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Governor seeks delay in British Columbia black cod farms
A letter from Gov. Frank Murkowski calls on British Columbia to delay black cod fish farms until the Canadian government assesses their economic and environmental effects.
Murkowski wrote Monday to British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell.
Considered one of the most lucrative fish by weight in Alaska, black cod, or sablefish, are being prepared for ocean net pens off the British Columbia coastline.
The Canadian government has not published studies on the impact of black cod farming. However, the province recently issued 47 licenses allowing fish farmers to add black cod to existing saltwater net pens, until now used only to raise Atlantic salmon.
Alaska and Canada commercial fishermen worry that successful commercial fisheries will be decimated by the introduction of farmed black cod. They are demanding evidence that farm fish will not escape or create pollution.
Murkowski wrote that native stocks may be harmed by disease and predation from farmed black cod. Black cod migrate between British Columbia and Alaska waters.
"It's an important fish, especially in Southeast," Mike Chambers, a Murkowski spokesman, told the Juneau Empire.
Longline fisherman said they are glad the governor has raised concerns.
"I think the state has some weight and needs to use it," said Dan Falvey, a Sitka black cod fisherman.
"We're concerned about sablefish because there's a limited supply. Most of the world's supply of sablefish is off Alaska, and there's some off Canada and a little off Russia. The price is vulnerable, and we're also worried about the quality of farm-raised sablefish," Falvey said.
Murkowski mentioned his partnership with Campbell on energy and transportation issues, including the natural gas pipeline and potential railway extension to Canada.
"Given the high stakes involved for both the state of Alaska and British Columbia, I would ask that you pursue a careful science-based look at the potential impacts before allowing sablefish farming," Murkowski said.
The governor has met twice with Campbell, Chambers said. They traveled by rail together in May 2003 and met at the Pacific Northwest Economic Region summit in Victoria, British Columbia, in July.
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski and her election opponent, former Democratic Gov. Tony Knowles, asked Canadians to delay their black cod farming plans until they publish more research.
"They aren't showing any signs so far of doing that," said Linda Behnken, Sitka-based director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen's Association.
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