Salmon Farming Company "Cermaq" at Heart of British Columbia Controversy

On April 22nd, Federal Court judge Elizabeth Heneghan set aside the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ order to phase out fish farming on British Columbia’s west coast. The order was laid aside on the basis that it “breached the right to procedural fairness owed to the 19 fish farms expected to shut down by the end of June.” according to CBC.

The announcement comes at a critical time; opposition to farmed fish has grown in recent months, especially in remote communities on Vancouver Island, where the effects of fish farming are of great concern. In Tofino, a “Wild Salmon Flotilla” is planned for May 7th; participants will sail into Tofino Harbour, in Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation territory. Participants have planned to arrive on kayaks, canoes, paddle boards, and boats. Those who do not have access to a watercraft are invited to contact Ocean Outfitters, Paddle West, or Tofino Paddle School, all of whom are offering free seats on boats attending the flotilla, according to Clayoquot Action.

credit: Cermaq

After a series of storms which pounded the west coast, as they do every winter, the docks on which Cermaq’s fish farms operate began to sink. What followed was a mass die-off of farmed Atlantic salmon, and a handful of sea lions became trapped in the pens. Depicted in an Instagram post by @clayoquot.action sea lions appear to lie on the half-submerged docks, unable to leave the pens due to the mesh fences which have been erected, and many more remain trapped inside, feasting on fish.

While Cermaq described the situation as “a breach event”, conservationists were far more straight-forward with their observations. Bonny Glambeck of Clayoquot Action Society explained that nearby marina animals were having “an all-you-can-eat buffet”, feasting on the salmon.

Conservationists are concerned that sea lions may have entered the pens through holes, potentially leaving room for farmed fish to escape into the Clayoquot Sound: a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Seafood Watch has placed farmed Atlantic salmon from Canada, specifically BC’s waters, on their list of seafoods to avoid. Their overall rating, or “score”, is very low due to the use of strong chemicals and pesticides used for their farming, and the high amounts of disease found in the fish. Since 2012, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (the DFO) has been aware of the issues related to disease among farmed salmon. This was specifically supported by a study conducted by Kirsti Miller-Saunders, which found that farmed fish had many illnesses and complications due to a Piscine orthoreovirus. The results were not released under the Harper government, and were not to be released under the Trudeau government until April of 2022. This lack of transparency comes at an already turbulent time for both BC-based fish farmers and their opponents.

Wild salmon are an integral part of life for First Nations in BC. According to Hereditary Chief Don Svanik of Namgis First Nation, salmon are “an intrinsic part of us.” Wild First Canada reports that “102 First Nations support a removal of open pen fish farms from BC waters”, highlighting the emotional impact of such farming methods on Indigenous Canadians. In Agassiz, President of the Sto:Lo Tribal Council Tyrone McNeil says that much of First Nation culture and heritage is passed down through fishing, at fish camps during the summer.

The future of wild salmon and farmed salmon are equally uncertain, as debates about lost revenue, lost jobs and lost fish rage on. Until a clear plan and stance by BC and the DFO is developed, the fate of the wild, and farmed salmon industry will remain unclear.