Transitioning open net pen fish farms out of BC waters by 2025

The federal government has announced that all open net pen fish farms will be removed from the Discovery Islands by June 30th, 2022, and has mandated the creation of a plan to transition all remaining open net pen salmon farming in coastal waters to closed containment systems by 2025.

Benefits of land based closed containment

Environment

  • Wild Pacific salmon would no longer be exposed to the parasites, pathogens and pollutants from open net pen fish farms.
  • Wild Pacific salmon support a rich and interconnected diversity of species in BC, including killer whales, grizzly bears bald eagles, herring, and old growth forests. A larger and more resilient wild salmon population will benefit the more than 100 species that rely on these fish for survival.

Economy

  • Recovering Pacific wild salmon stocks to historic levels would reinvigorate the commercial and sport fishing sectors, adding $1.5 billion to the economy, not to mention ensuring a sustainable livelihood for generations to come.
  • A transition to land based closed containment systems will attract investment and create clean, sustainable BC jobs.

Community

  • Wild Pacific salmon are critical to the ways of life of First Nations in BC.
  • The wild salmon economy supports generations of families, across many sectors – commercial and sport fishing, ecotourism, food services and the supply chains that support these industries.

Our plan for a reasonable and collaborative transition:

1. Moratorium on new leases and licenses for open net pen fish farms.

2. Ensure no PRV infected smolts are allowed for stocking fish farms.


3. Require a commitment of conversion to closed containment fish farms for all licenses & lease renewals.


4. Incentivize conversion of existing open net pen farms to closed containment operations.


5. Facilitate skills training and assistance to allow current fish farm workers to retrain.


6. Expeditiously remove open ocean fish farms from traditional Indigenous territories where the appropriate Indigenous authority requests removal.


7. Open and transparent audit of farming practices.

Get involved

Give wild Pacific salmon a fighting chance. Show your support for ending open-net pen fish farming in BC waters. Together, we can put wild first, and build a future based on clean, sustainable BC jobs.

Sign the Wild First Pledge