Salmon farmers send a strong message to Liberal caucus
The Liberal caucus retreat in Nanaimo this week unfolds against a much-maligned decision to ban open-net salmon aquaculture in British Columbia, which will kill thousands of jobs.
By Fabian Dawson
SeaWestNews
As the Liberal Party gathers for a high-stakes caucus retreat on Vancouver Island this week, British Columbia’s fish farmers are urging the federal government to reconsider its looming ban on open-net salmon aquaculture in the province.
The ban, set for 2029, has been condemned by fish farmers, Indigenous leaders, and agricultural stakeholders alike, who warn that the decision threatens to devastate coastal economies, erase thousands of jobs, and undermine reconciliation vows with First Nations.
The June announcement of the ban—largely seen as a political move to placate anti-fish farming activists in exchange for their votes —was made despite scientific evidence from the government’s own experts that the ocean-based salmon farms pose no more than minimal risk to wild Pacific stocks.
Federal Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier has promised a transition plan for the sector, which will involve moving the open-net farms to close-containment facilities in water and on-land.
But industry leaders and aquaculture experts argue that the transition timeline is impractical, economically ruinous, and ignores the realities of close-containment technologies.
“The expectation to produce 70,000 tonnes of BC salmon in land-based or marine closed-containment systems by 2029 is unrealistic and irresponsible,” said Brian Kingzett, Executive Director of the BC Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA).
Criticism of the government’s decision has swelled to include Indigenous groups like the Coalition of First Nations for Finfish Stewardship, who view the policy as a return to the paternalism of Ottawa dictating resource management in their territories.
Other groups that have called for a rethink of the plan include the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA), the BC Agriculture Council (BCAC), The United Steelworkers Union, The Washington-based Northwest Aquaculture Alliance (NWAA), the Canadian Aquaculture Suppliers Association and fisheries experts from around the world.
The decision also flies in the face of calls by the United Nations, which is urging member nations to grow their aquaculture output by at least 35 percent by 2030.
Kingzett said the timeline for transition to closed containment has been made in the absence of any scientific assessment of the environmental impacts of this category of technology.A
BC government-commissioned report projected that replacing BC’s current salmon farm production with recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), also known as land-based or closed containment operations, would require a direct investment of between $1.8 billion to $2.2 billion.
The reports’ authors also estimated that it will be at least 10 years before a significant land-based salmon production sector is operating at a steady rate in BC.
It mirrors an earlier government report – The State of Salmon Aquaculture Technologies study released in February 2020 which warned RAS technology requires the use of large amounts of land, water, and power, and thus has a significant environmental footprint, in particular greenhouse gas emissions.
“An ill-conceived transition plan could end salmon farming in BC, leading to an annual provincial economic loss of $1.2 billion, a $447 million reduction in GDP, and more than 4,600 additional lost jobs,” stated a letter from the BCSFA to the Liberal caucus.
“The government’s decisions have already reduced confidence in Canada as an
investment location. Global farming companies like MOWI, Grieg Seafood, and Cermaq are re-evaluating investment strategies, halting investment projects due to concerns over policy instability, and reallocating capital and innovation funds to other farming jurisdictions,” the letter stated.
Kingzett said that a well-thought-out, collaborative transition plan could transform the BC salmon farming sector back into being a major contributor to Canada’s economic activity.
He said that by 2030, a responsible plan could generate $2.37 billion in annual economic activity and $880 million in GDP, creating 9,210 jobs with $520 million in wages.
“By 2040, this could grow to $3.9 billion in economic activity and $1.45 billion in GDP, with more than 15,200 jobs paying $860 million in wages.”
“A responsible plan would enhance efforts to rebuild wild salmon stocks, achieve meaningful reconciliation with First Nations, and create significant economic opportunities for rural, coastal, and Indigenous communities,” said Kingzett.
Addressing the fear-mongering campaign by anti-fish farm activists that led to the Liberal government’s decision, Kingzett said federal scientists have repeatedly found that salmon farms pose “no more than minimal risk” to wild Pacific salmon.
“Recent data shows that removing farms has not reduced sea lice levels in any area, undermining unsubstantiated claims that farms negatively impact wild salmon populations,” he said.
The Liberal party’s retreat in Nanaimo this week unfolds against a backdrop of significant political challenges for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government.
The gathering comes at a critical juncture, as Trudeau’s leadership faces mounting scrutiny over his administration’s handling of the economy, cost-of-living problems and housing affordability, have plagued his leadership of the country.
Recent polling data reveals that Trudeau’s approval ratings have plummeted, with only one in four Canadians expressing satisfaction with his performance.
(File image of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier)