In a recent opinion piece for The Globe and Mail, Wild First Chair Tony Allard argues that Canada must take stronger action to protect declining wild salmon populations and the ecosystems, communities and cultures that depend on them. Wild Pacific salmon continue to face pressure from a range of threats, including climate change, habitat loss, […]

New research from the Marine Directorate of the Scottish Government has found farmed salmon DNA across roughly one fifth of Scotland’s salmon river network, adding to concerns about the long-term impacts escaped farmed salmon can have on wild populations. The study, Scotland’s most comprehensive assessment of wild salmon genetics to date, tested 6,639 juvenile wild […]

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 […]

In a recent Globe and Mail article, First Nations leaders and conservation groups are raising concerns that the federal government may retreat from its commitment to phase out open-net pen salmon farming in British Columbia by June 30, 2029. The concerns follow a lack of clarity from the Carney government about whether it intends to […]

New research from UBC and the Pacific Salmon Foundation has documented tenacibaculosis in wild Chinook salmon for the first time. The bacterial disease, which causes skin and fin ulcers and can lead to death, was detected in 16% of Chinook sampled in Barkley Sound, with high associated mortality. Tenacibaculosis is already one of the most […]

In a recent Vancouver Sun column, Tony Allard argues that B.C. Premier David Eby must push the federal government to follow through on its commitment to end open-net pen salmon farming in British Columbia by 2029. The column points to growing concern that Ottawa could weaken or delay the transition under pressure from the salmon […]

Researchers have documented a deadly bacterial disease in wild Chinook salmon off the west coast of Vancouver Island for the first time. The study found signs of tenacibaculosis in 16 per cent of the 99 Chinook salmon sampled in Barkley Sound. The disease, which can cause severe skin and fin damage and lead to mortality, […]

A new policy paper from the University of Exeter is calling on the United Kingdom to establish a national centre for land-based seafood production—or risk falling behind in the global shift toward modern aquaculture. The proposed centre would bring together research, regulation, workforce training and business development to accelerate investment in recirculating aquaculture systems, known […]

Wild salmon are deeply connected to the people, wildlife, forests and communities of British Columbia’s coast. In a recent article, Clayoquot Action Executive Director Dan Lewis explains why protecting these vital populations requires removing open-net pen salmon farms from coastal waters. The article outlines concerns about the spread of pathogens, parasites and waste from open-net […]

In a recent Business in Vancouver opinion piece, Wild First founder Tony Allard argues that Canada has an opportunity to become a global leader in land-based fish farming while protecting wild Pacific salmon. The article calls on the federal government to honour its commitment to remove open-net pen salmon farms from British Columbia’s coastal waters. […]