Some B.C. First Nations want Ottawa to cancel its ban on open-net salmon farms and hand them the reins of a reformed system that could better protect both wild salmon and jobs in their communities.<\/p>\n
In 2024, the federal government announced it will phase out open-net salmon farms by 2029 over concerns about disease, sea lice and pollution harming wild salmon. Farms are expected to move to closed containment or land-based systems.<\/p>\n
But the policy is already triggering a wave of job losses and increased food insecurity in remote coastal communities, residents say.<\/p>\n
Some members of the First Nations Finfish Stewardship Coalition \u2014 a group of 17 First Nations from the central and north coast of B..C, as well as western and central Vancouver Island, travelled to Ottawa recently and held a press conference on Parliament Hill to call for an immediate change in federal direction.<\/p>\n
Dallas Smith, of the Tlowitsis Nation, told\u00a0Canada\u2019s National Observer\u00a0the federal government made a dangerous and irresponsible decision to ban net-pen salmon farming because of political pressure from urban Vancouver activists. Ottawa made the decision without transition or mitigation plans, risking thousands of jobs in remote First Nations communities, he said. Now, many places that are accessible only by plane or boat lack job alternatives.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t just go to Walmart or just go to the next available job place in remote communities. These are career, family-supporting jobs, and to just simply take them away without any kind of transition plans or opportunities is irresponsible as well,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n
Smith noted the salmon aquaculture sector in B.C. has already shrunk by about 40 per cent since the 2029 net\u2011pen ban was announced, leading to roughly 1,000 job losses.<\/p>\n
Communities want more control over how farms operate in their territories, said Smith, who is also a spokesperson for the coalition. At a press conference in Ottawa, the nations proposed a five\u2011pillar plan that would continue salmon farming past 2029. As part of the plan, the nations are requesting a shift toward an Indigenous\u2011led aquatic health science centre, a Nation\u2011led stewardship fund financed by industry payments, greater government investment and territory-specific siting and implementation of new barrier and monitoring technologies. They are also seeking increased First Nations equity in processing and harvesting and, by 2029, the option for First Nations to issue their own salmon aquaculture licences on their own waters.<\/p>\n
First Nations have already started their own research and introduced systems to address conflicting concerns from activists, government and industry, Smith said. They are tracking sea lice, testing technologies and monitoring waters in their territories. Guardian programs are ensuring community members watch farms daily to enforce licences and standards, Smith said.<\/p>\n
In Ahousaht territory, Smith said bubble-skirting and site-specific technologies slashed sea lice levels without mechanical delousing, dropping from 1.93 motile lice per fish in 2022 to 0.30 last cycle under Indigenous standards that are stricter than federal rules.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we thought wild salmon were being harmed by this industry, we wouldn\u2019t be involved in it,\u201d Smith said. \u201cWe\u2019re working to make sure the industry is accountable and we\u2019re using some of the benefits to invest in wild\u2011salmon restoration and habitat protection.\u201d<\/p>\n
Smith said June is the make-or-break moment when salmon-farming companies must decide whether to stock new fish for a six-year grow-out cycle. Without clarity on the ban\u2019s future, companies risk investing now only to later cull millions of healthy fish or shut production down early.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just as time has gotten closer and the job losses are starting to pile up,\u201d Smith said. \u201cThe lines at the food bank are growing from jobs that used to be in place. And now the drop\u2011off is going to be quicker.\u201d<\/p>\n
Isaiah Robinson, deputy chief counsellor of Kitasoo Xai\u2019Xais Nation, said the nations have partnerships with aquaculture companies and long-standing contracts that limit project harms and ensure communities share economic and social benefits. Before the farms arrived, his community \u2014 which is situated on the central coast of BC \u2014 faced high unemployment and social challenges, including addiction and mental\u2011health crises. The jobs and training from the salmon industry, he said, have helped stabilize the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis industry has been able to give our membership a purpose, to get out of bed\u2026 it keeps them happy [and] focused,\u201d Robinson said.<\/p>\n
He is worried a full ban would be devastating to his community, where the industry represents 51 per cent of the economy. Its collapse, he said, could cause a resurgence of those social issues.<\/p>\n