First Nations assert traditional rights to farm salmon
Aquaculture-dependent First Nations in BC set to defy government agenda to remove salmon farms from their traditional territories By Fabian DawsonSeaWestNews Aquaculture dependent First Nations say they will assert their traditional rights to allow salmon farming in their territorial waters,…
Commercial fishers in Alaska ‘plundering’ threatened B.C. salmon
Nearly 800,000 sockeye salmon were caught in Alaskan fishing districts just north of the border in 2021, and most of those fish would be headed for B.C. waterways By Rochelle Baker,Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Commercial fish harvesters in southeast Alaska are…
America forges ahead with aquaculture while Canada dithers
New aquaculture legislation tabled in the US Senate aims to spur economic growth while conserving ocean environments By Fabian DawsonSeaWestNews America is ramping up offshore aquaculture production with new legislation to increase the growth of sustainable seafood in its federal…
Fishy fear mongering dominates new anti-salmon farm campaign
“Our salmon production is totally dependent upon a healthy ocean environment and we are on the seas constantly monitoring the waters we work in…not in some downtown Vancouver office creating fear mongering propaganda so that the activists can get a…
An open letter to election candidates from BC’s salmon farmers
“With certainty and a secure future, BC’s aquaculture sector could invest an additional $1.4 billion in innovation and create nearly 10,000 new full-time jobs by 2050” – states an open letter from BC’s salmon farmers to election candidates Dear Candidate,…
Make a ‘pledge’ to know us urge BC salmon farmers
Activism and the spread of misinformation about salmon farming – clearly meant to divide and polarize communities – poses an imminent threat to family supporting jobs primarily situated on Vancouver Island, election candidates told CommentaryBy John Paul Fraser As with…
Net gains from aquaculture for First Nations businesses
“In the past 20 years I’ve advocated for aquaculture and believed in it even when others spoke down to it” – Richard Harry, a member of the Homalco First Nation. By Fabian DawsonSeaWestNews Life for Richard Harry, a member of…
BC’s Blue Revolution with Michelle Franze
“Buying and consuming sustainably farmed salmon is one of the best ways to save our wild salmon” By Samantha Bacchus McLeodSeaWestNews The newly unveiled Youth Council of the BC Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA) is all about greening forward for sustainable…
Ancient First Nations tongues support aquaculture science
The ancient tongues of many BC First Nations support scientific conclusions that state wild salmon returns vary on cycles and have nothing to do with aquaculture or salmon farms. CommentaryBy Fabian DawsonSeaWestNews Some First Nations leaders, influenced by activists, are…
From farm to fame with Culinary Team B.C.
Inspired by the harvests of B.C.’s land and sea, a group of dynamic chefs will be cooking for gold at the World Culinary Olympics in Germany By Samantha McLeodSeaWestNews Culinary Team British Columbia, a group of dynamic young chefs, is…
Getting a grip on UNDRIP and what it means for British Columbia
Event in Vancouver will look at how First Nations are succeeding in business relations with companies in the energy, mining, aquaculture, and forestry sectors By Fabian DawsonSeaWestNews From resource extraction to harvesting the oceans and to creating energy corridors, British…
Salmon farmers propel B.C. to a banner year for agriculture
Consistently ranked as the 4th largest farmed Atlantic salmon producer in the world, farmed salmon continues to be B.C.’s most valuable seafood export By SeaWestNews Salmon farmers in British Columbia exported $541 million worth of Atlantic salmon contributing to a…
Fur set to fly at Nanaimo open house
FurCanada’s open house will kickstart campaigns for a seal, sea lion and sea otter commercial fishery in British Columbia. By SeaWestNews The fur is set to fly in Nanaimo this weekend, with an open house to kickstart campaigns for a…
Canada embraces aquaculture globally while choking it at home
Why are we funding sustainable aquaculture initiatives overseas while trying to kill it in British Columbia? Commentary By Fabian DawsonSeaWestNews Aquaculture is a cornerstone of the Blue Economy, which Canada has embraced. Our government has pledged tens of millions of…
Liberal election platform betrayal will destroy our livelihoods in the aquaculture industry
“If implemented, this campaign-promise means shutting down our aquaculture industry and throwing 7,000 British Columbians out of work, including us.” CommentaryBy Brad Rempel, Kenny Leslie and John Relyea-Voss The federal Liberals launched a surprise election promise recently to get salmon…
A shark fin coup for Canada
Modernised Fisheries Act bans shark finning and the import and export of fins that are not attached to the shark By SeaWestNews Canada has modernised its Fisheries Act to ban the practice of shark finning and the import and export…
A new approach for aquaculture in B.C.
“A sustainable aquaculture sector will provide safe, high-quality Canadian products to markets here at home and around the world.” By Jonathan WilkinsonMinister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard Wild Pacific salmon are incredibly important to the people of…
Salmon farmers embrace new PRV testing rules
New PRV testing policy will only apply to aquaculture industry for now as government begins consultation on the transfer of live fish into the ocean environment. By Fabian DawsonSeaWestNews Fish farm hatcheries in British Columbia will have to test for…
‘A unique opportunity to learn about BC seafood’
The BC Seafood Expo and Festival provides B.C. companies the opportunity to promote their products to an international audience and generate export leads – George Chow, Minister of State for Trade. By Fabian DawsonSeaWestNews British Columbia’s reputation as a world…
Choctaw Nation in search of partners at BC Seafood Expo
The BC Seafood Expo is one of the largest seafood industry trade shows in the Pacific Northwest. By SeaWestNews The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, one of America’s most successful Native Tribes, is heading to the 2019 B.C. Seafood Expo in…
Broad range of interest for new B.C. salmon fund
Newly-minted British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund has received 192 applications. By SeaWestNews The newly-minted British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund has received 192 applications to support the protection of wild fisheries and enhance sustainability in the seafood…
Sea lice “game-changer” ship arrives in British Columbia
Mowi’s $35 million Aqua Tromoy will revolutionise treatment of sea lice in British Columbia’s waters By SeaWestNews The largest and most technologically advanced ship to ever serve the Canadian aquaculture industry is now in B.C. waters to revolutionise the treatment…
Sweeping closures in British Columbia for 2019 fishing season
New measures will be economically devastating for coastal communities and sports fishing industry By Fabian DawsonSeaWestNews Declaring it is time for bold action, the government today announced sweeping fishery closures across British Columbia to reverse the drastic decline of the…
Cermaq eyes Nova Scotia for new salmon farms
“We are coming to Nova Scotia with open minds, hearts and ears; looking for guidance, local knowledge and history.” By SeaWestNews British Columbia-based Cermaq, Canada’s second largest salmon farming company, is looking to expand its operations in Nova Scotia. The…
Urban hangouts for salmon in the city
Urban Salmon Project was a three-year effort to document where B.C.’s iconic species hang out in the Metro Vancouver area. By SeaWestNews Drawn by a passion for salmon, international biologist, photographer and storyteller Fernando Lessa has documented where B.C.’s iconic…
Why the herring fishery was allowed in BC this year
‘Majority of the herring are left in the water for our chinook and our southern resident killer whales to eat.’ Guest CommentaryBy Jonathan Wilkinson Our ocean is a complex ecosystem, and Pacific herring are a vital food source for chinook…
Claims by anti-fish farms activist not true says minister
Having more constructive discussions about aquaculture will require that we are forthright in our use of information, says Fisheries Minister Jonathan Wilkinson in an op-ed By SeaWestNews This op-ed by Fisheries Minister Jonathan Wilkinson was originally published in the Georgia…
Virus poses minimal risk to Fraser River sockeye salmon
“Unfortunately, some Canadian government non-medical researchers aligned with US and Canadian activists are attempting to make this mostly innocuous virus the scourge of the seven seas.” By Fabian DawsonSeaWestNews A Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) science panel has concluded that…
Aquaculture Ambassador: Wesley Chase
“After taking a few courses on aquaculture and integrated farming, I started to really grasp the potential of a meaningful and enjoyable career in the aquaculture sector,” Wesley Chase, Council of Emerging Leaders in Aquaculture. By Samantha McLeodSeaWestNews Aquaculture in…
A tale of conflict and collaboration in aquaculture
As Iceland moves to bring wild fishers and fish farmers together, a conflict looms between the two sides in America. By Fabian DawsonSeaWestNews Iceland’s fish farmers have joined forces with the country’s deep sea fishers to address threats to the…