In a recent Penticton Western News article by Black Press Media, both wild salmon advocates and the aquaculture industry say the federal government has gone quiet on how it intends to implement the ban on open-net pen salmon farming in British Columbia, scheduled to take effect in 2029. Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson said in Victoria on August 20th that the plan remains in place, but noted the file has moved to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and declined to say more.

Bob Chamberlin, chair of the First Nation Wild Salmon Alliance, described the response to his repeated calls and emails to both departments as “absolute silence,” and worries the Carney government’s focus on jobs and the economy has stalled transition planning.

Industry representatives report the same lack of clarity, while B.C.’s Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Randene Neill, says the province has been asking about the plan for years and maintains that open-net farms pose real risks to migrating salmon populations. The article notes that 61 open-net farms remain active in B.C., down from more than 100 before the ban was announced, and that advocates want fully closed containment to be the only option permitted after June 30th, 2029.

With less than three years to go, Ottawa needs to confirm its commitment and deliver a credible transition plan that protects wild Pacific salmon, and gives coastal communities certainty.

Read more online at: https://pentictonwesternnews.com/2026/08/27/advocates-industry-looking-for-answers-on-2029-fish-farm-ban-amid-ottawas-silence/