MARICULTURE AND OCEAN RANCHING 147 



governments was held earlier this year to explore these 

 possibilities. 



The Department of Regional Economic Expansion 

 recently struck a Marine Resource Industr> Develop- 

 ment Steering Committee with representatives from six 

 other federal departments including the Departments of 

 Indian and Northern Affairs and Fisheries and Oceans. 

 A discussion paper produced by the committee considers 

 the opportunities for developing mariculture and is par- 

 ticularly concerned with the regulator} framework for 

 this industry. 



The government of British Columbia, through the 

 Marine Resources Branch of the Ministi^' of Environ- 

 ment, has been administering oyster culture for many 

 years, as explained in the preceding chapter. It also con- 

 ducts research on the maricultural possibilities for 

 shrimps, prawns, scallops and other shellfish. The branch 

 is currently asses.sing areas suitable for mariculture with a 

 view toward protecting them from incompatible activi- 

 ties. 



The provincial Ministry of Industry and Small Busi- 

 ness Development, under an agreement with the federal 

 Department of Regional Economic Expansion, is 

 involved in promoting mariculture as part of a program 

 to encourage small processing and manufacturing busi- 

 nesses. Last year this program supported a series of work- 

 shops on mariculture with participation from govern- 

 ments, universities, and the mariculture industr\\ TTie 

 province provided more tangible support for mariculture 

 ventures last year by making them eligible for loan 

 guarantees up to $300 thou.sand under its Agricultural 

 Credit Act. 



Growing private interest in mariculture recently 

 resulted in the formation of the Mariculture Association 

 of British Columbia to promote members" interests and 

 provide a channel of communication to governmental 

 authorities. The earlier established British Columbia 

 Oyster Growers' Association is an associate member of 

 this new association. 



Policy Directions 



Present regulatory provisions for mariculture involve 

 both the federal and provincial governments through a 

 variety of departments and ministries concerned with 

 industrial development, land-use planning, water 

 resources. Indians, regional programs, environmental 

 protection, as well as fisheries resources. The present reg- 

 ulatory arrangements are now complicated and overlap- 

 ping, and both governments have recognized that their 

 uncoordinated programs and policies are an obstacle to 

 mariculture development. In Chapter 18, I recommend 

 that their respective roles in mariculture be reconciled 

 under a general federal-provincial agreement on Pacific 



fisheries. Under the agreement the province's formal 

 responsibilities for administering mariculture licences 

 could be expanded beyond its current oyster leasing pro- 

 gram. 



However, the federal government will undoubtedly 

 continue to take responsibility for many species amena- 

 ble to mariculture. particularly those that do not depend 

 heavily on provincially owned land and other resources. 

 Accordingly, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans 

 will have a continuing role to play in realizing opportuni- 

 ties in mariculture. Thus. I recommend that — 



1. Tlie Department should promote the development of 

 mariculture on the Pacific coast by pro>iding teclinical 

 support and a system of mariculture leases. 



The features of the required leases are dealt with later 

 in this chapter. 



OCEAN RANCHING 



Ocean ranching involves releasing young salmon to the 

 sea and harvesting them on their return as adults. This 

 dependence on the open sea distinguishes ocean ranching 

 from mariculture or pen rearing, where salmon are 

 confined until marketed. WTiile interest in salmon ranch- 

 ing has grown in recent years on the Pacific coast, consid- 

 erable controversy surrounds experiments with these 

 techniques elsewhere and the opportunities available 

 here. 



Experience Elsewhere 



Experience in ocean ranching in Canada is limited. 

 The Salmonid Enhancement Program, described in 

 Chapter 5. produces large numbers of young fish. Most of 

 the harvest is taken in the traditional commercial, sport 

 and Indian fisheries, but in a few cases some is taken at 

 the enhancement facility itself So far in Canada there are 

 no private, cormnercial ventures of the kind I am con- 

 cerned with here. 



Japan has long experience in ocean ranching, and has a 

 burgeoning industry based mainly on artificial propaga- 

 tion of chum salmon by local organizations of fishermen, 

 who also harvest the returning fish. In the United States 

 ocean ranching developed as an outgrowth of pen-rearing 

 ventures. Most experience has been in Oregon, where 

 ranching has been authorized since the early 1970s. 

 Twelve ocean ranches are now operating. These are 

 mostly very large, releasing millions offish and relying on 

 a small fraction returning to provide enough revenue for 

 profitable operations. The ocean ranching operations do 

 not have exclusive rights to harvest the stocks they pro- 

 duce, which are subject to exploitation in both the com- 

 mercial and sport fisheries. Some of the experience with 

 ocean ranching in Oregon has been discouraging: opera- 



