Potential Impacts of GB Salmon’s Proposed Recirculatory Aquaculture System in Colpoy’s Bay (Wiarton, ON)

Abstract:

In the experiential graduate course taught by Prof Pat Chow-Fraser and Karen Kidd (Management of Aquatic Ecosystems and Resources, Biology 730), ten students set about to answer this question. "What information is required to determine the costs and benefits of this proposal?" They assembled publicly available information from GBS, published data from primary and grey literature, and consulted the opinions of aquaculture experts and residents of Wiarton (including members of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON)). They also analyzed water samples collected from nearshore areas of Colpoy's Bay during the winter 2022. This summary includes a list of questions and issues that should be addressed by GBS prior to approval of the project. Their assessment did not contain a comparison of different types of aquaculture production, nor a discussion of the best use of the land at the proposed site. Very simply, it identified potential ecological and socio-economic impacts of the RAS facility to Colpoy's Bay and residents of Wiarton.