The Newfoundland and Labrador government want to expand open-net Atlantic salmon farm pens into Placentia Bay and further west along the south coast of the Island of Newfoundland. There is evidence that these pens affect the wild salmon stocks by exposing them to pollutants, disease, sea lice, etc. Also, if salmon from these pens escape and interbreed with the wild Atlantic salmon the effects can be devastating. Interbreeding between farmed salmon and wild Atlantic Salmon results in inferior genes being passed down to future generations which is detrimental to populations. Current evidence is showing interbreeding is already a big problem along the south coast near established sea pens. If these pens are expanded across the waters of the South Coast we will see wild runs of salmon diminish as they’ve done at Conne and Little River, likely hurting the business of established outfitters and possibly leading to serious reductions in runs of wild Atlantic salmon. The best solution to this problem is to use land based pens instead of open net pens in the ocean as is currently being carried out all over the world.

In British Columbia and Washington we are seeing open net pens being phased out in the next few years, meanwhile Newfoundland is looking to expand sea pens in our waters. We would like to see a turn of stance on the matter here in Newfoundland. Let’s not wait until it’s too late for our runs of wild Atlantic salmon considering we are one of the strongholds left for the species.