An alphabetical chronology of aquaculture in 2018
Press Release
An A to Z guide to some of the major stories that impacted the fish farming industry in B.C., Canada and the world in 2018
A new era – In Dec. 2018, an agreement between three First Nations and the B.C. Government set the stage for an orderly transition of 17 salmon farms in the Broughton Archipelago and provided a pathway for increasing sustainable aquaculture operations in Canada’s west coast. Premier John Horgan in announcing the deal said his government will allow more ocean-based fish farms in B.C., provided environmental concerns are addressed and consent is obtained by First Nations governments in the proposed areas.
Blue economy – Canada pledged tens of millions of dollars for sustainable growth that will build resilient coastal communities to underline its determination to be a leader in the global Blue Economy at the conclusion of the Sustainable Blue Economy Conference in Nairobi, Kenya. In Canada, the oceans alone are a source of approximately 350,000 jobs and generate approximately $36 billion annually in GDP through fisheries and aquaculture, energy, shipping, tourism and recreation.
Crime Stoppers in partnership with the B.C. Salmon Farmers Association launched a campaign to encourage the public to anonymously report environmental crimes in March of 2018. With BC’s Salmon Farmers, Crime Stoppers developed a media campaign for local community centres, parks, marinas and boating centers and other public spaces. “For us, it’s a matter of acting locally to address something that’s proliferating around the globe,” said Linda Annis, executive director of Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers. “The BC Salmon Farmers were the first group to step up to the plate when Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers initiated this partnership, which also includes the Vancouver Park Board,” said Annis.
Decisions based on aquaculture science need to be proactively disseminated to consumers, the general public, scientists and industry, concluded a report in December 2018 by the Independent Expert Panel led by Canada’s Chief Science Advisor Dr. Mona Nemer. Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister for Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard also reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to thoughtful, science-based decisions on sustainable aquaculture. The debate around fish farming in Canada has for the most part pit economics against the environment. But over the year it increasingly morphed to become one about science. The polarized debate is threatening a viable and sustainable food source for the world, warned Wilkinson at the Vancouver Island’s Economic Alliance Annual Summit in Nanaimo.
ENGO campaigns that oversimplify complex aquaculture issues have left British Columbians caught in a fog of competing politicized agendas, contested science and misinformation. “The net effect has been to create and perpetuate a climate of public skepticism and opposition that has spilled over into the political realm,” stated a new study by researchers from the University of Victoria and the University of New Brunswick. the paper stated. When considered in the context of other major sectors of the Canadian economy (e.g. agriculture, forestry, mining, oil and natural gas), all of which have significant ecological impacts, the aquaculture industry has a positive story to tell, the researchers stated.
Federal Aquaculture Act – Also in December 2018, amidst a flurry of announcements, Fisheries Ministers across Canada decided to move towards a Federal Aquaculture Act that will govern a sustainable seafood farming industry. “Such federal legislation would continue to ensure that Canada’s aquaculture industry is a global leader in producing high-quality aquaculture products in an environmentally sustainable manner,” a government communique said. The push for a Federal Aquaculture Act, which has been embraced by Canadian seafood farmers, was mooted by the Campbell River Chamber of Commerce. The new Act will provide a simplified regulatory path to grow our businesses, especially in coastal communities, said John Paul Fraser, the Executive Director of the B.C. Salmon Farmers Association.
ILR5
