimental to the environment. The burden is not on the public to demonstrate the opposite
Research AssistantsChris BorkentRick FergusonJeff HopkinsIan JacobsMegan KaneenTye LougheedSteve MartinDan O’NeilEmily RubidgeMalcolm Wyeth
Dr. Brad R. Anholt - UVic BiologyDr. Barry W. Glickman - UVic CEHGerry Horne - UVic Aquatics Facility
Funded by:
B.C. Habitat Conservation Trust Fund
B.C. Min.Fisheries