Incentivizing innovation is the way forward for BC salmon farms, and there is plenty of evidence in Norway to support that
For the salmon farming industry in Canada, including its workers, advocates, and business leaders, Norway has presented a way forward.
It was announced last week that Norway has proposed to link aquacultural production expansion with the ability of industry players to control their levels of sea lice. In effect, companies that make the effort to curtail the spread of the sea lice will be rewarded with more production.
This approach will foster innovation, growth, and create a balance between economic growth and environmental concerns. Canada should be taking notes.
The coast of British Columbia and its clean waters offer some of the best conditions for sustainable seafood production in the entire world. It is regrettable that instead of choosing innovation, this province is on the road to seeing its aquaculture industry be broken and shut down entirely.
Salmon farming has been a transformative industry for communities up and down the coast, especially among First Nations who saw their economies boom and employment skyrocket after embracing aquaculture. To shut it down is to rob those communities of both their livelihoods and dignity as workers in the modern economy.
It does not have to happen this way, and now there is an example that proves it.
Norway is a world leader in the field of salmon farming. As in BC, stocks of wild salmon do exist along its extensive coastline alongside their farmed counterparts.
Norwegian aquaculture is not a niche sector, but a $10-billion industry that employs thousands of people, and like in BC, supports dozens of rural communities.
This is the path to follow, but our own authorities either disagree or are unaware of this Norwegian model. As it currently stands, both Ottawa and the BC provincial government appear to be intent on crushing the salmon farming industry outright, with the only alternative being a controversial and possibly infeasible transition to land-based aquaculture.
The logistical challenges of such a transition risk killing the industry in BC.
Ottawa has repeatedly waffled on making decisions related to the long-term licensing of salmon farms, which has forced operators into a state of constant uncertainty, which is not healthy for either businesses or workers.
Many farms have already been closed as a result of federal policy, and more are sure to follow due to uncertainty or the effects of the imposed transition to land. None of this has been due to market forces or failed businesses, but because government policy is profoundly misaligned with the principle of innovation and the priorities of the industry and its workers.
There is a direct human cost for this misalignment. Hundreds of jobs could be lost, hitting small coastal towns especially hard, to say nothing of the impact on Indigenous-owned businesses.
The Norwegians see their aquaculture differently, and recognize that protecting the coastal environment and nurturing economic development are not at odds. Rather than effectively outlawing ocean-based salmon farms, Norway has introduced regulations and rules that bind the capacity of fish farms to the present levels of sea lice.
Companies that effectively control sea lice levels within their operations will be permitted to expand, while failure means greater restrictions on their production. This is a fair system that encourages good practices, dutiful management, and innovation.
Unsurprisingly, Norwegian salmon farming firms are world leaders in producing new technology that reduces the harmful impacts on wild salmon. Included in this approach are closed-containment systems, underwater cameras, sea lice lasers, and locating farms further offshore in deeper waters.
A useful comparison is the manner in which Norway uses revenues from oil and gas, of which it is a world leader in production, to fund its green energy transition. The same principle applies to aquaculture: innovate, do not destroy, and use the strength of industry to make that happen.
Ottawa has spoken of a “just transition” for workers in sectors like traditional energy, which seems to be the new jargon for fossil fuels. However, workers in salmon farming are more likely to receive a cold, hard exit, and this is profoundly unjust.
The message sent is a twofer, that neither jobs nor innovation have a place in future plans for BC aquaculture.
This is not a responsible way to handle complex issues, and does not constitute economic or environmental leadership. Salmon farming can be held to high standards and wild salmon must be protected. Both can be accomplished without ripping up existing salmon farms.
Both BC and Ottawa should stop viewing salmon farming as a problem that must be eliminated, and embrace it as a challenge to help create a better, more just, and more sustainable industry. Canadian politicians are fond of looking to European countries for solutions, at least nominally, and Norway is the one to emulate.
If the Norwegians can be leaders in sustainable aquaculture and guardians of their wild salmon runs, BC can too. The government has every right to demand a higher standard from industry when it comes to sustainability, and industry should rightfully expect that innovation, not elimination, is the order of the day.
Geoff Russ is a policy analyst with Resource Works. He formerly worked as a reporter with the Hub, and has written for a variety of publications based in Canada, the United States, and Australia. His work has covered domestic and foreign affairs related to current events, the resource industry, and international affairs, including election coverage in North America and Europe.