A huge WIN for Washington State and wild Pacific salmon! “Today, we are returning our waters to wild fish and natural habitat. Today, we are freeing Puget Sound of enclosed cages.” – Hilary Franz, WA state public lands commissioner.  It’s time  for Canada’s Federal Government to act on their promise to voters and transition open-net pens out […]

“We are deeply concerned that wild salmon runs in B.C. have suffered from the impacts of fragmented management decisions at both the federal and provincial levels, decisions that have contributed to the precarious extinction-level state of wild salmon and which must now be corrected if we are to see wild salmon runs successfully rebound,” says […]

“The First Nation Wild Salmon Alliance (FNWSA) has growing concern that the current DFO fish farm transition planning process is horribly flawed,” says Bob Chamberlin – Chair FNWSA. Listen to full interview on CKNW 980 AM here.

“First Nations critical of salmon farms are convinced that what’s in the works is a watered-down version of Ottawa’s promise.” DFO’s public survey is suggesting options like “semi-closed,” “hybrid,” or “offshore” farms in the ocean – this means open-net pen salmon farms will remain in BC waters. Help say no to band-aid solutions. Click here for the […]

Environment commissioner warns the Department of Fisheries and Oceans is failing to protect commercially valuable fish, including Chinook salmon. “Fisheries and Oceans Canada does not adequately protect aquatic species at risk, and demonstrates a bias against protecting species bearing commercial value.” Read full article on The Globe and Mail here.

The results are in: “There was such an immediate reaction; when the farms are removed, the fish are clean right away.” Removing open net pen salmon farms protects wild Pacific salmon. 17 fish farms operated by Marine Harvest Canada and Cermaq Canada have now transitioned out of Broughton Archipelago. Closures to date have shown positive impacts on […]

Strong sockeye salmon returns seen in BC – but sockeye returns are down 60% in the Fraser River where open net pen salmon farms are in the path of migrating salmon. DFO’s open net pen salmon farm transition plan must ensure removal of all salmon farms from BC waters by 2025. Watch the video on […]

Sockeye salmon returns down by 60% in the Fraser River; but returns are up 50-60% in BC regions where salmon don’t need to run the gauntlet of fish farms.   Hear from Bob Chamberlin, Chair of the First Nation Wild Salmon Alliance, on CKNW 980 AM – “Weekend Mornings with Stirling Faux.” 

Far from “sustainable”, ocean-based Atlantic salmon farms are actually petri dishes for parasites, bacteria and viruses. With so many of these farms “located on salmon migration routes”, these pathogens are inevitably spreading to wild salmon through the open nets. Read the full article from Washington Post.

According to revised estimates of the Pacific Salmon Commission, “this year’s returns of Fraser River sockeye salmon are falling drastically short of pre-season forecasts”. “To see the Fraser River runs decline so precipitously by comparison ‘is very disturbing,’” says Greg Taylor, a fisheries adviser for the Watershed Watch Salmon Society. Read the full article from […]