Seafood Farmers Call for a ‘Spring of Change’ to make Canada a Global Aquaculture Powerhouse

“Currently, there is a profound policy disconnect between Ottawa’s rhetoric on food security, Indigenous rights, and job creation, and its actions on aquaculture”

By Fabian Dawson
SeaWestNews

Canada’s seafood farmers are calling on federal and provincial leaders to embrace a bold, science-driven strategy that could turn the country into a global powerhouse for sustainable aquaculture.

In a letter to agriculture and fisheries ministers across the country, Canada’s leading aquaculture associations declared that decades of stagnation, overregulation, and political interference have crippled the industry’s growth potential, particularly in British Columbia.

“For over twenty years, Canada has flatlined in aquaculture production growth while using only a small fragment of our potential. We need a new vision and government leadership to support us to the next level of production and excellence in aquaculture,” states the letter.

“With highly skilled people, and many coastal communities waiting for new opportunities and renewal, precision farming of our waters is a unique blessing for Canada… It is time to move beyond Canada’s mediocre performance,” the letter adds.

The coalition — led by the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA) and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) — is also demanding that Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), not the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), be designated as the lead federal agency responsible for developing the nation’s seafood farming sector.

“DFO is a regulator and habitat protector. It is not equipped to support a modern, growth-oriented farming sector. It is time for a change,” said the aquaculture associations, whose members generate over $5.3 billion in economic activity, $2 billion in GDP, and employ over 17,550 Canadians.

Also high on their list of demands is a call to reverse Ottawa’s plan to ban open-net pen salmon farming in British Columbia by 2029 — a decision they call “scientifically, economically and technologically irresponsible,” and one that is already chilling investment across the nation.

As a result of the proposed ban, B.C. faces the loss of 4,560 jobs, including more than 1,000 held by Indigenous workers, while taxpayers could be on the hook for an estimated $9 billion in compensation to salmon farmers, suppliers, and  First Nations. This ban is being proposed despite government scientific reports showing salmon farms in B.C. pose less than a one-percent risk to migrating wild fish stocks.

“The letter’s urgent tone reflects growing frustration within the industry…a sector loaded with innovation and Indigenous partnerships, yet undermined by outdated frameworks and political appeasement,” said a resource industry analyst in Victoria.

“Currently, there is a profound policy disconnect between Ottawa’s rhetoric on food security, Indigenous rights, and job creation, and its actions on aquaculture,” he said.

Calling for a “new springtime in seafood development and coastal community revitalization” the letter outlined the following areas for immediate action:

• Rebuild Trust in Science: The industry is calling for a return to evidence-based policymaking in aquaculture, stressing that decisions must be grounded in objective science — not ideology. Recognizing that all development carries some risk, the sector urges governments to define acceptable environmental thresholds to enable consistent, transparent project approvals.
• Reverse the 2029 BC Net-Pen Ban: The ban on open-net pen salmon farms in B.C. is seen as reckless and baseless, deterring investment and damaging Canada’s global credibility. The coalition urges an immediate shift to a performance-based framework that supports stability, growth, and innovation, rather than arbitrary prohibition.
• Shift Sector Development to AAFC: Aquaculture must be treated as a farming activity, not just a regulatory burden. The letter demands that AAFC take over sector development responsibilities from DFO, which lacks the mandate to grow the industry. This structural change would align Canada with international best practices and unlock economic potential.
• Modernize Shellfish Sector and Risk Supports: Canada’s shellfish industry is being stifled by outdated regulations and exclusion from financial safety nets. The coalition calls for a pilot crop insurance program in Prince Edward Island as a step toward a national approach to risk management that would strengthen producer resilience and encourage sustainable expansion.

In addition to CAIA and CFA, the letter was signed by the leaders of the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association, Prince Edward Island Aquaculture Alliance, Aquaculture Association of Nova Scotia, Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association, Ontario Aquaculture Association, BC Salmon Farmers Association and BC Shellfish Growers Association.

This letter comes on the heels of a broader warning from the Western Business Coalition, which has urged Parliament to curb regulatory overreach and restore investor confidence in Canada’s natural resource sectors.

(Facebook File Image shows aquaculture workers, suppliers and members of the United Steelworkers Union at a rally against the proposed ban on ocean salmon farms in BC)