Aquaculture: Campbell River BBQ set to Fire Up Support for Salmon Farming

More than 1,000 expected at community BBQ, which aims to send a message to Prime Minister Mark Carney that rural jobs, Indigenous rights, and food security are at risk under Ottawa’s flawed plan to ban ocean-based salmon farms in British Columbia.

By Fabian Dawson
SeaWestNews

More scientific evidence is emerging that challenges Ottawa’s plan to shut down ocean-based salmon farming in British Columbia, and in Campbell River, an annual community BBQ is set to spotlight the issue with a mix of facts, food, and local resolve.

Set against the backdrop of rising food prices and federal aquaculture policies that ignore peer-reviewed science, indigenous rights and coastal realities, the July 24 Community Appreciation BBQ at Robert V. Ostler Park is expected to draw more than 1,000 people.

Hosted by the BC Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA), the event will raise funds for the Campbell River Food Bank while also rallying support for an industry facing an uncertain future under Ottawa’s plan to eliminate ocean-based salmon farms by 2029.

“At a time when Canadians are facing rising food prices and global seafood trade tensions, it’s more important than ever to make evidence-based decisions about how we grow our food and economy,” said BCSFA Executive Director Brian Kingzett.

Kingzett said the event is not just about community spirit, but about ensuring facts are part of the national conversation around aquaculture.

The facts now include two recently published, peer-reviewed studies that question the science behind the federal government’s transition plan. One found no measurable decline in sea lice levels after the closure of salmon farms in the Discovery Islands. Another, a 20-year analysis, concluded that BC salmon farms pose no more than minimal risk to wild salmon.

Despite these latest findings and a plethora of earlier studies, including 10 conducted by federal scientists, Prime Minister Mark Carney has yet to reconsider the plan to ban ocean-based salmon farms in B.C. by 2029 – a policy shaped by activist pressure and entrenched under the Trudeau-era Liberals.

As a result, B.C. faces the loss of 4,560 jobs, including over 1,000 held by Indigenous workers, while taxpayers could be on the hook for an estimated $9 billion in compensation to salmon farmers, suppliers, and First Nations.

According to BCSFA, with supportive legislation and policies from the Carney administration, its members could generate $2.5 billion in economic output, contribute $930 million to GDP, and create 9,000 jobs with $560 million in wages by 2030, all while advancing innovation and responsible practices to safeguard wild salmon stocks.

Thursday’s event will also feature MP Aaron Gunn (North Island–Powell River) and MLA Anna Kindy (North Island), both of whom have voiced support for B.C.’s resource sectors and raised concerns about the impact of what they call “science-disconnected” policy on rural communities.

Also expected at the BBQ, is Campbell River Mayor Kermit Dahl, who is leading a province-wide push to unite resource-dependent and Indigenous communities in a shared call for science-based policies aiming to reverse years of job losses and policy neglect.

Dahl has invited every mayor and regional-district chair in British Columbia’s resource-dependent communities to join “a collective advocacy movement aimed at amplifying the voices of resource communities across B.C. “

“Together, we can amplify our shared concerns, influence policy decisions, and drive change that will support the long-term growth and resilience of resource communities,” he said.

Dahl pointed out that federal scientists have repeatedly confirmed salmon farming in B.C. is safe and sustainable at a time when global demand for protein continues to rise.

“If we make aquaculture economically unviable, it won’t survive,” he said, noting that the industry in his region has already shrunk from $1.8 billion to less than $900 million.

“We’re losing jobs not because the science says it’s unsafe, but because some people believe it is. That’s a dangerous way to make policy.”

(Main image shows BCSFA Executive Director Brian Kingzett)