As Canada’s new Fisheries Minister, Joanne Thompson must decide whether to follow her predecessors’ activist-driven policies or take a pragmatic, science-based approach to aquaculture in British Columbia
By Fabian Dawson
SeaWestNews
Joanne Thompson, Canada’s fourth Fisheries Minister in five years, has the aquaculture sector wondering if she is merely a political placeholder for a contentious portfolio or yet another enforcer of the Liberal government’s ideological crackdown on salmon farming in British Columbia.
The hope is that she is neither but rather a leader who reflects the economic pragmatism of her boss, Mark Carney, and a reformer who will prioritize science-based decisions in shaping the future of Canada’s fisheries and aquaculture sector.
“Right now, we are trying to figure out the new minister’s approach to key fisheries policies, especially regarding the future of salmon farming in B.C.,” said an aquaculture industry leader on the sidelines of the Seafood Expo North America in Boston.
Carney, Canada’s new Prime Minister, appointed Thompson, MP for St. John’s East, Newfoundland & Labrador, as Fisheries Minister when unveiling his first cabinet last week, ahead of an anticipated federal election.
Her three predecessors under the Trudeau government ignored the findings of their own scientists, who concluded that salmon farming in B.C. waters posed less than a one-percent risk to wild stocks.
Instead, they introduced an unrealistic Transition Plan for the sector and a proposed ban on ocean operations, aligning with anti-fish farming activist groups and prioritizing the Liberal Party’s political gains over evidence-based decision-making.
Thompson’s background is in healthcare, small business, and social justice, with no significant prior engagement in fisheries policy. While she served on the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development, this does not indicate deep expertise or a history in fisheries and aquaculture.
Her home province of Newfoundland and Labrador has major fishing and aquaculture industries, but its challenges and policies differ from those of British Columbia’s seafood industry.
Following the swearing-in of his cabinet, Carney stated: “This team is built for immediate action and focused on protecting Canadian workers, supporting their families, and growing this great country. We are changing how things work so our government can deliver to Canadians faster – and we have an experienced team that is made to meet the moment we are in.”
Echoing Carney’s words, Thompson took to social media, stating: “As Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, I commit to listening, learning, and working for you from coast to coast to coast.”
If Carney and Thompson extend these commitments to salmon farmers and their First Nation partners in B.C., the sector is promising a plan that will generate $2.5 billion in output, $930 million in GDP, and 9,000 jobs paying $560 million in wages by 2030—all while protecting wild salmon through innovation and responsible practices.
Instead, the Trudeau government’s activist-driven policies, which seek to ban ocean-based salmon farming by 2029, has put B.C. at risk of losing 4,560 jobs, including more than 1,000 Indigenous workers in the sector. In addition to devastating the province’s economy, taxpayers could be on the hook for an estimated $9 billion in compensation to salmon farmers, suppliers, and First Nations.
Adding to the industry’s challenges is the issue of new tariffs introduced by U.S. President Donald Trump, which will further strain B.C.’s salmon farming sector—one of the world’s most sustainable protein producers.
With 70% of B.C.’s farmed salmon exported to the U.S., a 25% tariff could slash demand by 32–40%, cutting industry revenues by $131.5–$142.4 million annually. The fallout could eliminate 1,100–1,195 jobs immediately, deepening economic uncertainty in a province already drowning in red ink.
As an election call is expected soon, national polls show the Liberals and the Conservatives in a tight race.
Brian Kingzett, executive director of the B.C. Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA), is hopeful that logic will prevail, regardless of which party forms the next government.
“We see Mark Carney as an economic pragmatist, and we hope that his government sees how important the salmon farming industry is to British Columbia and the rural and Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities,” he told IntraFish at the Seafood Expo North America in Boston.
“We’ve also been talking a lot to the opposition party. We have strong candidates that have come out and recognized how important the industry is.
“So, either way, we’re hoping that logic will prevail and that the next government of Canada, as federal regulators, is going to support and see what we can do, especially in this very chaotic time for Canada.”
Against this backdrop, the actions of Thompson, Canada’s newly minted Fisheries Minister, will be critical.
At this stage, Thompson appears more likely to be a placeholder than a reformer, said a seafood industry analyst.
“Without a clear policy departure from her predecessors or an explicit signal from Carney that the government is open to reassessing the transition plan imposed on the B.C. salmon farming sector, it is unlikely Thompson will implement major changes,” he said.
(Main image shows Canada’s new Fisheries Minister, Joanne Thompson)