“We need our leaders to stand up and lead with conviction that is based on science and traditional knowledge, not ideology and activism … and quit worrying about how they are going to get voted in,” – Larry Johnson, member of the Premier’s Taskforce on Agriculture and Food Economy.
By Fabian Dawson
SeaWestNews
Emphasizing that “aquaculture is agriculture”, a First Nations leader is urging the B.C. government to harness the economic and environmental prowess of the province’s seafood sector to bolster revenues and counter the looming U.S. tariff threats.
“Our provincial government must work with the federal government and trust First Nations to lead B.C.’s seafood sector,” said Larry Johnson, president of the Vancouver Island-based Nuu-chah-nulth Seafood.
Johnson, recently appointed to Premier David Eby’s new task force on agriculture and the food economy, is also calling for greater Indigenous leadership in shaping the seafood industry’s future not only in B.C. but across the country.
“We need our leaders to stand up and lead with conviction that is based on science and traditional knowledge, not ideology and activism … and quit worrying about how they are going to get voted in,” said Johnson, a veteran in the seafood farming and fisheries sectors.
“We need economic development. We need reconciliation, and the seafood sector has low-hanging fruits that the B.C. government should seize to strengthen the economy,” Johnson told SeaWestNews .
Economic opportunities tied to marine resources in our traditional territories should rightfully belong to and be led by First Nations, said Johnson.
“This aligns with the principles of reconciliation and economic self-determination as laid out by UNDRIP (United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples) and adopted by the B.C. government,” he said.
For this to happen, Johnson said there needs to be real collaboration between Ottawa, Victoria, and First Nations governments, especially in the aquaculture regulatory space, to streamline processes and improve communication.
“The current system is far too slow and cumbersome to support meaningful economic development …Right now, securing an aquaculture tenure from scratch takes anywhere from two to five years. No investor in their right mind would put money into a venture that doesn’t yield returns for that long,” he said.
“If we want a thriving and sustainable seafood industry, these roadblocks must be addressed,” said Johnson, adding that the need for a more holistic approach to seafood farming in B.C. is critical, given the tariff threats by the United States.
Johnson said he will push for stronger support for B.C. salmon farmers at the Premier’s agri-taskforce meetings, advocating for sustainable seafood farming to bolster the province’s food security.
Premier Eby announced the 15-member task force earlier this month, led by the B.C. Agriculture Council, to ensure the province’s food supply and food economy continues to grow in the face of U.S. tariff uncertainty.
“The respected industry leaders in our task force will provide the government with first-hand knowledge of how to prepare and respond to these threats, as we continue to grow our agricultural sector,” he said.
At its height, the salmon farming sector was the largest agri-food export in B.C., employing around 6,500 people, contributing approximately $2 billion to the provincial economy, and working in partnership with several First Nations.
Over the past few years, the Trudeau administration – rejecting the findings of its own fisheries scientists, which state that ocean salmon farms pose less than a minimal threat to wild stocks – has shut down approximately 40% of the sector’s production.
It is now advancing a “reckless” Transition Plan that will unleash widespread economic devastation in B.C., leaving taxpayers on the hook for an estimated $9 billion in compensation to existing salmon farmers, suppliers, and First Nations.
The activist-driven Transition Plan, which includes a ban on ocean salmon farming post-2029, will destroy 4,560 jobs and adversely impact over 1,000 Indigenous people directly and indirectly employed by the sector, according to a recent economic analysis.
Over 1,400 companies and vendors in the sector’s supply chain will sustain losses of $437 million, with some having to shut down operations, the analysis projected.
The B.C. Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA) and the Coalition of First Nations for Finfish Stewardship have urged the Trudeau government to consider their more realistic, no-cost-to-taxpayers alternative to transition – one that achieves the same outcomes as a ban without imposing devastating impacts on the sector, on First Nations’ rights, and on coastal communities in B.C.
With this alternative plan, “B.C. Salmon Farmers could generate $2.5 billion in output, $930 million in GDP, and 9,000 jobs paying $560 million in wages by 2030 and $4.2 billion in output by 2040, providing sustainable local protein while protecting wild salmon using innovative technologies and practices,” said Brian Kingzett, Executive Director of the BCSFA.
The Coalition of First Nations for Finfish Stewardship has also released a comprehensive report to emphasize that the future of salmon farming in B.C. must be determined by First Nations who want to farm fish in their traditional territories.
Meanwhile, Anna Kindy, B.C. Conservative MLA for Campbell River, has also called for the B.C. Government to advocate for the salmon farming industry, which “science says poses minimal risk to wild stocks.”
“We must not fall prey to misinformation and ideological thinking,” she told the B.C. Legislature.
“I will repeat, minimal risk to wild stock. There’s no such thing as no risk. Norway has over 1,200 open-net fish farms; B.C. has 56. It provides billions of dollars to our economy, and good-paying jobs.
“So, when a decision is made in this room, we have to think of the consequences to our constituents. We have to have balance. Of course, we must maintain high environmental standards, but we also need to support a renewable industry that provides food and jobs—if it meets those standards,” she said.
A recent economic report warned that Ottawa’s plan to ban salmon farms will put 1,251 aquaculture-related jobs at risk in Campbell River, with an estimated economic impact of $321.3 million. Additionally, around 500 local vendors serving the sector would also be affected.
(Main image shows Larry Johnson, president of the Vancouver Island-based Nuu-chah-nulth Seafood and Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier)