Sir, – The latest tactic by lobby groups who wish to save wild salmon for rod and line slaughter is to tout a bizarre “solution” to their perceived issues with traditional sea farming – raising marketable-size salmon on land (Angling Notes, March 18th). What next – dairy farming on the moon?
Any suggestion there are sustainable commercial salt-water land-based salmon farming facilities in operation anywhere in the world is untrue. Of almost two million tonnes of salmon demanded by markets globally, the exact amount coming from land farming today is . . . zero. Much is made of existing land-based farms, conveniently forgetting that they are all small units used to grow the freshwater portion of a salmon’s life cycle from egg to smolt (max 150 grams). For the saltwater portion of the salmon’s life, recent history is littered with ruins left by those trying to replace oilskins with suits and ties. In countries where the vast amounts of energy to pump, heat, oxygenate and filter water is absolutely free (Iceland) where the labour to run the farm is free (Montana) and where millions of dollars of research funds are thrown around like snuff at a wake (US, Canada, Norway), the commercial application of land based technology has failed. Why?
Land-based salmon farming is hugely expensive, requiring square miles of space to grow fish to a saleable three to four kilos in unnaturally crowded conditions. The elaborate set-up involves high-tech and delicate electrical technology with potentially fatal failings. This is compounded by a total market resistance to very highly priced poor quality fish – which by EU law cannot be labelled as organic if grown in a tank. That is not to say that land-based tech does not work for other species such as barramundi, turbot or sole with totally different biological needs and markets.
For salmon, the fish world leader in terms of consumption, processing and innovation, it is complete folly to believe it possible to overcome the environmental barriers in planning permission to build vast parks near the sea to pump ashore water to top up recirculation systems, or to run automated factories with filtration, disinfection and oxygenation in a country with the third highest energy costs in the OECD (not to mention thousands of petition-hungry coastal holiday home owners). And all to replace just a small fraction of our current tiny production levels?
On a positive note, the reality is that sea farming works. In almost 50 years, systems have improved to produce high quality, healthy fish with minimal impact and a bright future. Salmon farming at sea makes sense economically, biologically and environmentally. Irish salmon is a unique and splendid product, farmed by Irish men and women who take pride in their work and their coastal way of life. – Yours, etc,
RICHIE FLYNN,
Executive, IFA Aquaculture,
Irish Farm Centre,
Bluebell, Dublin 12.