Why Canada Must Grow Aquaculture and Repeal Salmon Farming Ban in BC

A new EAT–Lancet Commission report highlights aquaculture as a cornerstone of future food systems, laying bare why Canada needs to grow its seafood farming sector and scrap the activist-induced plan to shut down ocean salmon farms in BC

By Fabian Dawson
SeaWestNews

A new report from the EAT-Lancet Commission has laid bare why Canada needs to expand its aquaculture sector and repeal the proposed 2029 ban on open-net salmon farming in British Columbia.

The EAT–Lancet Commission’s analysis stresses that aquaculture is a scalable, low-carbon source of protein that can relieve pressure on wild fisheries and provide vital nutrition as global demand for seafood rises. It warns that wild fisheries alone cannot feed the world without risking ecosystem collapse.

“No pathway to a sustainable food future exists without greater reliance on aquatic foods,” said the report which draws on the expertise of a group of leading experts in nutrition, climate, economics, health, social sciences and agriculture from around the world. 

The newly released EAT–Lancet 2.0 builds on the landmark 2019 report that first introduced the concept of the “Planetary Health Diet.” That original assessment influenced governments, UN agencies, and city food policies around the world.

The 2025 update of the EAT–Lancet Commission arrives at a time of heightened urgency for Canada and the world. Since the first report in 2019, Canadians have experienced pandemic-driven supply chain disruptions, rising grocery bills, and the mounting impacts of climate change.

At the same time, food insecurity has grown, with nearly one in five Canadian households now struggling to afford a healthy diet.

The new analysis integrates health, sustainability, and justice, arguing that food systems must be transformed by 2050 to feed a projected 9.6 billion people while staying within the Earth’s ecological boundaries.

Unlike the first report, the update places justice at the centre. For Canada, that means recognizing not only the nutritional needs of its population but also fairness in how resources are distributed, the rights of marginalized and Indigenous communities to shape food production in their territories, and their representation in decision-making.

For the first time, the Commission sets explicit food system boundaries for climate, biodiversity, land, water, and nutrient cycles by directly linking what we eat to the planet’s safe operating space. In Canada, this reinforces the urgency of growing more low-carbon foods such as farmed seafood, while addressing inequities that leave rural Indigenous and non-indigenous communities with some of the highest food costs in the country.

This conclusion resonates strongly in British Columbia, where aquaculture, anchored by salmon farming, has become a cornerstone of local food production, an economic lifeline for coastal communities,  Indigenous economic development, and sustainable seafood supply.

In this context, Canada’s salmon farming sector, already ranked among the world’s most sustainable, is strategically positioned to lead. Yet, recent aquaculture policy decisions, including the activist-driven proposed ban on marine salmon farms in British Columbia run counter to the global trend.

The Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA) in its latest production and trade data report said the nation’s farmed seafood production, which generates over $5.3 billion in economic activity and $2 billion in GDP, has plunged to its lowest level in a decade.

“The loss in overall production—which has deepened in 2024—is the result of non-science-based and unnecessary federal government actions to reduce salmon production in British Columbia,” said the national association that speaks for Canada’s seafood farmers.

“Canada is only using one percent of its viable ocean area for seafood farming development. In comparison, Norway has about a third of the ocean potential of Canada, while its output is almost twenty times the farmed seafood production of Canada,” said Timothy Kennedy, President & CEO of CAIA.

The Commission also underscores that food system transformation must also be just and equitable. This mirrors the reality in B.C., where 100 percent of salmon farming now operates with the participation and consent of local First Nations.

The sector generates over $1.17 billion annually for the BC 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 proposed 2029 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.

The report also highlights practices such as integrated multi-trophic aquaculture including growing seaweed and shellfish alongside finfish, as tools to reduce environmental impacts and strengthen ecosystems. BC’s salmon producers are already pioneering these approaches, alongside major investments in feed efficiency and farm technology.

Ultimately, the Eat Lancet Commission makes clear that seafood must be at the heart of any strategy for healthier diets, stronger food justice, and reduced carbon emissions.

For Canada, that means growing aquaculture and not retreating from salmon farming in BC but expanding it under Indigenous leadership and science-based regulation.

Main Image : The newly released EAT–Lancet 2.0 builds on the landmark 2019 report that first introduced the concept of the “Planetary Health Diet.” – Eat Lancet Commission)