Canada’s federal and provincial governments are being challenged by seafood farmers to develop a new vision to grow the nation’s aquaculture sector

Seafood farmers call for a ‘new aquaculture era’ in Canada

Canada’s federal and provincial governments are being challenged by seafood farmers to develop a new vision to grow the nation’s aquaculture sector

By Fabian Dawson
SeaWestNews

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.

Saying “Aquaculture is Agriculture”, the seafood farmers are also calling for an overhaul of the management and regulation functions of the sector, which currently resides primarily with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO).

“It is time to move on to a new era of aquaculture production in Canada,” said Timothy Kennedy, President & CEO of the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA) in an open letter addressed to the Federal and Provincial Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries.

“It is finally time to realize that the federal DFO management function for aquaculture is broken and to chart a new path…DFO has shown it cannot both regulate and develop the sector…The current structure is contributing directly to the sector’s stagnation,” said Kennedy.

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 anti-fish farming activists in exchange for their votes, 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 plan for the sector by the end of this month, which will impact over 6,000 jobs in British Columbia.

“Based in science, we challenge you, as government regulators and leaders, to develop a vision for a growing and vital aquaculture sector for Canada,” said Kennedy, even as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) called on countries to grow their aquaculture output by 35 percent by 2030.

CAIA is recommending the following to support Canada’s potential for farm-raised seafood;

  • Restore trust in scientific processes for policy decisions

Government decisions must be made based on objective peer-reviewed science evaluation processes that provide advice to policymakers. In the situation of salmon farming in BC salmon, this has been completely broken, with political decisions being made in conflict with long-established processes. It is a fundamental responsibility of federal and provincial governments to restore confidence in their science evaluation and advice processes. Confidence in science evaluation processes is critical to food safety, market-access, environmental stewardship, and supporting innovation.

  • Recognize aquaculture as agriculture and improve support

As part of the farming and food producing community, aquaculture needs to be right-placed and supported by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. DFO has shown it cannot both regulate and develop the sector. The current structure is contributing directly to the sector’s stagnation. This recommendation was made in the 2004 report from the federal Aquaculture Commissioner but never implemented.

  • Create a Federal-Provincial Aquaculture Development Strategy

A coordinated federal-provincial strategy for aquaculture development is needed to unlock this potential and provide a clear path forward for the industry, including a national production target for sector growth, provincial growth strategies and actions that will attract investment in innovation and new technologies.

  • Support seafood education and communication

A major problem in the sector is the absence of longer-term, stable education and marketing partnership funding programs. This is needed to educate Canadians and bring together the entire seafood sector as an important part of the Canadian agri-food sector.

  • Focus on stakeholders with practical and workable constructive solutions

Rewarding extreme voices and positions is a very dangerous game. The BC salmon farming situation is a case in point: activist groups seeking a 100% reduction in risk where the science clearly does not require such an approach have now secured their extreme policy with a “ban on open net pens by 2029”. And this was after 40 per cent of farms had been already shut down in two areas of BC between 2020-2023. BC salmon farmers and First Nations hosts spent thousands of hours developing carefully considered Transition proposals to support the federal government’s overall objectives, only to have these rejected in favour of extremism. Siding with such an extreme approach does not respect science, nurture precious job creation in coastal communities, achieve First Nations reconciliation. Reject extreme positions and choose

practical and balanced pathways based in science.

  • Be Aquaculture Ambassadors

As investor confidence in Canadian aquaculture has been damaged by recent actions in BC, a simple solution is for political leaders to speak up regularly about the great potential for aquaculture production in their province and in Canada. Canada’s seafood farmers need the nation’s leaders to be ambassadors for the people of the sector: not as it was thirty years ago, but as it is today and will be in the future. Speaking to the positive potential regularly is a simple gesture but necessary.

Since its commercial beginnings in Canada only 45 years ago, aquaculture practices have changed dramatically, with peer-reviewed science supporting modern practices, new technology, and strong regulations, said Kennedy.

He said that the aquaculture community must also do a better job at educating the public about current realities and promoting the future of farm-raised seafood development in Canada.

“Aquaculture is a major food and economic opportunity for Canada…we must and will continue to do more,” he added.

(Image shows a salmon farm audit being conducted by DFO)