First Nations, conservationists fear Ottawa may backtrack on pledge to phase out B.C. salmon farms

First Nations, conservationists fear Ottawa may backtrack on pledge to phase out B.C. salmon farms MARIE WOOLF OTTAWA PUBLISHED 1 HOUR AGO Open this photo in gallery: An aquatic science biologist picks a salmon to collect samples from during a Department of Fisheries and Oceans fish health audit at the Okisollo fish farm near Campbell River, B.C., October, 2018. JONATHAN HAYWARD/THE CANADIAN PRESS COMMENTS SHARE SAVE FOR LATER Listen to this article Learn more about audio Log in or create a free account to listen to this article. Indigenous groups and conservationists are expressing concern about silence from Ottawa over a plan, proposed by the Trudeau government, to ban salmon farms off the coast of British Columbia. They fear that Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government may be preparing to roll back on a Liberal commitment to remove the commercial salmon farms from B.C. coastal waters. In 2024, the Trudeau government released a draft transition plan to phase out by June, 2029, open-net salmon farms in B.C. – where the fish are raised in coastal waters – which Indigenous communities and conservationists argue are harming migrating wild pacific salmon. “First Nations are extremely concerned about any backtracking on the 2029 ban of open-net pen fish farms. The ban is an outcome of years of government consultations and engagements, and the announced ban directly incorporates the collective voice of First Nations across B.C.,” said Bob (Galagame’) Chamberlin, chair of the First Nation Wild Salmon Alliance. Some fish farms have already closed in B.C., while others remain open. B.C., Ottawa announce new fisheries fund to help restore salmon habitat In a statement, a spokesperson for Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada said that draft transition plan “served as the basis for consultations and engagement.” Since then, an interdepartmental task force has engaged with First Nations and other groups with an interest in the future of the fish farms. “This work has provided a deeper understanding of the industry and regional economy, as well as the diverse views on the transition,” said ISED spokesperson Hans Parmar in a statement. First Nations chiefs whose territories include such farms want to keep them open and say there is no conclusive scientific evidence that the farmed fish are passing on diseases to wild salmon. But other Indigenous communities and conservationists say they want reassurances that the Carney government plans…