SHARE
Canada is moving to phase out some British Columbia salmon farms. Fisheries and Oceans Canada image.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced on Dec. 17 it plans to phase out all existing salmon farming facilities in the Discovery Islands – located in British Columbia – with the upcoming 18-month period being the last time the area can be licensed.
According to the announcement by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Jordan did as asked and worked with local indigenous communities to plan the phase-out of net-pen aquaculture in the Discovery Islands.
“These facilities are some of the oldest sites on the West Coast and are located on the traditional territory of the Homalco, Klahoose, K’ómoks, Kwaikah, Tla’amin, We Wai Kai and Wei Wai Kum First Nations. Consultations with the seven First Nations in the Discovery Islands area provided important guidance to the minister and heavily informed the decision,” Fisheries and Oceans Canada stated. “This approach also aligns with
Get The Narwhal in your inbox!
People always tell us they love our newsletter. Find out yourself with a weekly dose of our ad‑free, independent journalism
Your email
Subscribe
Founded by two Norwegian cousins with an environmental ethos, Atlantic Sapphire got its start in Hvide Sande, a windswept Danish fishing village on the North Sea, where the company raised small batches of market-ready salmon that never dipped a fin in the ocean or a river. Today, the company is poised to become the largest producer of land-based Atlantic salmon in the world.
Claire, originally from France, is Atlantic Sapphire’s chief sales and marketing officer. He’s clean-shaven, has a movie-star accent and waves his hands around when he speaks. His enthusiasm is palpable, even through Zoom and a wonky internet connection.
Shutting down salmon farms in BC begins in 2022 - BC News castanet.net - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from castanet.net Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A total of 19 sites, owned by Mowi, Cermaq, Grieg Seafoods and two smaller firms, will be phased out in the region after the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) consulted with representatives from the aquaculture sector and First Nations groups who have traditional territories in the area, including the Homalco, Klahoose, K’ómoks, Kwaikah, Tla’amin, We Wai Kai (Cape Mudge) and Wei Wai Kum (Campbell River) First Nations.
Licenses for the 19 sites were scheduled to expire on Dec. 18. Of those, nine are fallow.
Fish that are currently in Discovery Island netpens will be allowed to complete their production cycle, but must be completely empty by June 30, 2022.
Federal Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan announced Thursday that controversial fish farms in the Discovery Islands on the West Coast will be phased out over the next 18 months.
Jordan’s decision follows consultations with seven First Nations whose traditional territories fall within the Discovery Islands and heated public debate around the fate of the fish farms and the harms they might pose to dramatically declining wild salmon stocks.
“This is a very difficult decision, but it reflects the wishes of the seven First Nations in the area because they were very concerned about those farms being located in their territory,” Jordan told