The Canadian federal government says it will ban open net salmon farms in British Columbia starting in 2029 in a plan that will renew more than 60 licences across the province for another five years.
The federal government says it will renew 63 fish-farm licences across the province for another five years, before a ban on open-net salmon farms in B.C. comes into effect in 2029.
Wilkinson said the new phase-out plan will come with stricter licence conditions to strengthen the protection of wild species in the marine environment, including more stringent measures to ensure improved management of sea lice on farmed fish, increased reporting requirements for industry and additional monitoring of marine mammal interactions.
The transition from open-net ocean aquaculture operations to closed-container systems is achievable, Wilkinson said in an interview, noting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the pledge to phase out open-net pen salmon farming during the 2019 election and the Liberal government is making good on that promise.
Brian Kingzett, executive director of the B.C. Salmon Farmers Association, called the five-year phase-out “unrealistic.” A ban on the farms by 2029 would be “logistically impossible” and would threaten nearly 5,000 jobs and 400 million “salmon meals” produced every year, he said. In response to the pending ban, B.C. Minister of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship Nathan Cullen said the federal government must help fund the transition, especially for technology and infrastructure for closed-containment fish farms.
Wilkinson said that while there remains significant scientific debate on the effects of salmon farms on wild fish, there’s enough evidence for government to act on the “precautionary principle.”
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