The Future of Salmon Farming in BC Tests Canada’s Commitment to Truth and Reconciliation

“Telling us to remove salmon farms from our territories is an attempt to override our rights, our governance, and our self-determination,” say coastal First Nations in BC, as Canada marks National Truth and Reconciliation Day.

By Fabian Dawson
SeaWestNews

As Canada observes National Truth and Reconciliation Day, Prime Minister Mark Carney faces a defining test of whether this moment of reflection is more than a day of speeches and symbolic gestures.

Nowhere is this test more urgent than in British Columbia’s salmon farming sector, where Indigenous-led aquaculture partnerships have become a model of sustainable development but now face being dismantled by activist-driven policies from the Trudeau era.

These policies, including a proposed 2029 ban on ocean-based salmon farms in BC, will undermine the sovereignty of First Nations, destroy thousands of jobs, and erase decades of progress in building resilient, self-sufficient coastal communities, said the Coalition for First Nations Finfish Stewardship (FNFFS).

In a powerful statement issued on the eve of the national day, the coalition’s message was clear.

“Telling us to remove salmon farms from our territories is an attempt to override us in our rights, our governance, and our self-determination. We do not tell our neighbouring communities or people in urban centres how to manage their lands and waters, and they do not have the authority to dictate what happens in ours.”

“These farms are here only because our Nations, and no one else, have granted that permission. Other groups, including the First Nation Wild Salmon Alliance (FNWSA) and First Nation Leadership Council (FNLC), do not speak for us or our territories, which we have been stewarding since time immemorial.”

The coalition said repeated calls by anti-salmon farming activists and their First Nation allies,  who demand autonomy for their own territories while they seek to deny coastal Nations the same respect, are not grounded in the realities of aquaculture-dependent communities.

“These are not calls for reconciliation, they are calls for the economic devastation for our communities.

“It is crucial that Canadians hear directly from the First Nations who live, work, and govern the coastal territories where salmon farming operates.

“Canada cannot afford, economically, socially, or morally, to shut down a modern, sustainable, Indigenous-led industry in the face of growing food insecurity, global trade instability, and a worsening housing crisis.

“We remain resolute in our expectation that the federal government will honour their commitments to a true Nation-to-Nation process, not one driven by outside voices who have no authority in our territories or who refuse to accept our invitations and see firsthand the work we are doing to protect our coastal waters and wild salmon.”

In British Columbia today, every salmon farm operates in partnership with Rights Holder First Nations, making the sector a cornerstone of Indigenous-led economic development. The industry generates over $1.17 billion annually for the provincial economy, supports 4,560 well-paid full-time jobs, and includes more than 500 positions held by Indigenous workers, many in remote coastal communities where few other opportunities exist.

BC’s salmon farmers and their First Nation partners say that if Ottawa repeals the ban and replaces it with a science-backed, Indigenous-led policy that provides regulatory certainty, the sector could generate $2.5 billion in annual output and 9,000 jobs by 2030, securing a sustainable future for coastal communities.

Across Canada, more than 40 Indigenous communities are actively involved in aquaculture in nine provinces, building partnerships founded on mutual respect and a deep understanding of the unique needs and priorities of First Nations.

These numbers underscore why calls to reverse Ottawa’s decision are growing louder by the day.

From Indigenous leaders and municipal mayors to business councils and national think tanks, a diverse group is warning that the ban will not only devastate rural economies but also unravel years of progress in reconciliation and sustainable resource management.

Speaking at the recent Cold Harvest Conference in Newfoundland, Dr. Ken Coates of the University of Saskatchewan said Prime Minister Mark Carney has a clear opportunity to show his government is serious about rebuilding Canada’s economy.

“Canada needs great industries right now, and if Prime Minister Carney truly wants to get the economy moving, aquaculture must be part of his nation-building strategy,” Coates said.

“Get rid of the fish farming ban on the West Coast and allow the industry to expand in a careful and constructive way.”

Coates emphasized that repealing the ban would allow salmon farming in British Columbia to become a powerful symbol of economic reconciliation, showcasing how Indigenous partnerships can drive sustainable development. But if the ban stands, he warned, “this once progressive industry will come to symbolize only government mismanagement and capitulation to special interests at the expense of the wellbeing of remote First Nations communities.”

Kenneth P. Green, a Senior Fellow at the Fraser Institute, said the Trudeau government in 2024 opted to kill a pioneering Canadian industry founded partly to protect the environment.

“The decision will cost money, jobs, Aboriginal welfare, kill millions of delicious salmon dinners beloved by Canadians, and offer no environmental benefits or protect wild fish stocks,” he wrote in an op-ed.

“If there was ever a regulatory fish that needed to be thrown back in the water, this is the big whopper. The Carney government should scrap the plan to kill fish farming in Canada.”

At last week’s Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) meeting and the parallel Get It Done BC forum in Victoria, the message from mayors across the province was unmistakable. Both provincial and federal governments must act decisively to support rural and Indigenous communities, they said.

If Prime Minister Carney and his ministers are serious about reconciliation and prosperity, they now have a clear path forward through responsible development of resource industries, including mining, forestry, and aquaculture, the forum was told.

Business leaders across Western Canada, through the newly formed Western Business Coalition, representing more than one-third of the national economy, argue that salmon farming is a strategic opportunity for Canada. It can grow exports while cutting global emissions by providing lower-carbon protein alternatives to international markets.

The coalition cautions that the proposed 2029 ban on ocean-based salmon farming will cripple Canada’s standing in the global aquaculture sector, especially as rival nations like the United States aggressively ramp up production through programs such as NOAA’s new Aquaculture Opportunity Areas.

The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, which represents over 15,000 veterinarians, has urged Ottawa to pause the ban and consult with scientific experts. The association says the current plan undermines science-based decision-making and risks eroding public trust in Canada’s animal health policies.

Several national agricultural and food organisations, including the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and the BC Agriculture Council, have also voiced their opposition, emphasising that Ottawa’s approach will drive up food costs, increase carbon emissions, and destroy critical employment in rural and Indigenous communities.

(Main File Image shows BC Salmon Farmers with members of the Coalition for First Nations Finfish Stewardship)