Canada says new guidelines will be a tool to promote sustainable aquaculture domestically and abroad, even as it scales back salmon farming in British Columbia.
By Fabian Dawson
SeaWestNews
Canada’s support for the new aquaculture sustainability guidelines by the United Nations is ringing hollow in British Columbia, where Ottawa is drastically scaling back salmon farming to appease anti-fish farming activists in exchange for their votes.
In response to a query from SeaWestNews, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) said Canada participated in the development and review of the Guidelines for Sustainable Aquaculture by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
“Canada welcomes and supports the adoption of the FAO Guidelines as a tool for promoting responsible aquaculture practices domestically and abroad,” DFO said.
The Guidelines for Sustainable Aquaculture (GSA) were created in response to the rapid expansion of aquaculture, the fastest-growing food production sector in the world, amid a consistently increasing global demand for aquatic foods, said the FAO.
“The GSA envisions an aquaculture sector that contributes significantly to a world free from hunger and to equitable improvement of the living standards of all actors in its value chain, including the poorest,” it said.
It has clear objectives, aiming to promote economic, social, and environmental sustainability, as well as animal health and welfare.
The UN agency is recommending the integration of aquaculture into public policies for food systems and economic development while urging member nations to grow their aquaculture output by at least 35 percent by 2030.
The adoption of the guidelines announced earlier this week come as Canada’s seafood farmers are calling for urgent action from the federal and provincial governments to revitalize the aquaculture sector and capitalize on its economic potential that sustains over 20,000 jobs across the country.
While farm-raised salmon remains the most popular seafood choice of Canadians, it is increasingly being replaced by salmon flown in from other countries at higher prices and a larger carbon footprint. Farm-raised salmon production in Canada fell from a peak of 148,000 metric tonnes (mt) in 2016 to 90,000 mt in 2023.
Last month, the Liberal government, bowing to demands of anti-fish farming activists, announced a ban open-net salmon farming in British Columbia after 2029 – a move which will have far-reaching negative consequences for Canada’s economy, coastal communities, and First Nations.
The government’s own fisheries experts have concluded that these marine operations pose minimal risk to wild stocks, yet their science-based assessments have been ignored in favour of unfounded fears and misinformation propagated by the activists.
Federal Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier has promised a transition to plan for the sector by the end of this month, which will involve moving the open-net farms to close-containment facilities in water and on-land.
BC salmon farmers generate over $1.142 billion of direct economic activity annually supporting over 6,000 jobs mainly in the provinces coastal indigenous and non-indigenous communities.
The Coalition of First Nations for Finfish Stewardship, which is fighting to retain its traditional rights to grow fish, said salmon farming in BC directly and indirectly employs over 700 Indigenous people and provides $120 million in total annual economic benefits to First Nations, with $42 million going directly to Indigenous communities. Today, 100 per cent of BC’s farmed salmon is raised in agreement with Rights Holder First Nations.
Brian Kingzett, executive director of the BC Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA), said Canada’s endorsement of the new global aquaculture guidelines rings hollow when juxtaposed against its recent actions in BC, where 40 percent of the in-ocean salmon farming sector has already been closed.
“Rather than make a sweeping political decision to legislate a technology, we should be in a discussion about how we protect wild fisheries and take pressure off them through aquaculture as FAO states,” said Kingzett.
“We have the opportunity to be world leaders in sustainable aquaculture while taking much-needed pressure off wild stocks, not just here but abroad and we need to ask ourselves what Canada’s responsibility is to feed a growing world population with our natural resources,” he said.
“The activist voices that do not want aquaculture to exist in Canada, just force pressures onto other jurisdictions where production costs and sustainability standards are much less, thus causing greater environmental impacts elsewhere. It is incredibly selfish.”
Timothy Kennedy, President & CEO of the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA) said the new guidelines are a reminder to Canada that there is massive potential in this country for aquaculture development and that the world needs our seafood farmers.
“Frankly, Canada is being irresponsible by not developing our aquaculture capacity more intentionally and quickly. We have the science, we have the rule of law, we have brilliant, highly educated people and Indigenous communities who want and need economic opportunities that can help heal their communities.,” said Kennedy.
“In Canada at present we seem to punish success. Our federal government listens to extremist activists who yell “We mustn’t do this,” instead of following a better philosophy that “We can do this” and do it well.
“In following the former, we betray our calling to responsibly develop our resources and aquaculture potential for the benefit of Canada and the world,” he said.
The Coalition of First Nations for Finfish Stewardship has also strongly criticized the proposed open-net salmon farming ban in BC stating that it represents a return to paternalistic policies where Ottawa dictates how Indigenous peoples should manage resources in their traditional territories.
It has delivered a plan titled, “Indigenous-led Finfish Aquaculture Transition Framework” to the government stressing the need to drive the social and ecological well-being for their territories and communities and enhance food security and affordability for all Canadians.
(Facebook image shows Federal Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier (extreme left) with her political colleagues and DFO staff at the announcement to ban open-net salmon farming in BC after 2029).