Closed containment salmon technology offers a truly win-win solution in BC. Closed containment systems provide a safe, impermeable barrier (usually made of concrete, fiberglass or polypropelene) between farming tanks and the natural ecosystem. These systems eliminate pollution, escapes of Atlantic salmon, parasites and disease into local waters, and the need to kill seals and other marine mammal ‘pests’ that can interfere with nets and farmed fish. Experience elsewhere (eg. in Norway, Scotland, and Chile) shows that closed containers significantly reduce water column pollution, feed waste and the need for antibiotics and chemical treatment of farmed fish

The effectiveness of this technology is well-established internationally: closed tanks are already used around the world to grow commercial-scale saltwater salmon, arctic char, trout, tilapia, and other seafood. In that respect, Canada has fallen behind. At the same time, these technologies can be easily located close to populations centres and on the power grid, so that local economies can continue to be involved in the salmon aquaculture industry.

There is growing industry interest in this technology in BC already, with several commercial scale trials already in the implementation stage.

Despite the apparent complexity of the issue, the BC public is solidly on-board: a March 2007 public opinion survey by Strategic Communications shows that 80.7% of British Columbians support a transition to closed containment technology for salmon farms.