The First Nation Wild Salmon Alliance recently held a Press Conference to attack salmon-farming Indigenous communities in British Columbia. Instead, the media event spotlighted the glaring hypocrisy at the core of their message.
Commentary
By Fabian Dawson
SeaWestNews
Last week, a group of Indigenous leaders held a Press Conference to attack salmon-farming First Nations in British Columbia, lacing their emotional rhetoric with the oft-repeated falsehoods of anti-fish farming activists.
The event, organized by the First Nation Wild Salmon Alliance (FNWSA), was staged to criticize the efforts of the Coalition of First Nations for Finfish Stewardship (FNFFS), which is fighting to retain its traditional rights to farm the oceans and determine its economic future.
Ironically, the media event, intended to rally support for the Alliance’s anti-salmon farming stance, instead spotlighted the glaring hypocrisy at the core of their message.
At the heart of the Alliance’s message lies a conspicuous contradiction: the FNWSA’s stated commitment to Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination seems to vanish when other First Nations choose to support salmon farming.
At the same time, many members of the FNWSA are involved in industrial mega-projects that pass through their traditional territories and threaten salmon habitats. These include the Coastal GasLink Pipeline, the TMX pipeline, the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline, the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 project, and several LNG, mining, and logging operations.
Another recurring theme raised by members of the Alliance is that they feel hurt and disrespected when leaders of fish-farming First Nations describe them as activists. However, they seem to have no qualms about calling their brothers and sisters in the salmon farming sector “sellouts.”
Dallas Smith, the spokesperson for the FNFFS, has consistently maintained that Coalition members are 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.
That same trust and respect are not forthcoming from the First Nation Wild Salmon Alliance, leading many to question whether FNWSA’s alignment with well-funded anti-fish farm activists comes at the expense of Indigenous unity and self-determination.
It is not difficult to see how the Alliance’s leaders and the activists reinforce each other’s narratives, spreading myths about salmon farming in B.C. to advance their shared agenda and solicit donations.
This was on display again at the recent Press Conference, when an Alliance member made unsubstantiated claims about salmon runs rebounding all over the province due to the removal of some salmon farms.
As expected, he prefaced his remarks with a disclaimer that he is not a scientist – an apparent attempt to create skepticism about salmon farming science, diminish trust in government institutions, and manipulate public sentiment.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has stated that it has no data to show that the removal of ocean-based salmon farms will lead to a rebound of wild salmon populations. Years of continuous data collection near salmon farms, made public by the B.C. Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA), also show no impact on wild salmon populations.
Peer-reviewed studies by global and federal fisheries experts consistently show that modern, well-regulated salmon farming has only minimal impacts on wild fish populations while providing a sustainable source of protein.
It is worth noting that leaders of salmon-farming First Nations represent communities that have relied on the ocean for sustenance and livelihood for generations. For them, salmon farming is not merely a business; it is an extension of their traditional stewardship of the seas, adapted to contemporary challenges.
In contrast, FNWSA’s alliances with anti-salmon farming activists, many of whom have no stake in Indigenous welfare or local ecosystems, are disconnected from the lived realities of coastal communities.
The FNWSA’s reliance on discredited anti-fish farming rhetoric damages its credibility, making it harder to have constructive conversations about the future of salmon – both farmed and wild – in British Columbia.
If the FNWSA truly believes in Indigenous self-determination, it must respect the diversity of perspectives within Indigenous communities and refrain from undermining the rights of those who choose to engage in sustainable aquaculture.
Until then, their rhetoric will continue to ring hollow, showcase their hypocrisy, and serve only to perpetuate division rather than foster solutions.
(Image shows a screenshot from a video of the recent Press Conference by the First Nation Wild Salmon Alliance)