The BC Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA) took advantage of the federal Liberal Party's presence on Vancouver Island to urge them to re-evaluate their plan to force fish farms to relocate to land-based technology by 2029.
"As you enjoy this coastal paradise, we urge you to consider the impact your government’s recent decision will have on the more than 4,600 jobs supported by the salmon farming sector," a letter written by BCSFA executive director Brian Kingzett dated Sept. 9 says.
The federal Liberals are holding a caucus retreat in Nanaimo during which there may be some discussion about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership of the party, among other things.
While the party members discuss their future, BC salmon farmers want them to think about the future of coastal communities and the salmon farming industry. The government's June announcement to ban open net-pen salmon aquaculture in British Columbia coastal waters by June 30, 2029, has caused "global cascading impacts."
A deadline of July 31 for the release of a transition plan has come and gone, Kingzett points out, and the timeline for transition to closed containment salmon farming by 2029 is "unachievable and risks significant impacts on our sector and the communities that depend on it."
"A five-year period to shift from traditional farming infrastructure is not possible," Kingzett says.
The timeline does not account for the current limitations of infrastructure in remote areas or modern salmon farming technology, which has not been successfully scaled anywhere globally, Kingzett adds. Further, the requirement for closed containment has been made in the absence of any scientific assessment of the environmental impacts of this category of technology. The expectation to produce 70,000 tonnes of BC salmon in land-based or marine closed-containment systems in such a short time frame is unrealistic and irresponsible.
Furthermore, the Liberals' directive will increase food prices, threaten food security at home and across North America and strain the economies of of rural coastal communities.
Meanwhile, global farming companies like MOWI, Grieg Seafood, and Cermaq are re-evaluating investment strategies, halting investment projects due to concerns over policy instability, and reallocating capital and innovation funds to other farming jurisdictions, Kingzett says.
What's more, Kingzett says in his letter, despite environmentalists' claims to the contrary, salmon farms have minimal impact on wild stocks and removing farms has not reduced sea lice levels in any area, undermining unsubstantiated claims that farms negatively impact wild salmon populations.
A well-thought-out, collaborative transition plan could transform the BC salmon farming sector back into a major contributor to Canada’s economic activity, Kingzett says.
