Aquaculture: Salmon Farmer Linda Sams May Be Stepping Aside, But She’s Not Stepping Away

Salmon farming sector pays tribute to Linda Sams, an aquaculture icon, whose four-decade career shaped the future of sustainable fish farming across communities, countries, and cultures.

By Fabian Dawson and Samantha McLeod

She arrived on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast in a bright yellow Pinto, armed with a pair of rubber boots, a knack for using power tools, and a diver’s certification—not exactly the standard resume for a future leader in sustainable aquaculture.

But Linda Sams was never one to follow the usual path.

At the recent annual general meeting of the BC Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA), Sams’ unconventional journey came full circle as the gathering paid tribute to one of aquaculture’s most enduring pioneers.

The scientist, trailblazer, advocate and mentor announced her retirement as Sustainable Development Director at Cermaq Canada, capping off an extraordinary four-decade journey that helped shape modern aquaculture in Canada and beyond.

But in characteristic fashion, her farewell came with a caveat.

“Even though I’m leaving a full-time position, I’ll still be here to support the industry in any way anybody wants me to, and any way I can,” she said, smiling through emotion. “I’m leaving still loving my job and loving the industry. It’s been a joy to show up every day.”

Born and raised on a dairy farm, Sams’ path to aquaculture was never linear. “I already owned rubber boots,” she joked in a podcast interview, recalling how she packed up her yellow Pinto and drove to the Sunshine Coast for her first job in fish farming.

It wasn’t her degrees or marine biology training that got her hired, she mused—it was knowing how to use power tools and her ability to dive. But those were just the means. What truly drove her came from a deeper place: “I’ve always had a passion for growing food, for working with communities. That started in farming, and it never left me.”

Her passion was ignited further by the legendary Jacques Cousteau, who advocated for farming the oceans to combat overfishing and feed future generations. Sams’ response wasn’t just curiosity; it was a lifetime of commitment.

Sams’ contributions span nearly every part of the aquaculture sector. From her early days at Marine Harvest (now Mowi), where she helped broker the first-ever formal protocol agreement between a salmon farming company and a First Nation, to leading sustainability and fish health initiatives at Australia’s Tassal Group, and finally, to steering Cermaq Canada’s environmental vision for the past seven years.

Her fingerprints are on everything from benthic monitoring protocols to certification programs to community engagement frameworks that elevated Indigenous partnerships, said BCSFA chair Jennifer Woodland.

“Everything good about this industry, you have led,” said Woodland as she led the sector’s collective heartfelt goodbye.

Brian Kingzett, executive director of the BCSFA recalled his days with Sams as students in the first aquaculture course at the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre.

“It was so chaotic, the students had to take it over themselves…That alone qualified us for a career in this sector,” he said.

From Ottawa, Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance’s Tim Kennedy praised Sams’ deep influence on national policy and sustainability standards. “You’ve taught us all so much. We will deeply miss you, but your voice will still guide us.”

“Linda helped us build the first agreement with a salmon farming company. That foundation allowed our community to stabilize and prosper. I know we’ll see her again, probably sooner than she thinks,” said Isaiah Robinson of the Kitasoo Xai’xais First Nation.

Dallas Smith of the  Coalition of First Nations for Finfish Stewardship echoed:  “You’re going to be shitty at retiring.”

“I look forward to having you advising me at my side as I take every step forward, making sure that all the commitments that we’ve all made to the people on the coast of British Columbia remain true,” he said.

David Kiemele, Managing Director of Cermaq Canada, and Diane Morrison, Managing Director of Mowi Canada West, spoke on behalf of everyone at the AGM as they reflected on the departure of a trusted colleague and friend, offering not just a farewell but a warm reminder that their paths will surely cross again.

There’s no doubt Sams’ departure marks the end of an era but not the end of her impact. Her message to the crowd made it clear: she may be stepping aside, but she’s not stepping away.

As aquaculture faces turbulent times, especially with Ottawa’s 2029 proposed ban on open-net pen salmon farming in B.C., the industry will need leaders like Sams—wise, collaborative, and unshakably grounded.

“Linda’s always looked to the bigger health of the industry across groups, across First Nations, across companies,” said Kingzett. “That’s rare. That’s what made her irreplaceable.”

Sams’ career, by her own account, was never just about fish. It was about people. And for those who follow in her footsteps, especially the many young women she’s mentored.

As Mia Parker of Mowi Canada West said, “We know where you live. This is just a gap year.”

And maybe that’s exactly how Linda Sams, the matriarch of Canadian aquaculture, planned it.

(Main Image shows Linda Sams, Sustainable Development Director at Cermaq Canada)