Tribunal approves salmon farm expansion despite community opposition
Press Release
February 17, 2026
HALIFAX/K’JIPUKTUK, Unceded Territory of the Mi’kmaq — The Nova Scotia Aquaculture Review Board has approved Kelly Cove Salmon’s application to expand its open net pen operation in Liverpool Bay, a decision that community members and environmental advocates warn could open the door to increased industrial salmon farming across the province.
The ruling follows a hearing held in October 2025 and written submissions filed late last year. Kelly Cove Salmon, a subsidiary of Cooke Aquaculture, sought approval to add six industrial open net pens at its Coffin Island site—an increase that community members say puts endangered wild salmon and coastal ecosystems at risk.
“This decision ignores the clear warnings from communities, scientists, and Indigenous nations,” said Ecojustice lawyer, James Gunvaldsen Klaassen.
Liverpool Bay residents opposed the expansion, pointing to the well-documented risks of industrial open net pen salmon farming, including pollution, disease, parasites, genetic risks to wild salmon, and high farmed fish mortality rates. Wild Atlantic salmon populations are already in crisis, and critics say adding more farmed fish to shared waters only increases the risks.
“This is part of a bigger pattern we’re seeing across Canada’s coasts,” said Brian Muldoon, representing the Protect Liverpool Bay Association. “Local communities on both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts are left to deal with the damage from corporate fish farming. This decision could act as a green light for further expansion. Aquaculture companies are already lining up more potential sites, and industry leaders have openly stated their plans for large-scale growth in Nova Scotia, including an even larger expansion in Liverpool Bay still pending before the Board. This expansion would involve well over a million more fish.”
Mi’kmaw communities also raised concerns about inadequate consultation, emphasizing salmon’s central role in culture, food systems, and ecological health.
As biodiversity loss accelerates and critically endangered wild salmon face mounting threats, critics say decisions like this one risk locking Nova Scotia into an industrial aquaculture model that benefits private companies while leaving ecosystems and communities to pay the cost.
However, both James and Brian confirm that this ruling doesn’t end the conversation, and that communities will continue to push for accountability, stronger rules, and a transition away from industrial open-net pens.
About:
The Protect Liverpool Bay Association (PLBA): We call on the Nova Scotia government to stop the expansion of open net pen salmon facilities in the waters of this Province, and start listening to local communities’ concerns about industrial marine finfish aquaculture.
Ecojustice goes to court and uses the power of the law to defend nature, combat climate change, and fight for a healthy environment. Its strategic, innovative public interest lawsuits lead to legal precedents that deliver lasting solutions to Canada’s most urgent environmental problems. As Canada’s largest environmental law charity, Ecojustice operates offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa and Halifax.
Media Contacts
Brian Muldoon, Protect Liverpool Bay Association: brian.muldoon2@gmail.com
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