SaltWire E-Edition

CERMAQ SEES THE LIGHT

Generally, sustainability is thought of as an environmentally-friendly attribute, and these days, the term is almost an obligatory adjective applied to most policies, activities and manufactured products. It certainly is a major component of the “green-washing” vocabulary of the open-net-pen aquaculture industry and features prominently in their pronouncements.

So just what does sustainability in this context mean? It has been defined by a number of international agencies in different ways, but all have three elements in common. The United Nations’ version states: “Sustainability is a holistic approach that considers ecological, social and economic dimensions, recognizing that all must be considered together to find lasting prosperity” — thus including these three principles, sometimes informally referred to as planet, people and profit.

While it is rare that good things can be said about today’s open-pen fish farm industry, credit must be given to Cermaq, which declined the opportunity to establish a presence in Nova Scotia after some months of investigation of the situation here. At public meetings, they encountered stiff opposition to their plans, and after a more detailed examination of coastal sites to be made available, determined that they were too shallow and poorly flushed to sustain the amount of fish needed to make a profit. The company knew it would have no social licence and could only sustain a profitable enterprise at the expense of environmental degradation.

The dominant company operating in Nova Scotia today has no such scruples, as sustained profit is clearly its only goal, and it has mounted an ongoing PR campaign and threatens litigation to quell complaints of coastal communities attempting to fight the despoilment of their local embayments.

It is imperative that government adhere to the principles of true sustainability if we are to pass on to future generations that which we are privileged to enjoy today.

Timothy Lambert, Lower Ship Harbour

OPINION

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2022-07-05T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-07-05T07:00:00.0000000Z

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