Benefits of salmon farming highlighted
It will be a few days before households in British Columbia will receive the latest pamphlet which aims to show some of the spin-off benefits from the Province’s salmon farming industry, some of which are;
- Can$800,000,000 (~€571.4 million) annual contribution to the B.C. economy
- 6,000 people employed directly or indirectly
- 3,000 businesses providing supplies and/or services to salmon farmers in B.C.
-And all of this activity is generated by salmon farms that use an area of less than 100 hectares. The publication also points out that the average Feed Conversion Rate for farmed salmon in B.C. is now at 1.2 kilos of feed to each kilo of fish produced. (An increasing percentage of feed ingredients now comes from agricultural crops. And while B.C. has a coastline comparable to that of Norway, the province only produces about 10 per cent of the farmed salmon that Norway does.)
An announcement by the Association today stated that;
The contribution members of the BC Salmon Farmers Association make to coastal communities is something we're all very proud of. And it's that work that's being highlighted in the latest informational pamphlet produced by the BCSFA. The community outreach brochure shows through a clear visual display the kind of reach salmon farming businesses and suppliers have across Vancouver Island, into the mainland and even across the country. "We stress the importance of three pillars of sustainability: environmental, social, economic - this economic activity is providing stability for communities by offering steady, year round work for people of many different backgrounds," said Mary Ellen Walling, Executive Director of the BCSFA.
The new pamphlet - which also seeks to answer some questions about salmon farming and direct people to where they can find more information - will be distributed within the industry's operating communities in the coming months. It will also be used as a handout during events the BCSFA is involved in. "The people working in salmon farming know about our good work - with this publication we hope to educate others as well," said Walling. This publication is one of the many ways the BCSFA seeks to increase public awareness of their business - they also participate in regular food shows, host a public tour program and maintain the bcsalmonfacts.ca website where people can discuss the industry.
