Rather fishy criticism

I would love to know how the Gansbaai salmon farming project can be denounced as an ecological disaster (Cape Times, April 6) when the first fish have only recently been stocked in the cages.

I would appreciate a contact number for the scientists involved, Michael Scholl and Nicholas Pade, to find out on what research they based the report and if, in fact, they have discovered something of importance that was either overlooked or unknown at the time the environmental impact study (EIS) was done.

Having followed the project from its inception some years ago, I believe an exhaustive EIS was done which was found acceptable to the various authorities involved in marine conservation.

In the article, "Experienced lass from Norway becomes SA's first salmon farmer", published in the Farmer's Weekly (April 8), it states: "Some concern has been voiced that the salmon cages may have a negative impact on water quality, affecting the local abalone farms and other fishing interests.

However, all fallout from the salmon cages is expected to be washed out seaward with the strong current that flows along the Gansbaai coast.

"The salmon farm is not expected to enrich the environment more than any other fish shoal of this size in the area would do. The fallout nutrient will quickly become part of the ecosystem."

The cages are anchored some 2km from the shore in water of 30 metres deep and, I am told, strong currents run northwards and then eastwards out to sea along that coastline.

I believe the comment that Europeans are being discouraged from buying farmed salmon because of associated environmental problems is out of context when referring to South Africa.

Our coastline is recognised as a high-energy one and is the reason sea cage farming has not been attempted before this. However, with the international development of high-energy sea cages, this could change.

And, if it did, potentially pollutive fallout from these farming or ranching operations would be dissipated to the sea by the strong currents we have along our coastline.

What is remarkable is that this is the first time sea cage farming is being done off the coast of southern Africa and Africa. There is already talk of salmon farming elsewhere off the South African coast as well as tuna ranching in Namibia.

Given the health benefits of salmon (farmed or wild-harvested), this can only be to the general good of South African consumers.