First Nations groups in Canada assert right to decisions on finfish aquaculture

A group of 17 first nations in British Columbia, Canada have formed the Coalition of First Nations for Finfish Stewardship and are calling on the Canadian government to leave decisions on finfish aquaculture in their territory to them. 

In a statement, the coalition is asserting its right to make decisions in its lands and waters, specifically stating members of the coalition “will choose if, when, and how the sector operates in our waters.”

The position statement comes as the future of finfish aquaculture in British Columbia remains relatively murky. In late 2020, the Canadian government suddenly announced it planned to phase out all existing salmon farming facilities in the Discovery Islands within 18 months – a period that ended June 2022. However, a court case overturned the order in May 2022.

Other salmon farms in B.C. had their licenses renewed for two more years, but Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans continued to assert that it planned to transition away from open-net pen salmon aquaculture in the province. To that end, the province started the transition process in August 2022 with an “engagement towards a plan” on the transition away from net-pen salmon farming. 

Canadian Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard Joyce Murray has not yet issued a final decision on whether salmon farming in the Discovery Islands should be phased out. But the Coalition of First Nations for Finfish Stewardship said the decision should be ...