Escape Prevention in British Columbia

Escape Prevention Policy

Preventing the escape of farmed fish is a top priority for the government of B.C. Preventing the loss of fish from farms is important from an ecological point of view and is also closely linked to the economic health of the industry.

The provincial escape prevention program operates under the following principles:

• The Province is committed to environmental sustainability; the well-being of wild fish and the marine environment are paramount
• Escaped farmed salmon present a low overall risk to the environment
• Prevention is the single most important strategy for addressing risks from escapes
• The low risk from escapes must be further reduced and our approach continually re-assessed
• The ultimate objective is to achieve "zero escapes" for the industry.

The B.C. government is working with the federal government (Fisheries and Oceans Canada) and the aquaculture industry to address and reduce the risks associated with escaped farm fish.

Provincial escape prevention initiatives

Since 1999, when implementation of the provincial Salmon Aquaculture Policy Framework began, the province has:

• amended the Aquaculture Regulation to include tough new escape requirements;
• enhanced regular inspections of fish farms to assess compliance with regulatory standards;
•  investigated escape events and in some cases laid charges;
•  improved monitoring of escapes through increased funding of the Atlantic Salmon Watch Program; and
• worked with industry to improve practices and technologies on farms.

Industry-led Initiatives

The aquaculture industry dedicates significant resources to research and development and improvements to infrastructure to further reduce the risk of escapes.  These improvements have resulted in a continual reduction of fish escapes over the past decade.

The B.C. Salmon Farmers' Association has developed and implemented a Code of Practice, and several companies are pursuing environmental certification through standards established under ISO 14000 (an internationally recognized environmental standard).

Links

• Atlantic Salmon Watch Program
• Escape FAQs

Documents

• Preventing Escapes to Support a Healthy Aquaculture Industry
• British Columbia Net Cage Mesh Strength Testing Procedure

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Updated: December 30, 2003