thanks.... yes there is a concern of wilds and hatchery fish mixing genes and maybe not making the 'wild' fish as pure. that's a definite concern.(for some people).......... your asking to pick the lesser of two evils. and for me it will always be hatchery supported stocks over farms.
salmon; wild or hatchery, always benefit the environment in their death. farms won't be contributing in a positive way ever. even economically, I think sportfishing employs and contributes more than farms to our economy.... especially with distributing the wealth around and not for a few select stake holders like farms.
I guess I can agree with you on most of what you say Banx. But you must also agree that, as big as the sport fishing industry is, we sport fishers kill a lot of wild and hatchery salmon for profit that would have put nutrients in the rivers and streams, fed the bears, eagles and trees, where I can not find proof of salmon farmers killing them. Just myths, fables, hearsay and lies.
Btw, I know a few people in the sport fishing industry and they have second winter jobs because the industry is seasonal and does not sustain a year around income. Some head south and spend their hard earned money out of Canada and in a warmer climate. Seems to me that salmon farming is year around work in Canada and most of all in coastal communities that need and do benefit from it.
Now I have to ask you Banx, just why have we been pointing our fingers at salmon farmers when we have no direct Industrial competition with them? Also the same feed companies supply both hatcheries and farms giving them year around employment. Also I do not hear complaints from sport fishers about what is in the hatchery feed or the chemicals used to keep the smolts healthy that are released into the wild that we catch and eat. It looks like we have been misled with a double standard.