Aquaculture: Podcast exposes hypocrisy of Indian chiefs’ union
Coastal First Nations reliant on salmon farming are accusing the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) of acting like colonial overlords.
By Fabian Dawson and
Samantha McLeod
Coastal First Nations reliant on salmon farming are accusing the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) of acting like colonial overlords by stigmatizing their chosen path to economic growth.
These First Nations argue that UBCIC’s opposition to marine salmon aquaculture is hypocritical because it attempts to dictate which industries are acceptable for Indigenous people to pursue, while claiming to champion Indigenous self-determination.
The UBCIC’s stance, influenced by powerful environmental organizations, paints all ocean-based salmon farming as harmful to wild salmon populations, ignoring science and traditional knowledge that prove otherwise.
Adding to the First Nations’ frustration is the selective nature of the UBCIC’s activism. While the organization is vocal about the perceived dangers of salmon farming, it has remained relatively silent on the risks posed by industrial mega-projects – such as oil and gas pipelines – that pass through traditional territories and threaten salmon habitats.
This has led aquaculture dependent coastal First Nations to question UBCIC’s motivations, on whether its alliances with well-funded anti-fish farm activists come at the expense of Indigenous unity and self-determination.
“The UBCIC is now playing a colonial role in trying to tell us what’s right and wrong in our territories,” said Dallas Smith in his latest Rez Dog Walkers podcast.
Smith pointed out that many of the Indigenous leaders who purportedly support the UBCIC stance on aquaculture are themselves involved in mega-projects that pose numerous dangers to wild salmon populations.
These include the Coastal GasLink Pipeline, the TMX pipeline, the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline, the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 project, and several LNG projects.
Smith, who also acts as a spokesman for the Coalition of First Nations for Finfish Stewardship, (FNFFS) said reconciliation and Indigenous self-determination must abide by one set of rules and one set of principles.
The coalition, Smith said, is not opposed to any of the mega-projects, as First Nations involved with them can be trusted to protect their traditional lands and waters on their journey toward economic reconciliation.
“We are asking for the same trust,” he said.
Isaiah Robinson, Deputy Chief Councillor of the Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation, which has been farming salmon since the 1980s, took aim at a resolution passed at the recent UBCIC Annual General Assembly.
This resolution called for independent First Nations monitoring and oversight in the process of transitioning away from open-net pen fish farms.
It comes as the Federal Liberal government, disregarding its own scientific experts and yielding to activist pressures, is currently advancing a transition plan for ocean-based salmon farms in B.C.
“It’s just bizarre that this is how the UBCIC would like to operate in general, and they well know that this isn’t the right way to handle this issue,” said Robinson.
“We’re not going around telling everyone else what to do in their own territory,” he added, noting that the attacks against salmon-farming First Nations “are starting to get personal.”
In an earlier social media post, Robinson said: “It’s remarkable that those who have never run fish farms in their territories and have repeatedly declined our invitations to visit the Kitasoo Xai’xais fish farms now feel entitled to dictate the transition process.”
Robinson said that while activists criticize salmon farming in First Nations territories, they often overlook the significant conservation efforts led by these same Indigenous communities.
For example, the Kitasoo Xai’xais First Nation has been honoured with the prestigious Blue Park Award – a first for Canada and a global recognition for outstanding marine biodiversity conservation.
This award underscores the community’s commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable management of their ancestral lands and waters, Robinson said.
Another guest on the Rez Dog Walkers podcast, which offers an inside perspective on Indigenous issues and opportunities, was Timothy Kennedy, President and CEO of the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA).
He described the Liberal government’s proposed ban on open-net salmon farming in B.C. as bad politics and worse policy, which flies in the face of economic reconciliation with First Nations.
CAIA’s inaugural Sustainability Report, released last week, showed that the Canadian salmon farming industry, backed by its transparency commitments and performance milestones, positions the sector as a global leader in sustainable aquaculture practices.
Kennedy stated that the Trudeau administration’s unilateral decision to ban marine salmon farming in B.C. was primarily a political move aimed at securing support from anti-fish farm activists, at the expense of rural Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.
He explained that the sector’s still-undefined transition process has undermined confidence in Canada as a reliable destination for investment.
This uncertainty has led global aquaculture companies like MOWI, Grieg Seafood, and Cermaq to reevaluate their plans, suspend projects, and redirect investments to regions with more stable conditions for aquaculture.
Kennedy noted that activists have deliberately spread misinformation about the industry to create skepticism about salmon farming science, diminish trust in government institutions, and manipulate public sentiment.
“It’s come to a point where our politicians at the moment don’t even believe in their own government science… They’re not willing to fix these supposed problems… Their fix is actually to just shut down the industry in B.C.,” he said.
The salmon farming sector plays a critical role in B.C.’s coastal communities, ecosystems, and economies. It supports over 5,000 direct and indirect jobs, collaborates with more than 1,000 suppliers, and contributes approximately $2 billion annually to the economy.
Since 2020, the Trudeau government, influenced by activist campaigns lacking scientific rigor, has already shut down 40% of salmon farms in B.C. This has led to significant job losses, particularly affecting rural, coastal, and Indigenous communities.
Kennedy emphasized the industry’s progress in building strong partnerships with First Nations, have fostered meaningful economic opportunities while supporting environmental sustainability.
Currently, 100 percent of B.C.’s farmed salmon is produced in agreement with Rights Holder First Nations.
File image shows Dallas Smith, the spokesman for the FNFFS, at a press conference. Photo: FNFFS