Our Fundy Baykeeper says he will be watching to see how the arrival of the world’s largest salmon farming company in the Bay of Fundy impacts the already stressed waters of New Brunswick’s iconic bay.
Norway’s Marine Harvest, the world’s biggest player in salmon aquaculture, recently took over the operation of nine farm sites in the Bay of Fundy and a processing plant in nearby St. George.
While the company employs 12,700 people across 18 countries, it will be a small player in the Bay of Fundy, where Cooke Aquaculture holds the majority of the bay’s roughly 100 farm sites.
Our Fundy Baykeeper, Matt Abbott, told CBC News on Jan. 19 that he’ll be keeping a close eye on Marine Harvest’s arrival “to see if this new ownership brings about any significant changes in stocking density pressure, pesticide use, or fish escapes in a Bay that is already facing numerous environmental stressors.”
Abbott has long worked on issues related to salmon farming in the Bay of Fundy, including the use of illegal pesticides that threaten the marine environment and important local fisheries.