Aquaculture Seen as Pathway to Restoring Ocean Abundance for Indigenous Communities

Indigenous leaders unite to blend ancestral knowledge with modern science, positioning aquaculture as a solution for food security, sovereignty, and sustainable coastal economies.

By Fabian Dawson
SeaWestNews

Aquaculture holds the key to returning the oceans to a time of abundance for Indigenous communities in the U.S. and Canada, say organisers of the second annual Pacific Northwest Indigenous Aquaculture Summit.

“We’re developing stronger relationships and working together to bring back the days when the sea provided an abundance of food for tribes in the U.S. and First Nations in Canada,” said Maria Smithson, spokesperson for the summit, in an interview with SeaWestNews.

“If we walk away from anything at this conference, it’s that Indigenous communities have come together to really recognize each other’s needs and plans,” she said.

“We are all asking the same question: How do we restore the abundance of food we once relied upon from the sea? Through aquaculture, we believe we can answer that question. By working together across borders and blending ancestral wisdom with modern science, we can ensure the oceans will once again sustain future generations.”

The summit, hosted by the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and organised by the Kurt Grinnell Aquaculture Scholarship Foundation (KGASF), opened today at the 7 Cedars Resort in Sequim, Washington.

This year’s event brings together representatives from 18 Pacific Northwest tribes, along with First Nations from British Columbia and a delegation from the Northeastern U.S. More than 115 participants, including students, researchers, and natural resource professionals, are attending.

The gathering celebrates Indigenous aquaculture traditions while exploring how modern innovations can align with ancestral knowledge to restore sustainable food sources, create Indigenous economic opportunities, and advance ocean stewardship.

The summit comes amid heightened tensions over aquaculture policy in Washington State and British Columbia.

Last January, the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR), led by its former commissioner Hilary Franz, announced a statewide ban on ocean finfish farming.

The Northwest Aquaculture Alliance (NWAA), along with the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, is challenging the ban in court, arguing that the DNR overstepped its authority.

The politically driven decision defies a landmark 9-0 ruling by the Washington State Supreme Court, which unequivocally debunked activist claims that marine aquaculture spreads disease and sea lice harmful to wild salmon, the NWAA said.

The Washington lawsuit parallels similar legal challenges in British Columbia by salmon farmers and their First Nations partners, who are urging Ottawa to reverse its activist-driven plan to phase out open-net pen salmon farming by 2029.

The Trudeau-era policies, implemented despite extensive peer-reviewed science that have shown BC’s salmon farms pose less than a minimal risk to wild stocks, have already gutted B.C.’s salmon farming sector by nearly 45 percent.

This has resulted in the loss of thousands of jobs, the closure of farms, divestment from coastal communities, and devastating economic effects on Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations alike.

“We believe the same activist groups and misinformation campaigns that targeted Washington’s industry are now being used in British Columbia,” Smithson said.

“But there’s growing recognition that peer-reviewed science and traditional knowledge clearly show sustainable salmon farming can be done safely. Aquaculture provides a sustainable way to meet that demand while respecting Indigenous sovereignty. It’s time for science to win the day, not activists.”

The conference also continues the legacy of Kurt Grinnell, a respected Washington Tribal leader and aquaculture pioneer who championed food sovereignty and sustainable practices before his passing in 2021.

Guided by his belief in planning “Seven Generations Ahead,” the KGASF has provided nearly 20 scholarships totaling more than $100,000 to support future Indigenous leaders in aquaculture.

Jaiden Grinnell Bosick, president of the KGASF and Kurt’s daughter, said the foundation’s mission is rooted in her father’s dream of creating lasting opportunities for Tribal communities.

“Our waters and our foods tie us to who we are,” Bosick said. “By sharing knowledge across Tribal Nations, we strengthen those connections and create opportunities for our children and grandchildren to thrive, earn a living, and provide for our communities.”

File image shows members of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe performing a traditional ceremony on their ancestral lands – Courtesy of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe