QUESTION PERIOD — Fisheries and Oceans
Aquaculture
December 17, 2024
Senator Gold, the federal government’s move to ban net-pen farming of salmon in British Columbia will cost billions annually in lost revenue and thousands of jobs. This isn’t even taking into consideration coastal First Nations communities’ self-determination. The government’s own action plan says:
Many First Nations and coastal communities that rely on the economic and employment opportunities associated with open net-pen salmon aquaculture are rural and remote with limited economic opportunities.
They also say:
. . . First Nations are united in their concerns about potential negative economic impacts on Indigenous communities and business owners as the sector transitions away from open net-pen technologies . . . .
When will this government listen to their own senior advisers and come up with a realistic plan around net-pen salmon farming and First Nations’ rights?
Thank you for your question. The government is committed, and remains committed, to both protecting wild salmon and promoting more sustainable aquaculture practices. As you correctly pointed out, these issues come together in many areas, including in B.C. — but it is only one such area. The East Coast is also facing these issues.
Over the last several years, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans has heard a wide range of opinions, concerns and views on open net-pen salmon aquaculture in British Columbia. The government remains committed to ensuring a responsible, realistic and achievable transition that will encourage innovative forms of aquaculture production for a more sustainable future.
Thank you. The release of the draft transition plan came three months late. The government has said that the final transition plan will be released in 2025. When does the government anticipate the release of the final plan?
Thank you for your question. I don’t have a timetable. I know that discussions with stakeholders and consultations with Indigenous communities and other interested parties are a necessary part of getting this right. That is because with some issues, economic, environmental, ecological and community interests pull in different directions. I will certainly raise your concerns about the timetable with the minister, but I don’t have a specific answer for you today.
