12 minute read
Difficult agenda for the new Fisheries Minister
BC at the crossroads
Canada’s new Fisheries Minister has inherited a fi erce controversy
BY ROBERT OUTRAM AND VINCE MCDONAGH
THE news in October that Joyce Murray had been appointed as Canada’s Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Na� onal Coastguard was greeted with warm words from the country’s fi sh farming industry.
The Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance issued a diploma� cally worded statement congratula� ng Murray on her appointment.
It said: “Our members would like to welcome the Honourable Joyce Murray as the new Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and Canadian Coast Guard, and express their enthusiasm to work together to realise the opportuni� es for Canada through sector development.
“According to the United Na� ons’ Food and Agriculture Organiza� on, the global and domes� c demand for seafood con� nues to increase 7% to 10% a year. The new government has commi� ed to ensuring that Canada is posi� oned to succeed in the fast-growing global sector of the blue economy.”
Grieg Seafood also warmly welcomed Murray. Grieg Seafood BC (Bri� sh Columbia) Managing Director Rocky Boschman said: “On behalf of myself and Grieg Seafood, I would like to extend a warm welcome to Minister Murray and her team. We look forward to reaching out to both her and her staff in the coming weeks to extend these sen� ments directly, as well as extend an invita� on to come and view our opera� ons and learn more about Grieg, our employees and our fi sh, as well as our commitment to con� nuous improvement, innova� on and the adap� on of technology into our opera� ons.”
The coming year may see rela� ons turn fros� er, however. Murray was appointed as the successor Bernade� e Jordan, who failed to win re-elec� on last year despite her party, the Liberals, returning to power. Like Jordan, Murray has a reputa� on for being cri� cal of aquaculture’s environmental impact and she has inherited a crucially important court case over the industry’s future.
In December 2020, Jordan eff ec� vely ordered an end to net-pen fi sh farming ac� vity in the Discovery Islands region of Bri� sh Columbia by June 2022.
The Government even put a stop on the movement of juvenile salmon to Bri� sh Columbia, which angered companies such as Mowi, which warned that up to three million fi sh would have to be culled and many jobs lost as result.
Cermaq also condemned the decision, accusing Jordan of a lack of understanding about fi sh farming.
All four companies aff ected by the Government’s decision launched an appeal in the Federal Court, O� awa. Their case is based on the claim that the orders lacked fairness, were totally irra� onal and driven by poli� cal considera� on rather than led by scien� fi c evidence.
Mowi Canada told the court that the minister’s decision was made without any consulta� on, saying it threatened its opera� ons in Bri� sh Columbia. Grieg and Cermaq have also asked the court to intervene in Jordan’s decisions.
Following hearings last autumn, a ruling from the Federal Court is expected in the fi rst half of this year.
The Bri� sh Columbia Salmon Farmers Associa� on told Fish Farmer that the industry requires certainty about its future in order to invest in be� er technology and improved fi sh welfare: “In terms of the future of salmon farming technology, we follow science and research for the best direc� on in technological advancements and want to pursue the technology with the lowest carbon footprint and environmental
This page from top: Joyce Murray MP; Bernade� e Jordan; Klemtu Spirit salmon Opposite: Grieg, Nootka Sound
impact, with the best fish welfare practices. Continued research and development is ongoing and new technology is being trialled. However, a secure future is needed in order to gain the investment needed to continue with this effort.”
Jordan had cited opposition to salmon farms on the part of First Nations representatives as a key reason for the Discovery Islands farming ban. In practice, however, the issue of salmon farming has divided the region’s indigenous communities.
For example, in June 2021, the Tlowitsis Nation and Grieg Seafood BC together submitted an application to the regulators for an additional salmon farm in the Tlowitsis Nation’s traditional territory of Clio Channel.
The two partners also recently entered into a net-washing agreement while supporting Grieg Seafood’s need for local service providers and more workers.
Tlowitsis Chief John Smith said: “We have built a solid relationship with Grieg Seafood over more than 10 years of many meetings, visiting their farms and travelling to Ottawa, Vancouver and Victoria to speak to regulators about our views of aquaculture.
“Our Guardians are on the water monitoring the farm activities as well as our members employed by Grieg. We have taken a lot of time to learn about the industry and our partner before we decided to become involved more directly, and for us adding more farms in our territory is the clear way forward. Our net-wash service company will also benefit from additional work for our members at a new farm.”
Some of the neighbouring First Nations are less happy, however. Independent news website The Narwhal reported that hereditary chiefs from several Kwakwaka’wakw Nations are sending a letter to Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau, stating that the application for a salmon farm near Knight Inlet — between the Broughton Archipelago and the Discovery Islands where fish farms are being removed — infringes on Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Aboriginal Rights and Title.
“We are vehemently opposed to any fish farms within Kwakwaka’wakw territorial waters, and they are contrary to our way of life, culture and potlatch laws,” the letter says. “As hereditary chiefs of our nations, we vow to protect our food and sacred Awinakola [which means ‘We are one with the land and sea’], the land, sea and air we own. As keepers and stewards of the land, we find this application outside your nation’s jurisdiction.”
Meanwhile, Walmart Canada has become the first large retailer to market salmon produce from the First Nation people of the Kitasoo and Xai’xais, British Columbia.
“Klemtu Spirit Hot Smoked Atlantic Salmon” has been created in partnership with Mowi Canada West and packaged by the First Nation group in Klemtu, BC.
They were directly involved in approving the locally inspired name and artwork for this new product. Klemtu Spirit is the culmination of a 30year partnership between the Kitasoo-Xai’xais First Nation and Mowi.
Fish farming and processing is the main source of employment in Klemtu, generating more than 50 jobs for the small, remote community on the central coast of British Columbia.
Currently, Mowi Canada West’s (MCW) has formal agreements with 15 Nations and eight First Nation-owned businesses, and a significant part of Mowi’s workforce is Indigenous.
“Mowi Canada West is committed to reconciliation”
Above: Canadian Federal Court Right: Grieg, Tlowitsis Na� on Opposite: Wild salmon in Bri� sh Columbia
Mowi told Fish Farmer: “MCW recognises the indigenous right to self-determina� on and the rights of Na� ons to make decisions on ma� ers that impact their territories. Agreements between company and Na� on are built around shared values, and also developed to address specifi c interests and exper� se that each party off ers. Collabora� ve business ac� vi� es have grown over two decades of working together, and have included fi sh hauling, harves� ng, processing, net cleaning, scuba diving, crew boat services, fi sh processing and smoking, and environmental monitoring.
“MCW is commi� ed to reconcilia� on and this includes enhanced communica� on and informa� on sharing, capacity building within Na� ons to support evidence-based decision-making, equitable economic opportuni� es and establishing a framework for long-term rela� onships.”
Consumer confusion
Most Canadians love their salmon, but millions are badly misinformed and confused about current produc� on methods, a report published towards the end of 2021 suggests.
Researchers at Dalhousie University in Nova Sco� a have carried out a detailed na� onwide study on thousands of consumers because they wanted to get a be� er sense of how much they knew about the various methods used to cul� vate the fi sh and their buying habits.
The Agri-Food Analy� cs Lab, in partnership with Caddle, polled 10,000 Canadians in June 2021 to be� er understand how people perceive salmon produc� on methods, how o� en they eat the fi sh and if they preferred certain species.
The level of consump� on suggests a majority of the popula� on may not agree with the legislators that salmon farming needs to be curtailed. The researchers found that a total of 79% of the popula� on do eat salmon, with 10% of those ea� ng it weekly.
More than half of those polled believe that aquaculture is a sustainable way to harvest salmon.
When assessing people’s percep� on related to salmon and the two main fi sh farming produc� on methods – ocean-based pens and landbased farms – Canadians appear to support ocean farm produc� on.
Nonetheless, the results suggest that 50% of respondents misunderstand the diff erences between land-based and ocean farming.
Dr Stefanie Colombo, lead researcher for the project and Canada Research Chair in Aquaculture Nutri� on at Dalhousie, says the survey results reveal how confused and misinformed Canadians are about salmon produc� on and
how important science-based data is in shaping public opinion.
“There seems to be a lot of confusion around how salmon are raised in ocean farms, but it appears Canadians see them as a very sustainable method of produc� on, in addi� on to land-based produc� on,” says Dr Colombo.
She argues in the report: “The future exclusion of ocean net-pen farming eliminates the opportunity for sustainable use of our coastline in appropriate areas for food produc� on. Both produc� on models will con� nue to improve and evolve to produce sustainable, nutri� ous salmon for all Canadians.”
A total of 21% of Canadians prefer salmon raised on a land-based farm and 39% prefer ocean-farmed salmon.
About 44% of Canadians say they eat salmon at home, with 8% preferring to order it at a restaurant.
Among those who do not eat salmon, 42% cited taste as the reason, while 30% said they do not eat any kind of fi sh.
When it came to produc� on methods, 49% of Canadians say they prefer wild salmon, while 42% had no preference.
About 29% believe wild salmon to be more nutri� ous, even though recent research suggests otherwise, says the university.
Sylvain Charlebois, Director of the Agri-Food Analy� cs Lab at Dalhousie, warns in the study: “If we mo� vate the industry to produce more salmon using land-based farms, we could poten� ally make salmon less aff ordable in the immediate future for a growing number of Canadians.”
Spotlight on fi sh welfare Spotlight on fi sh welfare
Meanwhile, Canada has drawn up its fi rst na� onal code of prac� ce for the care and safe handling of salmonids - which mainly comprises salmon and trout species.
The Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance, which ini� ated the project three years ago, and the Na� onal Farm Animal Care Council have worked together on the project which they say will greatly improve sustainability and fi sh welfare.
Dr Barry Milligan, a veterinarian who has held senior roles in both salmonid produc� on and fi sh health, said: “Our industry’s par� cipa� on in the code development process demonstrates our producers’ commitment to animal health and welfare, and dedica� on to responsible fi sh husbandry.
The code includes several issues including water quality, stocking density, fi sh handling, health and monitoring, slaughter and ligh� ng, and feed withdrawal and sea lice.
Codes of prac� ce in Canada are regarded as a powerful tool for mee� ng rising consumer expecta� ons and for ensuring that animal welfare is regarded as a priority in farming.
Helping with the work to produce the code was a commi� ee that included animal science and veterinary exper� se in fi sh behaviour, health and welfare.
Leigh Gaff ney, who represents World Animal Protec� on Canada on the Code Commi� ee, said: “I commend the aquaculture sector for ini� a� ng the development of this code. A signifi cant milestone has been achieved in releasing Canada’s fi rst Code of Prac� ce for the Care and Handling of Farmed Salmonids. This code refl ects the hard but very important conversa� ons we had on how to bring meaningful improvements to the welfare of farmed salmonids in Canada.”
Fish farmer Arlen Taylor, who owns fi ve rainbow trout hatcheries in Toronto and who sits on the code development commi� ee, said: “We are very proud to be releasing the fi rst Code of Prac� ce for farmed salmonids in Canada. This code is a valuable resource for large and small farms alike. It will allow us all to improve our prac� ces while con� nuing to innovate for the future be� erment of animal care.” FF
