Canada finally unveils draft of its Salmon Aquaculture Transition Plan for BC

After announcing there would be no more open net-pen salmon farming in British Columbia by 2029, Canada's Federal Government also said Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) would release a draft transition plan by the end of July 2024. The Government missed the deadline and now it was not DFO but Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) that has finally unveiled the promised draft Salmon Aquaculture Transition Plan for BC, although it is finally a reality.

The plan insists that collaboration among all parties involved - with special emphasis on First Nations - is critical to a successful transition.

"The Government of Canada's Salmon Aquaculture Transition Plan for British Columbia lays out a responsible approach to transform the marine salmon aquaculture sector in B.C., while working with First Nations, workers, communities, and Canadians throughout the transition," ISED's release states.

To make the transition of salmon farming a success, the draft outlines the way forward in four key areas: support for First Nations, workers, and communities; financial support for the adoption of innovative and clean aquaculture technologies; establishment of milestones and criteria for the phase-out of salmon open net-pen aquaculture; and management of open net-pen salmon farming until full implementation of the ban.

New licenses for closed containment salmon aquaculture will be for nine years

According to the Canadian Federal Government's vision, this transition plan offers significant opportunities for growth and leadership in innovative and sustainable salmon farming. It will also serve, they say, to make British Columbia a world leader in the adoption of innovative and clean aquaculture technology; and to support long-term food security while protecting ecosystems and wild salmon for future generations.

The draft again makes mention of the "responsible transition" to which the Canadian Fisheries and Oceans Minister, Diane Lebouthillier, has referred on several occasions. It says that "a responsible transition will ensure that the phase out and ban on open net-pen salmon aquaculture takes place in a clear, orderly manner."

To achieve this, it is announced that DFO will introduce amendments to the 'Pacific Aquaculture Regulations' to prohibit open net-pen salmon aquaculture, and closed containment technology will be required to ensure waste disposal and filtration or treatment of discharged water.

In addition, Fisheries and Oceans will work with First Nations and aquaculture businesses to develop transition strategies for individual licenses, and the federal and BC governments and First Nations will collaborate to review the process associated with decommissioning sites. Starting immediately, Canada's DFO will consider new license applications for closed containment salmon aquaculture for nine years.

Likewise, the draft includes indications on how open net-pen salmon aquaculture will be managed until the ban is fully implemented. In addition to insisting on the idea that such management will be done in collaboration with First Nations, the document states that monitoring and supervision will be strengthened over the next five years.

According to what is published by ISED Canada, during this time standards will be increased. In practice, this will mean that, for example, the permitted thresholds for sea lice during wild salmon migration periods will be lowered or new requirements for reporting interactions with marine mammals will be established.

There will also be new inventory accounting requirements, including production cycle data on harvest, mortality, predator interactions and escapes, and during those five years, detailed reports on industry performance and compliance will be published.

The transition will "disproportionately" impact some of BC's most vulnerable populations

As mentioned above, the draft includes continued mention of collaboration with First Nations on the Salmon Aquaculture Transition Plan for implementation in BC. This plan - says the document - will ensure that First Nations can develop unique responses that address the concerns and issues of specific communities.

"The Plan provides a framework for assessment and implementation, while allowing for customization related to the unique situations and aspirations of individual First Nations," it claims. However, the draft also recognizes the difficult situation that this decision by the Government of Canada will cause in some already vulnerable areas.

"The journey ahead will require a significant amount of cooperation and collaboration between multiple levels of government," says ISED's release. "Open net-pen salmon aquaculture in B.C. is an important economic driver for a number of First Nations and coastal communities. This transition will disproportionately impact some of the province's most vulnerable populations, many of whom are already contending with a number of other challenges," it recognizes. 

While outlining now the broad themes that will support the transition, the Government announces it will invite feedback and collaboration from affected parties in the development of the final draft of the Salmon Aquaculture Transition Plan for BC to be published in 2025. Public consultation will take place both before and also after publication.

Over the next ten years, together with its partner agencies, Canada's Government will produce an annual update on progress related to the implementation of the Plan that will be made publicly available.

Industry asks for time to review the draft before making a pronouncement

Just as mentions of collaboration with First Nations are continuous in the draft, mentions of industry are less so. It is mentioned, of course, but not as insistently. Nevertheless, the BC Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA) reported last Friday that it had received the draft transition framework and would now take time to review it.

"Our sector has submitted thousands of pages of documentation to the federal government to show its commitment to this process, and our hope is that these efforts are reflected in the draft transition framework," the BCSFA said in a brief release.

However, BC salmon farmers continued to stress the timeline for the transition to closed containment by 2029 is unrealistic, unachievable, and risks significant negative impacts on the sector and the communities that depend on it.

"We remain committed to evolving responsibly in partnership and/or agreement with First Nations in whose territories we operate to enhance wild salmon recovery efforts, support self-determination and the path of reconciliation with BC First Nations, reduce any potential risks from farming, foster economic growth in rural and coastal communities, drive technological innovation and development and build a thriving Blue Economy in BC," the BC Salmon Farmers Association added.

Representatives of the aquaculture industry in British Columbia added they would have more to say in the coming days as they review the draft transition framework in more detail. At the time of writing this news, they had not yet made a new statement.