October 27, 2022

Phasing out of net-pen salmon farming in British Columbia, Canada, may not happen for now

Salmon farmers in British Columbia, Canada, appear to no longer be facing the imminent end of net-pen farming in the entire region following several tours of the region by the country's Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard (DFO) Minister, Joyce Murray.

The tours were part of a long-term plan by the Canadian government and Murray to phase out salmon farming in the region. In late 2020, the Canadian government announced that some salmon farms in BC, specially located in the Discovery Islands, would be phased out in just 18 months, a decision that communities and salmon farmers in the region said they were "blindsided" by.  

Since that original announcement, a Canadian court overturned the order to close all salmon farms in the Discovery Islands by June 30, 2022, and Canada's DFO announced the two-year renewal of licenses for marine finfish aquaculture in aquaculture facilities outside the Discovery Islands. The government has also kicked off a salmon net-pen transition process, as part of a mandate from Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's mandate to transition from open net pen salmon farming.  

Now, it appears that phasing out all net-pen salmon farming by 2025 may be off the table. The Vancouver Sun reported that during tours of the region, Murray talked about progressively minimising interactions between farmed and wild fish, rather than removing all open-net pens by 2025.

Murray also said that the changes will not be sudden, in contrast to the previous announcements that salmon farming would be phased out quickly.

"I think there was some misunderstanding that there would be sort of a dramatic change in just a very, very short time," she said.

The BC Salmon Farmers Association said it was "heartening" to hear that Murray is willing to work with farmers during the transition framework.

"Salmon farming is continuously evolving, improving and innovating, which can come as a surprise to those outside of the farming community," BCSFA interim executive director Ruth Salmon said. "It was a pleasure to meet with the minister and her team to not only discuss these improvements but showcase them, as she visited several farm sites and a hatchery."

The BCSFA also said Murray's more flexible stance on salmon farming, compared to the previous hardline elimination of all salmon farming, is welcome.

- SeafoodSource