In 2019, the federal government made a committment to transition away from open-net pen salmon farms in coastal BC waters and towards land-based closed-containment systems. A ban on open-net pen salmon farms in BC will now take effect on June 30, 2029. “We won’t be allowing restocking during that 5-year period,” says Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister […]

The federal government promised in 2019 to phase out open-net pen salmon farms in coastal BC waters. Yesterday, they announced that salmon farms must transition to land by 2029. “It benefits all British Columbians and so this is a very important day for wild salmon, but I think it’s a big day for reconciliation across […]

In 2019, the Liberal government made a committment to transition open-net pen salmon farms from coastal BC waters to protect declining wild Pacific salmon populations. Open-net pen salmon farms will be banned in BC waters by June 30, 2029. “Today, we are delivering on that promise and taking an important step in Canada’s path towards […]

The federal government has announced a ban on open-net pen salmon farms in coastal BC waters to protect wild Pacific salmon populations. This fulfills the Liberal government’s 2019 campaign promise. “The industry knew that changes were going to be made,” says Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard. BC is currently […]

The Liberal government intends to move ahead with its 2019 campaign commitment to put an end to open-net pen salmon farms in coastal BC waters. An announcement is expected on Wednesday. Sources say the government will renew the licenses for open-net pen salmon farms for another five years, responsibly matching the business cycle from hatchery […]

During the 2019 federal election, Prime Minister Trudeau pledged to transition away from open-net pen salmon farms by 2025. At the end of this month, all 85 fish farm licenses in BC will expire. However, the public is left in the dark as the federal government has yet to announce whether they will honour their […]

The First Nation Wild Salmon Alliance (FNWSA) sees the decision to not renew licences for salmon farms in the Discovery Islands as the beginning of a meaningful transition plan to protect wild Pacific salmon populations from the impacts of ocean-polluting Atlantic salmon farms. This plan would implement broad-stroke, fundamental reconciliation across the province while working […]

The Federal Court has rejected a bid by two First Nations and salmon farm operators to review Ottawa’s decision to not renew licences for 15 open-net pen Atlantic salmon farms in the waters off British Columbia. The written ruling from Judge Paul Favel says former Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray’s decision from February 2023 to not […]

BC is the last place on North America’s west coast with ocean-polluting Atlantic salmon farms. “There is broad consensus that open net fish farms have to go,” says Carla Qualtrough, Liberal MP for Delta. Qualtrough said the federal government’s commitment was to have the transition away from open-net pens complete by 2025, but it also […]

Over the last decade, Federal Ministers of Fisheries & Oceans Canada have consistently had to overrule Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) in order to ensure DFO executes on its primary responsibility to safeguard Canada’s fisheries and oceans resources. In 2023, former Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray embraced the Precautionary Approach in her decision to remove open-net […]