B.C. salmon farm operators have been given 18 months to clear out of the Discovery Islands.
The decision today announced by Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan ends a long campaign among wild salmon advocates to rid a critical migratory route of open-net pen farms.
Independent biologist Alexandra Morton, who spearheaded much of the research and activism against the farms, learned of the decision from Black Press Media.
sa国际传媒淵ou told me the best news in 35 years of this fight,sa国际传媒� she said.
sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檝e been studying these little sockeye for so long. This means theysa国际传媒檙e going to get to sea alive. This means we can start reversing that decline. I realize salmon farms are not the entire problem, but if theysa国际传媒檙e not getting to sea, nothing else is going to matter. I stand in awe of the First Nations leadership that made this happen.sa国际传媒�
READ MORE:
A number of factors are blamed for B.C.sa国际传媒檚 dwindling salmon populations, including over-fishing, climate change, warming waters, and increased predation. Open-net pens have the potential to act as reservoirs for naturally occurring sea lice and pathogens that transfer to out-migrating juvenile fish. Salmon farm opponents believe farms in the Discovery Islands are a leading cause of the decline.
Jordansa国际传媒檚 decision follows three months of consultations with industry and seven area First Nations on whether to renew the 19 area licences, set to expire Dec. 18.
sa国际传媒淭he joy thatsa国际传媒檚 going to happen from this result is going to be far-reaching for many salmon warriors across the province,sa国际传媒� Bob Chamberlain, chair of the First Nations Salmon Alliance said.
Chamberlain stressed the decision has the potential for immediate positive impact, as farms in a key route in the Okisollo Channel will complete their harvests before the next out-migration.
sa国际传媒淭here is significant benefit here sa国际传媒� Isa国际传媒檓 so happy,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檝e had two historic low returns, and Isa国际传媒檓 not sure if people connect what that means for future generations. It means historic low salmon eggs as well. And itsa国际传媒檚 established fact that only one to four per cent of juveniles make it back as spawners. Even if there are no impacts or barriers, when these fish return wesa国际传媒檙e going to have another historic low. Wesa国际传媒檙e on a very critical downward spiral, so whatsa国际传媒檚 happened today will have a significant benefit right away.sa国际传媒�
The Living Oceans Society, David Suzuki Foundation and Ecojustice were among the first conservation groups to also issue statements celebrating the news.
About 80 per cent of the 3 million farmed salmon currently stocked in the island group are expected to be harvested by April, according to the fisheries ministry. Currently, just nine of the 19 licenced Discovery Islands farms contain salmon.
The 2012 Cohen Commission inquiry into the collapse of Fraser River sockeye recommended the removal of all salmon farms in these narrow waterways by September 2020 if they exceeded minimal risk to wild stocks. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) risk assessments this year found the impacts were below that critical threshold, but public pressure resulted in recent consultations and todaysa国际传媒檚 decision.
sa国际传媒淏ritish Columbians and Indigenous peoples have been very clear that they wanted to be part of the decisions of whatsa国际传媒檚 done in their coastal waters and territories. Wesa国际传媒檙e listening to them,sa国际传媒� Jordan said in a telephone interview. sa国际传媒淲hat we heard was they did not want [the farms] there.
sa国际传媒淚t was an extremely difficult decision for me. I know there are people whose jobs are impacted, communities that are impacted, and thatsa国际传媒檚 why I did not take this decision lightly.sa国际传媒�
The 18-month grace period allows time for the completion of the fishessa国际传媒� growth cycle before harvest, but operators are not permitted to add any new stocks to the Discovery Islands sites. The farms must be fish free by June 30, 2022.
DFO will immediately begin working with the industry on a transition plan.
READ MORE:
sa国际传媒楢 bad timesa国际传媒�: salmon farmers
The BC Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA) was disapointed by todaysa国际传媒檚 decision, and has previously stated they feel public opposition is mired in the belief of outdated practices that donsa国际传媒檛 account for innovations, monitoring standards and treatments put in place since the release of the Cohen Commission report eight years ago.
sa国际传媒淭his decision has significant implications and puts salmon farming in B.C. and across Canada at risk,sa国际传媒� BCSFA spokesperson Shawn Hall said. sa国际传媒淭his comes at a bad time, during a pandemic when local food supply and good local jobs have never been more important. We have just received this decision, and will be taking some time to consider it and speak with the numerous companies and communities involved in salmon farming in the province before commenting further.sa国际传媒�
According to the BCSFA the industry as a whole supports about 7,000 direct and indirect jobs in the province. Farmed salmon has a landed value of $772.5 million annually and is B.C.sa国际传媒檚 leading food export worth $562 million in 2019.
A recent report commissioned by the BCSFA shows the industry is poised to begin investments worth $1.4 billion over the next 30 years that could generate $44 billion in economic output and create 10,000 new jobs by 2050.
For that to happen, the sector needs to see a sa国际传媒減redictable policy approachsa国际传媒� to salmon farming from the provincial and federal governments.
Ottawa aims to develop a plan by 2025 to transition all open-net pens out of B.C. waters, which salmon-farm activists have interpreted as a move to in-land operations, but the industry says the ecological footprint and economic costs would be too great. Two likely options are closed and semi-closed containment systems that offer a physical barrier between farmed salmon and wild fish.
READ MORE:
It remains to be seen how todaysa国际传媒檚 decision will affect industry optimism, but Jordan said the sector will remain an important part of the federal governmentsa国际传媒檚 Blue Economy Strategy, as broad consultations on what that will look like begin in early 2021.
sa国际传媒淚 believe that aquaculture has a place on the B.C. coast. It employs thousands of people and is a really important part of the B.C. economy. But we want to make sure wesa国际传媒檙e working with them [industry] to make sure itsa国际传媒檚 sustainable sa国际传媒� and those are the kind of things that will be part of the consultation process going forward.sa国际传媒�
