The Decision to Shut Down BC’s Salmon Farms is Undermining Canada’s (and the World’s!) Sustainable Food Future

Canada's move to ban open net-pen aquaculture threatens food security, coastal communities, and the global aquaculture industry's growth.

During the 2019 Canadian federal election, Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government announced a campaign promise to phase out open net-pen salmon farming in British Columbia. In June 2024, this plan was finally realized when the government announced plans to extend existing salmon farming licenses for another five years, but then instituting a band on open net pen salmon farming in British Columbia by 2029. 

While salmon farming has been a contentious topic in British Columbia for years, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) own best available science has continued to prove that the farms are operating in a sustainable way that poses minimal risk to wild salmon. 

And with British Columbia producing 87,000 tonnes of farmed salmon annually, it’s the province’s number one agri-food export. Furthermore, a 2017 report by the Advisory Council on Economic Growth identified aquaculture as a key growth sector to help Canada increase its share in agri-food products by 2027. 

The decision to allow the farms to continue operating should be an easy one.

Science says “green lights ahead”

While proponents of the ban say that it was put in place out of an abundance of caution in the effort to protect wild salmon, all the available science suggests that the farms don’t pose any significant threat to wild salmon populations. 

In April 2022, a federal court ruling reaffirmed conclusions from nine peer-reviewed reports that salmon aquaculture in BC poses “no more than a minimal risk of harm to the Fraser River Sockeye salmon. And a recent scientific report from the Government of Canada has concluded that sea lice on farmed salmon do not impact sea lice levels on wild juvenile salmon in British Columbia. 

Despite the years of scientific research that have proven that the salmon farms pose less than a minimal risk to wild salmon populations, the Canadian government made the decision to ban open net pen salmon farming in British Columbia as of June 2029. 

The Benefits of Aquaculture

By now, the benefits of aquaculture are well established, and many other developed countries have taken note and invested in aquaculture expansion. So much so, that the latest report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on the State of the World’s Fisheries and Aquaculture highlighted that aquaculture has officially surpassed wild capture production, reaching a total of 130.9 million tonnes, valued at USD 312.8 billion.

• Sustainability: Aquaculture is one of the most efficient ways to produce protein. Farmed fish have a lower feed conversion ratio compared to terrestrial livestock, meaning they require less feed to produce the same amount of protein. And seafood also has a significantly smaller carbon footprint than most land based proteins.

• Economic Growth: Aquaculture supports economic development in coastal and rural communities by creating jobs and stimulating local economies. The sector also contributes significantly to national GDP and export revenues.

• Food Security: With the global population expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, aquaculture plays a crucial role in ensuring a stable and sustainable food supply. It can help meet the growing demand for seafood without depleting wild fish stocks.

The Math Isn’t Adding Up

As of June 2029, open-net pen salmon farming will be banned in British Columbia. After this time, in order for salmon farming to continue in British Columbia it either needs to be in a closed-containment or land-based system.

This effectively gives current open net pen salmon farming operations five years to transition their operations to meet the government’s new requirements. 

Easier said than done. 

Modern salmon farming technology isn’t advanced enough yet to move all production on land within this timeframe. This transition could result in a massive loss of jobs and a decrease in food production.

A report commissioned by the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture and Food has concluded that it may not be economically viable to transition BC salmon farms to land-based salmon farming in British Columbia (BC). 

This type of land based production in BC currently represents less than 1% of farmed salmon production. Moving current levels of ocean farm production to land would require a direct investment of between (CAD) $1.8 billion to $2.2 billion (U.S. $1.3 billion to $1.6 billion).

Moving operations onto land also has significant environmental repercussions, including extensive land usage, increased water and energy consumption, and a larger carbon footprint—exactly what we don’t need during a climate crisis.

Closed containment may be a more realistic option for a five year transition, but no one will know for certain until closed containment parameters have been provided by the federal government. 

As of right now, “closed containment” has not been defined. So, the closed containment systems that the government will require as of June 2029 could be something as simple as a barrier method, like a sea lice skirts or bubble curtains, or it could require something much more substantial, as a fully closed system which virtually eliminates water exchange between the pen and the ecosystem.

The Canadian federal government is expected to release a draft salmon aquaculture transition plan by the end of July, which will provide clearer expectations for BC’s salmon farming industry. 

Concerns for the Future

There is a growing concern about a mass exodus of young people from the industry in Canada, nervousness about loss of investment, and apprehensions about the future of aquaculture globally.

Those within the industry are worried about how the closures will impact future investments, potentially halting or preventing further development of sustainable aquaculture in Canada. A loss of investment would be devastating for the industry and limit opportunities to introduce more sustainable technology to address some of the concerns about aquaculture production in Canada. It could also see Canada fall further behind on a global scale.

If we’re competing globally with countries that are advancing at a faster rate of development, we are at risk of being left behind.

These recent announcements also contradict some of Canada’s international commitments to be a leader in the blue economy. The seafood sector has the highest employment and contribution to GDP of all blue economy industries in Canada. But decisions like the one to transition away from open net-pen salmon farming are resulting in the loss of investment in Canada’s blue economy, as well as incomes and jobs for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants involved in seafood or supporting infrastructure and businesses.

Looking ahead

Aquaculture is the future. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) confirms that most of our seafood will come from aquaculture. Investing in aquaculture could stimulate economic growth in some of Canada’s more rural communities, create jobs for young people, and increase food production.

It’s disappointing to see such an important ocean country turn its back on the future of food in this way. The seafood industry is integral to the economic and social fabric of this country, and Canada has an unparalleled opportunity to be a global leader in sustainable seafood production.

By shutting down open net-pen salmon farms in British Columbia, Canada is not only jeopardizing its own position as a global leader in aquaculture but also endangering the world’s future access to sustainably farmed seafood. This decision undermines the potential for sustainable food production at a time when the world needs it most.