April 30, 2024
Closure of fish farms in British Columbia, Canada blamed for lowest salmon harvest since 2000
The Canadian government's decision to close some fish farms in British Columbia has been identified as the primary cause behind the country's lowest salmon harvest since 2000, Fishfarmingexpert reported.
Production of farm-raised salmon has declined from a peak of 148,000 tonnes in 2016 to 90,000 tonnes in 2023, following former fisheries minister Bernadette Jordan's 2020 choice not to renew licenses for 19 farms in the Discovery Islands, British Columbia.
Tim Kennedy, president and chief executive of the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA), said that Canadians want access to more Canadian-produced food, but they are being denied Canadian-raised salmon and are seeing less and less.
Kennedy emphasised the sustainability of Canada's modern ocean salmon farming, which adheres to international third-party standards and operates under regulations to protect the environment. He criticised the farm closures in British Columbia since 2020, asserting that they were not science-based and did not prioritise Canadian consumers' best interests and health.
Despite Canada's extensive coastline and significant bio-physical potential, the country risks losing its position as the world's fourth-largest Atlantic salmon producer, trailing behind Norway, Chile, and Scotland. In 2022, Australia and the Faroe Islands produced 77,600 tonnes and 89,100 tonnes of salmon, respectively.
The CAIA highlighted the environmental impact of replacing "lost" Canadian salmon in the North American market with air-freighted Chilean and Norwegian salmon, equating it to adding the carbon emissions of an extra 81,609 petrol-engine cars on the roads.
- Fishfarmingexpert
