Two year renewal of fish farm licenses

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced a two-year renewal of licences for marine finfish aquaculture facilities outside of the Discovery Islands. 

“I have mixed opinions about the announcement. I think there's some good things and there are some not so good things,” said Stan Probosczc, senior scientist with the Watershed Watch Salmon Society. “They received a license for two years based on these conditions and those conditions are rules that the salmon farms need to follow. Part of the problem is, we actually don't have a copy of those rules yet.”

He has seen draft copies.

Probosczc identified the spread of parasites from farmed to wild fish as a key concern.

“We really know through observation over years and years, that the industry really isn't able to control the parasites on their farms. So that's something we're really gonna have to watch.”

He added, “I think this is good progress towards their federal promise to transition the industry out of British Columbia by 2025. I think the industry probably will not like this decision. It's gonna make their industry quite a bit more uncertain.”

Ruth Salmon, Interim Director of the BC Salmon Farmers Association, said, “While we were encouraged that the licenses had been renewed, significantly longer term licenses are really needed to encourage further investment in innovation and technology.”

She said that while the government says is it is looking looking for investment in innovation, short term licenses do not encourage investors.

“We remain committed to work with government, including our First Nation partners and their voices have been heard in this. That's very encouraging. I think together we can secure a bright future for salmon farming in British Columbia.”

“I think it's a positive first step because it gives us an opportunity to work with both levels of government including first nations, our partners that we work with on a path forward. So I think industry is encouraged by that.”

Details of a draft plan framework for transitioning from open-net pen salmon aquaculture will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

In its press release yesterday, DFO explained, “The transition plan will rely on input from the Government of British Columbia, First Nations, industry, local governments, stakeholders, and British Columbians. Consultations will run until early 2023. The feedback received during these consultations will be instrumental in the development of the final transition plan, expected in Spring 2023.”

While the press release uses the phrase ‘transition from open-net pen salmon aquaculture’ in three places, Ruth Salmon is encouraged by the fact it does not actually state the farms must move onto land.

“They talk about a transition plan that involves innovation and reduces interaction with wild salmon. They don't actually say ‘land.’ So I think until we see that that framework and how they're defining transition. I think we probably can't assume what it might look like,” she explained.

On April 22, a federal court ruled that former Federal Fisheries and Oceans Minister Bernadette Jordan breached the rights of B.C. salmon farmers to procedural fairness when she ordered them to phase out operations in the Discovery Islands by June 2022. 

Consequently, DFO will now conduct consultations with First Nations communities and current licence holders in the Discovery Islands on the future of salmon farm licences in this area. These consultations will inform a final decision expected in January 2023.

If the licenses are renewed, one of the first farms to go operational could be at Raza Island, just off the northern tip of Cortes. Cermaq Canada has reassembled the site and is poised to put its nets back into the water.