As the federal government considers bringing in new laws to govern fish farms, there is widespread skepticism that the government will act in the public interest.

Tensions surrounding salmon farming are running particularly high in British Columbia where more than 100 operations dot the south and central coast. Many of the farms are located in the territory of First Nations who oppose open-net fish pens along wild salmon migratory routes.

‘Namgis First Nation Hereditary Chief Ernest Alfred says he finds the federal government’s consultation on potential new fish farming rules “a little suspect.”

“Let’s be honest, the federal government has, up until now, been pretty well blatantly helping this industry,” Alfred told DeSmog Canada.

Alfred said both the provincial and federal governments should realize that there can be no genuine reconciliation with First Nations while fish farms remain in the Broughton Archipelago.

“The economy on the coast is based on wild salmon,” he said. “This whole place is built on the bones and scales of the fish.”

In 2016 a Senate Committee recommended the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) introduce an Aquaculture Act and the department is now holding consultations on whether such legislation is needed and, if so, what shape it should take, spokeswoman Michelle Rainer told DeSmog Canada in an e-mail.

“Should a decision be made to develop proposed aquaculture legislation, the main aim would be to provide consistency and clarity for aquaculture operators across the country, while simultaneously reassuring Canadians that robust environmental measures are in place,” Rainer said.

DFO is wrapping up consultation sessions this month with First Nations, industry associations, licence holders, local governments and non-governmental organizations and feedback will be shared with the provinces, according to Rainer.

In the highly charged atmosphere surrounding salmon farming in B.C., suspicions about DFO’s promise of balancing industry benefits with protection of wild salmon are running at an all-time high.

The ‘Namgis First Nation, which has actively opposed salmon farming in its territory for decades, recently participated in a months-long occupation of a Marine Harvest fish farm in the Broughton Archipelago alongside the Musgamagw and Mamalililukulla First Nations.

In early March the ‘Namgis filed an application for an injunction against Marine Harvest, to prevent the company from restocking the nearby Swanson farm with up to one million Atlantic salmon smolts.

On March 26 federal Justice Michael Manson rejected the injunction request, telling the ‘Namgis their application was made too late. But Justice Manson agreed there is “real and non-speculative likelihood of harm” to the First Nation’s way of life due to fish-borne disease.

The ‘Namgis also applied for a judicial review of federal policy that allows fish to be placed into coastal farms without testing for piscine reovirus or heart and muscular disease.

“It is my opinion that the underlying application for judicial review should proceed as expeditiously as possible,” Manson said in his 41-page ruling.

Recent research found wild salmon that swim past fish farms are at a higher risk of contracting piscine reovirus, a virus that affects the health of fish hearts making it more difficult for them to swim upstream to reach spawning grounds. The Canadian Ministry of Agriculture estimates 80 per cent of Atlantic salmon farmed on the West Coast enter Pacific waters already infected with piscine reovirus.

As the federal government mulls over the need for an Aquaculture Act, the province is faced with the contentious problem of whether to renew 22 fish farm tenures of which 18 are in the Broughton Archipelago and opposed by six First Nations.

The tenures, which include Marine Harvest’s Swanson Island site, are due for renewal in June, meaning fish now being moved into the pens will not be ready for harvest until two years after the current licences expire.

British Columbia’s Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations Minister Doug Donaldson said it is too soon to speculate when a decision will be made on the tenures and government is holding discussions with First Nations.

There are opportunities for closed containment, but more work needs to be done, Donaldson said.

“There is one existing closed containment facility in B.C. and there are advancements in the technology in other parts of the world,” he said, adding the province is keeping a close eye on facilities in places like Scotland and Norway to see how B.C.’s industry could adapt.

Alfred says both governments are moving too slowly as there is already a dramatic collapse of sockeye and pink salmon runs around Kingcome and Knight Inlets.

“We know the fish farms are contributing and it’s only going to get worse,” he said.

Donaldson said he believes new aquaculture legislation could help.

“Given the federal government is the lead agency responsible for activities in Canada’s oceans, it’s important they have a strong regulatory framework in place. We share the same goal: to protect wild salmon,” Donaldson told DeSmog Canada.

Others are not so sure.

The fish farming industry has been lobbying for an Aquaculture Act since 2011, which arouses suspicions among those who want to see salmon farming moved into closed containment pens — a development that would mean dramatic changes for industry.

“One thing the industry is asking for is consistency around funding for marketing,” Stan Proboszcz, science and campaign advisor with Watershed Watch Salmon Society, told DeSmog Canada.

“Essentially, it sounds like they want more taxpayer dollars to market their industry.”

Proboszcz said he’s worried industry groups have been highly engaged with the government on the Aquaculture Act.

“Especially if the salmon farming industry is leading the charge on consultations with government, it’ll likely mean relaxed industry oversight, less monitoring, and growth of an industry that spews virus-ridden bloodwater into B.C. oceans,” he said.

Watershed Watch Salmon Society, along with Living Oceans Society, David Suzuki Foundation, Ecojustice, West Coast Environmental Law and many others, recently wrote a sharply worded letter to the federal government after the groups found Aquaculture Act consultations were being held among fish farm stakeholders on the East Coast of Canada, but not out West.

The letter outlined several governing principles for an Aquaculture Act which include moving open-net fish farms into closed containment systems, recognition of Indigenous rights, transparent reporting systems on the use of drugs, presence of disease, lice and parasites and a strong restriction on the introduction of diseased fish into B.C. waters.

The letter resulted in government meetings being arranged with western groups but Proboszcz said the process is moving too fast, with a federal recommendation expected this June.

“I believe that, given all the problems this industry has faced recently in B.C. around viruses and diseases, escaped fish moving into our waters from Washington…everyday British Columbians deserve to have an opportunity at this stage to provide their input — not down the road when the big decisions on direction have already been made,” he said.

The Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance which represents ocean farmers of seafood says legislation is needed to set clear, consistent national standards.

“(The Act) would allow for much greater federal-provincial coordination in how our industry is managed. This will simplify cross-provincial operations and focus attention on creating sound, science-based rules,” the alliance said in a statement.

“Rather than being regulated under a 150 year old Fisheries Act, the Aquaculture Act would recognize our industry as a farming activity — consistent with the approach of other leading jurisdictions around the world.”

The Narwhal’s reporters are telling environment stories you won’t read about anywhere else. Stay in the loop by signing up for our free weekly dose of independent journalism.

Fish farm opponents and proponents alike are waiting with bated breath as a bill to phase out open net pen aquaculture farms in Washington State sits on Governor Jay Inslee’s desk for final approval.

If Governor Inslee signs the bill, it would mean the end of farmed Atlantic salmon reared in open net pens in every jurisdiction on the West Coast of North America — except British Columbia. Alaska practices a controversial form of salmon ranching, but the state, along with California and Oregon, does not allow open net pen fish farm operations.

As pressure mounts on Washington State, where a mere 10 fish farms are in operation, attention has turned to British Columbia where more than 100 fish farms dot the southern and central coasts.

B.C. mulls moving fish farms with expired tenures — but where?

The B.C. government is currently considering whether or not to renew the tenure of 22 operations, 18 of which are clustered in the Broughton Archipelago, a narrow wild salmon migratory route between the mainland and Vancouver Island where local First Nations have historically opposed the aquaculture industry.

A spokesperson from Inslee’s office told DeSmog Canada the Governor has “publicly stated that he supports removing non-native fish from Washington state waters.”

The e-mailed statement read: “As fish don’t respect man-made borders, it would likely have an impact on British Columbia. However, the governor’s office believes that B.C. should do what is best for the province.”

Doug Donaldson, B.C. Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development told DeSmog Canada, “we’re aware of what is happening in Washington state, which does not affect the process we’re following in B.C.”

“We’re committed to wild salmon,” the minister said via an e-mailed statement. “We’re engaged with First Nations on a government to government basis to address concerns that First Nations have with fish farms in their territories.

“What’s happening in Washington State is really exciting for those of us trying to get farms out of the water in B.C. for the last two decades,” said Aaron Hill, executive director and ecologist with Watershed Watch Salmon Society.

“There’s growing evidence that fish farms spread diseases and parasites to wild salmon and the Washington State government has recognized that and they’ve taken real action that we need B.C. to follow suit with.”

Hill said some B.C. politicians have floated moving the fish farm tenures to ocean areas outside the Broughton Archipelago, an idea he said doesn’t represent a true solution.

“Sure, you’d get these fish farms out of these migratory choke points, but they’d still be out there spreading diseases and viruses in someone else’s territory.”

When asked if the B.C. government is considering relocating farmed fish operations from the Broughton Archipelago to alternate locations, the department of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development provided a statement saying, “the province is concerned about protecting wild salmon and the migratory routes that they use and is interested in moving to closed containment where feasible.”

The state of B.C.’s salmon stocks

Pressure escalated in Washington State in August of 2017 after a net at a fish farm, owned and operated by the Canadian company Cooke Aquaculture, failed, releasing over 240,000 farmed Atlantic salmon, considered an invasive species, into the Pacific.

In February the results of a multi-agency investigation into the incident found Cooke Aquaculture failed to adequately maintain its nets, which were burdened 100 tonnes of mussels and debris, causing a ‘reckless disregard’ for the state’s waters and people.

The report was swiftly followed by proposed legislation to phase-out the industry.

State senator, Democrat Kevin Ranker, said Washington’s efforts will be less effective if B.C. doesn’t follow suit.

“The salmon, the orca whale, the ecosystem doesn’t recognize the international boundary,” Ranker told the Canadian Press.

“So what we have to do is manage our transboundary region in a responsible way. And I hope Washington state will pass this legislation and move in this direction and I hope that British Columbia will do the same.”

In B.C., where wild salmon stocks have been in a precipitous decline for several years, critics say not enough has been done to monitor stocks and eliminate threats.

The 2012 Commission of Inquiry into the Decline of Sockeye Salmon in the Fraser River, headed by Justice Bruce Cohen, cost taxpayers more than $37 million and made 75 recommendations designed to save wild salmon runs after the disastrous 2009 sockeye run.

But according to Watershed Watch Salmon Society, very few of those recommendations have been acted on, including the removal of fish farms from the Inside Passage if they’re found to represent even a minimal risk to wild salmon.

“There’s this huge range of threats to our salmon runs and the viruses and parasites from salmon farms are something we can actually do something about. We can actually remove that threat,” Hill said.

“It’s not the only thing. It’s not a silver bullet but it’s an important thing we can do.”

Stan Proboszcz, science and campaign advisor with Watershed Watch, said the need to help wild stocks rebound is becoming more urgent.

“Just look at the recent announcement with regard to Fraser sockeye: 8 of the 24 populations are listed as endangered. Those fish swim directly through the migratory bottleneck that is filled with samlon farms that amplify parasites and diseases.”

“Removing salmon farms from wild salmon migration routes would go a long way.”

Proboszcz pointed to a 2008 bipartisan provincial report that recommended the aquaculture industry be transitioned to closed containment.

“I think the biggest barrier to be quite honest is political leadership — and not just currently but for a long time.”

Farmed Atlantic salmon in a closed containment land-based fish farm, Kuterra, run by the ‘Namgis First Nation in Port McNeill. Photo: Kuterra

Land-based fish farms ‘the answer’: First Nations chief

Don Svanvik, chief counsellor for ‘Namgis First Nation, said it’s clear to him the future of salmon farming in B.C. is land-based.

“It’s the answer,” Svanvik told DeSmog Canada. “The godfather of all of this — Norway — is even moving to land-based farms now.”

“If you look at the history of fish farms in Norway, all the trouble they’ve had with disease and sea lice, it’s no wonder they’re going on land. And all the problems they’ve had there we’re having here now.”

Svanvik said when it comes to land-based fish farming in B.C., his nation has already proven it’s feasible.

Kuterra, an onland closed containment fish farming system, is owned and operated in Port McNeill by the ‘Namgis.

Josephine Mrozewski, spokesperson for Kuterra, said the operation is the primary example in North America of the promise of land-based Atlantic salmon farming.

Started in March 2013, Kuterra began selling land-farmed salmon on the market in April of 2014.

“When we started it was to prove out the viability of the biology, the technology and the business case for doing things this way,” Mrozewski said. “We really have fulfilled our mission.”

Kuterra, which was started with philanthropic funding, is now seeking outside investment to scale up production.

Salmon harvest at Kuterra. Photo courtesy of Kuterra.

The company produces 300 tonnes of farmed salmon each year but estimates it needs to get to 1,200 tonnes to be profitable.

B.C. has a huge advantage when it comes to developing a land-based aquaculture industry, Mrozewski said, because much of the infrastructure and expertise is already in place.

“What is adding urgency is the U.S. is catching up quickly.”

A single Florida facility in development is expected to produce as much land-based salmon as is produced in all of B.C. waters as early as 2020.

A surprising amount of salmon can be produced in on-land facilities, Mrozewski said, estimating all of B.C.’s open net operations could be reproduced in a single facility less than half the size of Stanley Park.

“Our footprint is very small. But it does take a lot of money,” she said, adding costs are declining now that ventures like Kuterra have smoothed the learning curve.

The ‘Namgis have recently appealed to the courts for an injunction to prevent Marine Harvest from restocking its operation near Swanson Island.

All three parties in B.C. have emphasized the importance of protecting wild salmon.

“But we need to see meaningful action soon,” Proboszcz said. “Otherwise we’re just going to keep hearing horror stories in the news.”

The Narwhal’s reporters are telling environment stories you won’t read about anywhere else. Stay in the loop by signing up for our free weekly dose of independent journalism.