Falklands Government says no to salmon farming - aquaculture company responds
Response: Written for the April 1, 2022, issue of Penguin News. Printed under the headline “No to salmon farming”.
Executive Council (ExCo) resolved in a meeting on March 29 that large scale aquaculture, including salmon farming, will not take place in the Falkland Islands following consideration of a paper on international best practices and regulatory options.
Among seven resolutions made by Members of Legislative Assembly in the meeting they were “not minded to agree to any large-scale fish farming” and “were not minded to approve any fish farming that involves the introduction of further new species.”
MLA Mark Pollard, who was in ExCo for the meeting, explained that despite the phrasing of being “minded” not to, this decision is now set in policy.
MLA Teslyn Barkman, portfolio holder for Natural Resources, stated: “We decided that we could set that policy decision direction based on the information contained within the MEP (MacAlister Elliott & Partners) report.”
She continued, “it was specifically about salmon farming and best practices but it enabled us to be able to make the call that large-scale fish farming would not be appropriate in our coastal inshore area.”
MLA Pollard noted that there were options for continuing outstanding consultation and policy development, but that this would not be completed for concerns of expending government resources - particularly when it had been resolved already not to engage in large scale aquaculture or to bring in further new species for aquaculture farming.
The ExCo decision did not resolve to ban all aquaculture activities. It was explained within the paper, however, that this is to allow already existing activities to continue.
Regarding already existing activities, ExCo resolved also to limit annual production from aquaculture to 50 metric tons via licensing conditions.
The safe operation of existing aquaculture activity is to be ensured through a “robust legislative framework” which was resolved to be developed and implemented by ExCo on March 29.
MLA Teslyn Barkman noted “it was determined through analysing our fish farming ordinance that planning applications and EIA [Environmental Impact Assessments] were not comprehensive and didn’t give you a comprehensive enough oversight or regulation to the level we would expect.”
It was noted by MLAs Barkman and Pollard that ExCo were “very careful to separate the current aquaculture practices” from future large-scale activity or activity which introduces further new species. MLA Barkman also said this could allow developments such as kelp farming for carbon offsetting, further onshore toothfish farming, and other such projects. MLA Pollard summarised this as: “Not shutting down opportunity, but absolutely saying no to salmon farming.”
Commenting on the decision of ExCo, Dr Esther Bertram, CEO of Falklands Conservation, said “Falklands Conservation strongly welcome the decision by Executive Council to reject industrial scale open-pen fish farming and the introduction of further new species”, and that “our inshore waters are key for our local wildlife and fish stocks, and through this decision our representatives have ensured the protection of our environment, responded to the community’s concerns, and strengthened our existing industries for the long term.”
Dr Bertram added “This marks the beginning of an economic opportunity to develop industries and practices that are not only less damaging to, but also actively benefit, the environment. Last year’s general election saw these issues coming to the fore and it is great to see the country taking such a progressive green approach to development.”
Response: Written for the April 8, 2022, issue of Penguin News. Printed under the headline “Salmon: Unity Marine protests, MLA responds”.
EXECUTIVE Council “has set a dangerous precedent for any future diversification of the economy,” according to Unity Marine* responding to the decision that large scale aquaculture will not take place in the Falklands.
Unity Marine said this was by “seemingly demonstrating an unwillingness to discuss any new venture that has the potential to impact the environment, without doing the work to quantify and understand those impacts.”
However, MLA Teslyn Barkman, portfolio holder for Natural Resources suggested the assessment by Unity Marine was an unfair extrapolation.
“I think that certainly from the wealth of information which we had independently sourced, and in regards to the specifics of salmon farming and its appropriateness in the Falklands, it is fair to say based on that independent information you could reach a decision - and that’s what’s been done.”
MLA Barkman said it wasn’t fair to extrapolate it was a dangerous precedent “because we have a resource-based economy and we do invest in science but make sure we can protect the sustainability [of the fishery].”
The Unity Marine statement also declared “The definition of sustainable development is not that activity must have no impact on the environment.”
It continued: “Sustainable development is that which meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
The statement noted: “The Falklands has an oft-stated need and desire to diversify the economy, and claims to be open to inward investment,” and noted that the “potential for aquaculture to play a role in this diversification was identified in several Islands Plans.”
It stated then: “Any business, particularly a local Joint Venture, should be able to expect a transparent and objective process, to be subject to fair consideration, and to expect decision making to be based on science and independent, factual information.”
The Unity Marine concludes this point: “Disappointingly, no discernible process has been followed in this instance.”
In response to this concern about processes, fair consideration, and accountability, MLA Barkman said, “the stance of the Assembly on this particular issue steered and certainly changed the recommendations of this particular paper, based on what you could, I suppose, define as their political authority to do so - and that is currently how it works.”
MLA Barkman noted: “It’s consistent, but it probably does point to the fact, and this is my perspective and not necessarily shared with my colleagues, that there could be better frameworks to define what requirements there should be” [to change or go against recommendations in a paper].
Adding to this point, MLA Barkman said she agreed with the decision regarding salmon farming, but in general “the accountability of government should be worked on.”
The Unity Marine response also states that the following of the investigative process into salmon farming would have presented “an opportunity here for the Falklands to gain a detailed understanding of the near-shore environment, which would not only inform decision making on aquaculture, but any future proposed development in the marine environment” and would, “in no way have compromised FIG’s ability to decide against large-scale aquaculture once completed.”
In the ExCo paper regarding aquaculture there were references to entry into a “letter of intent” with F-Land which “indicated that FIG was positively disposed to the establishment of an aquaculture industry,” but that conditions would be appraised and benefits and risks considered.
Penguin News asked MLA Barkman if this document was legally binding and that this was why the studies to date had been undertaken.
“For commercial reasons we can’t release any of the content behind that letter,” MLA Barkman said, “the political intent wasn’t to demonstrate we were positively disposed, it was to demonstrate... that we didn’t know enough about it, and until we do inform a position on large-scale aquaculture,” MLAs wouldn’t “shut down the possibility.”
The Unity Marine response concluded: “Ultimately, this decision may well be the right one for the Falklands, however the manner in which the decision has been taken, and the lack of any due process and balanced consultation should be a matter of grave concern to all.”
*Unity Marine is the joint venture between Danish aquaculture company F-Land and Falklands fishing company Fortuna
Nicholas Roberts