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A New Way to See Salmon in the Wild

Campbell River, June 16, 2006 - Ask visitors to Vancouver Island what they hope to see during their stay and salmon will be on most people's list. This summer, tourists can see salmon in a whole new way - by visiting a salmon farm.

"We get a lot of requests from local people interested in touring the farms and we thought tourists would be interested too," explains Mary Ellen Walling, Executive Director, BC Salmon Farmers Association. "We find that when people have the opportunity to see a salmon farm in operation any concerns they might have about aquaculture are addressed."

Annual domestic demand for seafood is projected to increase by 3.3 billion pounds (35 to 50 percent) by the year 2010 (FAO 2003). Aquaculture - fish farming - is a way to meet that growing demand without the risk of over fishing the limited number of wild stocks. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), aquaculture is the world's fastest growing food producing sector.

Tourists will travel by boat to one of the farms near Campbell River and once on site will meet farm staff, see how the fish are fed and cared for, and learn about the siting criteria for farms and the steps required to protect the marine environment.

Aquaculture has been around for thousands of years but salmon farming has only been practiced in British Columbia for about 30 years. Today there are approximately 85 salmon farms operating in B.C. and the industry is regulated by a total of 52 provincial and federal acts and standards. In 2005, farmed salmon sales generated $450 million, making it BC's largest agricultural export and generating more than 4000 direct and indirect jobs.

Tours will run throughout the summer, departing from Campbell River. For additional tour details visit our web site.

For more information:
Mary Ellen Walling, Executive Director
BC Salmon Farmers Association 250-286-1636