Fish farm near Vancouver, in British Columbia, Canada.
Photo: Adobe Stock.
"It is time to expand the role of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to properly and rightfully embrace the seafood farming sector." So explains the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA) the ultimate goal behind its "Aquaculture is Agriculture" campaign, calling for federal government leadership in the growth and development of aquaculture as part of the fabric of a competitive, innovative, and sustainable Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector.
Thus, as part of this demand and on behalf of the Canadian aquaculture community, CAIA President & CEO Timothy J. Kennedy, along with the leaders of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, the NL Aquaculture Industry Association, the PEI Aquaculture Alliance, the Aquaculture Association of Nova Scotia, the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association, the Ontario Aquaculture Association, the BC Salmon Farmers Association, and the BC Shellfish Growers Association, have sent an open letter to the country's provincial and territorial Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries.
"We ask you to undertake a pathway that allows for a new approach to aquaculture development in Canada," the aquaculture leaders say in that letter, which also pledges to work with them to create "lasting value and flourishing communities" through the seafood farming sector across Canada.
"We have a special responsibility in Canada with some of the greatest biophysical capacity on the planet. With highly skilled people, and many coastal communities waiting for new opportunities and renewal, precision farming of our waters is a unique blessing for Canada," reads the letter.
"It is time to move beyond Canada's mediocre performance," it continues. The Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance and the other signatories point out that, for more than twenty years, Canadian aquaculture production has remained stagnant, utilizing only a small fraction of its potential.
"We need a new vision and government leadership to support us to the next level of production and excellence in aquaculture production. You are the leaders that can and must be bold to achieve this," they continue.
"We can together build a sector that leads the world with job creation, skilled workers, Indigenous economic and reconciliation opportunities, low-carbon, healthy and affordable home-grown protein production, and renewed coastal communities," seafood farming representatives add.
To achieve that joint objective, defined in the letter as "a new springtime in seafood development and coastal community revitalization," the CAIA and the other associations behind the "Aquaculture is Agriculture" campaign propose the following four areas of action:
Science must be the foundation. Re-establishing science as the foundation for aquaculture development is a long-standing demand of the industry in Canada. "A re-commitment to objective scientific advice as the foundation for policy decisions is necessary," the letter says. Seafood farmers recognize that in aquaculture, as in any human activity, there is no such thing as zero risk, but they also say that postponing economic development puts the health of individuals, families, and communities at risk. "Governments must be clear on acceptable levels of environmental risk to make predictable and reasonable decisions for project development," they note.
The BC open-net pen ban must be removed. The letter states that the Federal Government's 2024 decision to ban open-net salmon farming in British Columbia by 2029 is "scientifically, economically and technologically irresponsible," and recalls the provincial and territorial Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries that it immediately led to a halt in investments. As the BC salmon farmers had already asked the new executive in mid-May, the letter sent by CAIA now demands the urgent removal of such a ban "in favour of a clear performance-based pathway that establishes stabilization, future growth and attracts investment in innovation and new technologies."
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) must be the federal aquaculture champion. In Canada, decisions on aquaculture are made by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). However, aquaculture representatives believe that DFO is a regulatory and habitat-protecting agency, but not equipped to support a modern, growth-oriented farming sector, so it is time for change. In their view, AAFC must be named the lead federal department for sector development, while DFO and CFIA continue to be regulators of the sector. "Aquaculture must finally be included in federal legislation as a farming activity consistent with international definitions," the letter claims.
Modernize shellfish sector management and risk supports. Despite the significant economic, environmental and food safety potential of shellfish aquaculture across Canada, its growth is constrained by federal oversight that CAIA's letter describes as outdated. According to the letter, a modernized approach is needed, "one that ensures effective, coordinated delivery of public health protections while also enabling access to government-industry programs that provide stability and resilience for producers." To move this forward, the sector requests federal support for a pilot crop insurance program for shellfish aquaculture in Prince Edward Island, intending to inform a national approach to business risk management program access for shellfish farmers in all producing provinces.
"We ask you: provide a positive signal that aquaculture is an important part of Canada's future and together begin building a united vision for this future," the letter says. "For our part, we will increase our efforts to build public trust and constantly improve our practices," the signatories conclude.