Pros and cons of net-pen harvested fish

[Trick]

I'd like to get peoples feelings on this growing industry. Do you think it's good for our sports future? Would you like to see it expanded? Do you enjoy seeing these fish in the fish counter rather than our wild stocks?
What, if any, negative impacts could there be and is it worth the benefits?

I personally like to see the "average Joe" consumer buying these fish rather than supporting the gillnet, walls of death, industry. Maybe if we did a better job backing this industry, gillnetters would have no choice but to take on tooth-tangle nets or more selective forms of harvest.


I've never ate farmed salmon/steelhead. How's the texture, taste and firmness. Is it really that noticable. I know most restraunts use these fish and they seem to all be staying in business. Would you eat one of these fish before buying a wild salmon from a gillnetter?

[Kenia]

I have eaten pen raised salmon and believe
they taste quite good. Lots of fat, but tasty.

[WheresMyBobber]

I think farm raised salmon and steelhead are a great thing, both for the resource, and for the average Joe consumer.

I've always been of the midset that if I can't catch my own salmon, I'll do without. But a few years ago my brother in law (not a salmon fisherman) told me that he had bought some farm raised salmon at Albertsons for a decent price and thought it was good. Since I was planning on smoking a batch of fish, I thought I'd buy some and try it next to fish that I had caught. I can honestly say that the farm raised fish was very good quality both smoked and BBQ'd. That's my only experience with farm raised fish, but it surprised me how good it was.

[CP Inlet Isle]

The best salmon that I have ever eaten was a farm raised Atlantic around 10lbs.We steaked it and put it on the BBQ.With the high fat content it cooked up like a rib steak and was moist and flavorful.As far as sheer volume, I don't see how farm raised fish can be anything but good for the sportfisherman.

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[Pete]

Net pen rearing of salmon is well established in Maine where 22 million pounds of salmon were produced in 1995. A great paper discussing it is on line at http://www.state.me.us/spo/salmon/a-plus.htm

Since that paper was release, Atlantic salmon were granted protection under the Endangered Species Act. In 1999 only 300 wild salmon returned to Maine's rivers, yet the State of Maine is appealing the ruling.

Since most net pen salmon are not genetically similar to the native runs in Maine (Most net pen fish are from Norwegian and Scottish stocks.), the net pen industry may be severely impacted by the ESA listing.

Guidelines for responsible net pen practices have been drafted, but I don't know how widely they've been implemented. http://www.lib.noaa.gov/docaqua/NMAI2000.htm

But not everyone is happy with the state of the net pen industry. In 1998 30,000 Atlantic salmon escaped from net pens in Vancouver, B.C.
Sport fishers are not happy... http://www.fly-fishing-retailer.com/...a/ga_11_99.htm
Gillnetters are not happy... http://www.nwefish.com/psga/members/buck/buck_aqua.html

Even Chefs are concerned about the impact of net pen reared salmon... http://www.chefnet.com/cc2k/html/f2000com.html

It's a complicated issue that many folks have spent a lot of time on, but there are no real answers yet. Perhaps some of the work on closed pens or use of local stocks will provide effective long term solutions. It's worth paying attention to.

[THE REEL HEY_YALL]

Farm-raised Atlantic Salmon is delicious. For those that would like to try a farm-raised salmonid species, try Artic Charr.

My brother works for an Artic Charr hatchery and has brought me fish to cook. Excellent grilled, fried, or baked. The meat has an orange tint to it. You can view their facilities: www.icywaters.com
I believe you can also order from them.

Ok, here's a con for you about the net-rearing, but as long as it screws gillnetters, then I don't have a problem with it.

Con- It can affect sports angling records. Imagine if a triploid fish that was monstrous escaped, how it could affect angling records.

Ok, here's a $.02 for ya. Personally, and I am sure a lot of you will agree, I could care less if chefs around the globe ******* about the net-reared fish. Think about it, how many of you even eat where there are actual chefs? If you do, think how often that would be, plus how often someone would order salmon. Those guys should be kicked in the nards for even speaking.

The difference (if any) in the taste is so minute, the people complaining about it would only be complaining just to complain.

You can affect a fish's sex in the net-rearing, as in functioning of sex, so if they did escape, they wouldn't be able to reproduce. I hope all that oppose it will go and cry me a river, and hopefully that river will have good habitat management on it.

[RichH]

Gee, Yall, what do you really think? C'mon, don't be bashful or anything , just let it fly. Thanks for the laugh, dude.


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Rich H

[THE REEL HEY_YALL]

yeah when was the last time you heard the term "nards"? Last time I heard that word used was in the movie "The Monster Club"

I think I will resurrect that word, but sorry Rich, resurrecting breakdancing will be your task.

Also, those who are "against fat" need to realize that the fat found in salmon is heathly fat, and that fat helps the protein in the body as well, and is part of a good diet. So eat that fat and don't worry about it hurting your health because it is good for the circulatory system.

[parker]

Sorry guys, here's the skinny about salmonid aquaculture.

Ever wonder why there really are not that many salmonid aquaculture ventures in the Northwest?

Here's why salmon aquaculture has failed to catch on in the NW.

The EPA
The Waterfront Land owner
Endangerment of Pacfic Salmonids
Disease
No market for farm fish when wild fish are still being harvested.

Basically, there's too much red tape, too many costs involved, not enough profit, and the public has a misnotion that farm raised fish "taste different". Until all that changes, salmonid aquaculture will have a very little impact in our area.

Don't blame me - that's what I studied in Fisheries. That's also why I got out of fisheries.

Parker

The 'B.C. Farm Chinook' salmon that I get occassionally from Bales Thriftway in Cedar Mill (available all over at times) is extremely high quality and great tasting salmon!!! The only one's I've had that are equal or slightly better are the fresh from the ocean sealiced springers out of the lower Trask River, the springers taken at the mouth of the Wind River, and the commercially caught Copper River Kings from Alaska (still fresh of course). - RT

[FASTWATER]

Just say no to drugs, don't eat farm raised fish. One of my favorite bumper stickers!!!

[THE REEL HEY_YALL]

Why is that one of your favorite bumper stickers again? I fail to see the humor. Just another fair-weather, ill-informed fishermen...

[FASTWATER]

I worked at a fish farm in Maine when I was a kid and the feed given to the fish was loaded with different antibotics to help keep the fish healthy pretty much still a standard in the industry plus the other garbage that goes into the feed to keep the feed exceptable fare. As for the bumperstick I also commercially fished for 20 plus years and guess it was away of showing my anger at the problem fish farming brought the price of the market down I guess you would have to be a commercial fisherman to understand this, believe me it mattered. Yaall,peace..