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Salmon Farming in Washington State
08/17/05
By Senator Dan Swecker
Salmon farming in Washington State has gone through many changes in the last 10 years. One the most significant has been the consolidation of the salmon net pen industry under a single company. Recently, Washington owned Smoki Foods in Seattle purchased all of these assets and formed a new company called American Gold Seafoods. This includes the saltwater net pens at Port Angeles.
Until now the salmon farming industry has remained separate from the salmon fishing industry. Smoki Foods will be marketing both “farm raised� and commercially caught or “wild� salmon. This will allow them to market each product based on their availability and attractiveness to the market place and consumer wishes.
Farmed salmon is available fresh - year round at a very reasonable price. Wild salmon is heavily promoted for its natural wild taste. It is considered a premium product by many, but is available fresh only in season at higher prices. Each of these products occupies a different niche in the seafood marketplace.
The federal government now requires that seafood be labeled according to its country of origin and whether it is farmed or commercially caught. Smoki has already used the “Produced in Washington� label to increase sales to companies like Costco. This will help both the farmed salmon industry and commercial fisherman here in our state.
A number of criticisms have been alleged by aquaculture opponents about the quality and sustainability of salmon farming. These have included sea lice exposure to wild stocks, toxic contaminants, impacts on the environment and impacts of escapes on wild salmon among others. All of these potential claims have been studied by government agencies and have been determined to be without merit. Never-the-less, the anti-aquaculture forces continue to shout “the sky is falling!�
They point to isolated studies that do not apply to Washington farmed salmon or have been discredited by subsequent peer reviewed scientific research. One example is the allegation that PCB contaminates are far higher in farmed fish. In fact, later studies proved that these levels are nearly identical in most Washington salmon and in a few cases are significantly higher in wild fish. These antagonists do consumers a serious disservice by turning them away from healthy nutritious food options. Salmon is high in Omega-3’s and a much better choice than most other protein alternative available in the supermarket.
Washington has been a leader in developing regulations to insure that salmon farming is conducted in a safe and sustainable manner. Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency announced nationwide standards for discharges from aquaculture facilities. Washington provided much of the research and public policy that EPA used to develop their standards. As a result, Washington fish growers are already in compliance.
Our industry has developed a “Code of Conduct� to insure that “Washington Grown Salmon� meet the highest quality levels in the industry. This Code of Conduct can be viewed on the web at http://www.wfga.net/conduct.asp . Other controversial issues alleged by opponents can be studied at http://www.salmonoftheamericas.com/ .
Recently, The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and Salmon of the Americas (SOTA) announced plans to develop a comprehensive quality assurance program for farmed salmon. The program will be managed under the auspices of FMI's Safe Quality Food Certification Program. This initiative will be a first of its kind for salmon produced anywhere in the world.
Aquaculture is the fastest growing segment of agriculture today. The industry here in Washington has been a leader in food safety, environmental sustainability and the development of new technology. Consumers can purchase salmon produced here at home with confidence that they are getting healthy food for their families at a reasonable cost. Purchasing salmon “Produced in Washington� continues to support local jobs and the local economy. Working with both farmed and wild products is a smart marketing strategy and a real step forward for both farmers and fishermen.
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