November 14, 2023

 

Indigenous leaders urge Canada to commit to shift from open-net salmon farms

 

 

Indigenous leaders from British Columbia, Canada, have called on the Canadian federal government to stand by plans to transition away from open-net salmon farms, but an industry spokesperson has suggested the leaders were wading into political waters.

 

The chiefs were in Ottawa to stress the importance of the federal government's commitment to removing open-net salmon farms from BC waters by 2025, said Bob Chamberlin, chair of the First Nations Wild Salmon Alliance, on November 7. The group represents more than 120 First Nations.

 

The nations met with Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier and other federal officials, telling them most BC First Nations want open-net farming ended to help threatened wild salmon stocks, Chamberlin said.

 

Open-net fish farms off BC's coast are a long-running subject of debate, with opponents saying they are linked to the transfer of disease to wild salmon, while supporters say thousands of jobs will be threatened if the operations are phased out.

 

"The chiefs who have made the trip to Ottawa are here to ensure that the meetings that we have, that the government clearly understands the breadth of support to remove fish farms from migration routes of wild salmon," Chamberlin said at a news conference.

 

But Brian Kingzett, executive director of the BC Salmon Farmers Association, said the alliance's news conference was more about bringing an anti-salmon-farming message to Ottawa.

 

"Aquaculture in BC is a polarised subject and they're saying the same old words," he said. "They're trying to use politics to distract from what's actually a fairly responsible process that's going on."

 

Chamberlin acknowledged support for the transition plan isn't unanimous among Indigenous people in the province, where about a dozen First Nations are involved in the salmon farming industry.

 

Kingzett said some First Nations have transformed their economies through salmon farming operations on their territories.

 

Last month, the BC-based Wild Salmon Forever conservation group sent a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, calling for the federal government to stick to its 2025 transition commitment.

 

"Canada stands alone on the Pacific coast in allowing the open net-pen industry to discharge pollutants, pathogens and parasites along migration routes of endangered Pacific salmon for free," the letter stated.

 

 

Chamberlin said Trudeau should remind Lebouthillier her mandate includes developing a plan to transition from open net-pen salmon farms in BC.

 

Kingzett said he expects Lebouthillier to release the government's transition plan early next year, but instead of a document addressing the removal of salmon farms from Vancouver Island waters, it could outline a framework agreement to continue operations.

- CBC