Decision to ban net-pen salmon farms in BC does not align with the scientific findings of animal health experts says the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.
By Fabian Dawson
SeaWestNews
The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) is calling on the Federal Government to hit pause on its proposed ban on net-pen salmon farming in British Columbia, saying the decision does not align with the scientific findings of animal health experts.
In a letter to Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier, the CVMA which speaks for over 15,000 licensed veterinarians across the country, said the ban will erode the science-based decision-making process in Canada and across other animal sectors.
“We recommend pausing the proposed ban and re-engaging with the scientific community, including veterinarians, who are experts in salmon population health,” stated Dr. Timothy Arthur, President of CVMA, in the letter.
“This will ensure that the methods used to investigate the interaction between wild and farmed salmon health are properly validated and evaluated according to rigorous scientific standards.
“We are ready to assist in identifying qualified veterinary subject matter experts regarding the proposed ban of open net-pen salmon aquaculture in British Columbia’s coastal waters and any other future reviews,” stated Dr. Arthur.
The Liberal government, disregarding advice from its own scientists—who have determined that the salmon farms present minimal risk to wild stocks—announced the controversial ban on open-net salmon farming last June.
This move has been widely denounced as a politically motivated endeavor to garner favour with urban-Liberal constituencies and activists opposed to fish farming, at the expense of the economic stability of aquaculture-reliant rural communities.
The government itself has admitted that science has taken a backseat to “social licence and acceptability” when it comes to salmon farming in BC’s oceans and has consistently overruled the recommendations by its own scientists, staff and the Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS).
CSAS has produced at least 10 peer-reviewed reports which found that the ocean farms pose “minimal risk” to wild salmon from all relevant fish pathogens of concern.
CVMA members include licensed veterinarians who are experts in aquatic animal health and welfare in many areas in Canada, including BC, said Dr. Arthur.
“Veterinary experts in salmon population health and fish diseases have participated in numerous government led scientific assessment processes. They have stated their concerns that science does not support the proposed ban. Similar opinions have been echoed by federal scientists,” he said.
Canada’s top fisheries and aquaculture scientists have also urged the public and politicians not to believe the claims against salmon farmers being made by anti-aquaculture activists in BC, saying their widely propagated assertions are not backed by science.
In a rare public defence to counter accusations by the activists, nine scientists, who participated in the rigorous assessments done by CSAS wrote in an open letter that:
“As scientists who have contributed to many peer-reviewed analyses on salmon conservation and farming for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), we’re compelled to respond to prevent propagation of any misinformation. Canadians can trust the scientific facts and advice presented by CSAS, the science evaluation body of the DFO.”
Several national agricultural and food associations have also called on the government to support salmon farming in Canada and not be swayed by the fearmongering of activists.
“Government decisions have shut down 40% of salmon farms in B.C. since 2020, making groceries more expensive for Canadian families, increasing carbon emissions and wiping out jobs that are the lifeblood of rural, coastal and Indigenous communities,” the groups said in a joint-media statement.
“These shutdowns were not based on science but on politics and claims by activists that salmon farms are harming wild salmon, which has been proven false through rigorous peer-review science evaluation processes under the Department of Fisheries and Oceans,” the statement said.
Signatories to the joint letter include: Animal Nutrition Association of Canada, Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance, Canadian Aquaculture Suppliers Association, Canadian Federation of Agriculture, Canada Grains Council, Canadian Meat Council, Canola Council of Canada, Coalition of First Nations for Finfish Stewardship, and CropLife Canada.
British Columbia’s salmon farmers and their First Nation partners recently released a comprehensive review of their aquaculture operations to showcase the importance of unifying traditional knowledge and western science in the sector.
The ‘scientific textbook’ called Modern Salmon Farming in British Columbia: A Review, is also aimed at closing the knowledge gaps about the industry and counter the campaign of disinformation by anti-salmon farming opponents.
Farm-raised salmon generates over $1.142 billion of direct economic activity in BC annually, providing over 5,000 direct and indirect jobs and contributes more than a billion dollars to the GDP.
The sector also directly and indirectly employs over 700 Indigenous people and provides $120 million in total annual economic benefits to First Nations, with $42 million going directly to Indigenous communities. Today, 100 percent of BC’s farmed salmon is raised in agreement with Rights Holder First Nations.
After announcing the ban in June, the government has come up with a draft transition plan for the sector, which will impact thousands of aquaculture workers in BC’s indigenous and non-indigenous coastal communities.
(File image of a fish health expert conducting an examination on a farmed salmon)