Industry lobbying skyrockets as B.C. salmon farm transition looms
May 13, 2024
Lobbying of federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans officials by salmon farm proponents has skyrocketed since the prime minister promised a transition away from open net-pen salmon farms in of B.C. coastal waters.
An analysis of federal data by Watershed Watch Salmon Society suggests industry lobbying has increased significantly since 2022. The prime minister promised a transition by 2025 and the first phase of government-led consultations around the transition began in early 2022. Licences for all B.C. salmon farms were expiring in mid-2022 and farm sites in the Discovery Islands were mandated by the federal government to be removed by this time.
In 2010, there were 8 reported lobbying interactions by industry proponents; in 2015 there were 12. In 2020, following the promise from the prime minister, there were 52 and in 2022, there were 199. Last year, there were 214.
Lobbying levels in the first quarter of 2024 continue on pace with 2022-23 with over 50 communications reported to the federal Lobby Register.
A federal transition plan for the industry expected in 2023 was delayed to spring 2024 and has yet to be released. All federal B.C. salmon farm licences expire June 30, 2024, and will be up for renewal at that time.
In 2012, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Bruce Cohen, in his commission report on the decline of sockeye salmon, raised the issue of a pro-industry bias within DFO.
“As long as DFO [Fisheries and Oceans Canada] has a mandate to promote salmon farming, there is a risk that it will act in a manner that favours the interests of the salmon farming industry over the health of wild fish stocks,” Cohen wrote
A 2023 parliamentary committee report reiterated that concern in recommendation 41.
Federal documents obtained by Watershed Watch reveal 14,722 emails were sent to the federal government from the public between August 11 and November 15, 2022, at least 98 per cent of them in favour of removing open net-pen fish farms from B.C. waters. None were in favour of keeping open net-pen fish farms.
In December, B.C. Premier David Eby declared that the social licence for salmon farms in B.C. “is expired.”
“B.C. salmon farms amplify and spread parasites, foreign viruses and bacteria to vulnerable young wild salmon,” said Stan Proboszcz, senior science and policy analyst, Watershed Watch. “Despite this onslaught of industry lobbying the Prime Minister needs to keep his promise to Canadians and remove this harmful industry to protect wild fish stocks.”
Contact
Stan Proboszcz, Senior Science and Policy Analyst, Watershed Watch Salmon Society, proboszcz@watershedwatch.ca
Supporting Documents
Lobbying plot image: https://drive.google.com/file/
Excel spreadsheet used to plot lobbying: https://docs.google.com/
Federal documents showing emails sent to DFO during 2022 consultation period: https://watershedwatch.ca/wp-
Industry lobbying skyrockets as B.C. salmon farm transition looms
May 13, 2024
Lobbying of federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans officials by salmon farm proponents has skyrocketed since the prime minister promised a transition away from open net-pen salmon farms in of B.C. coastal waters.
An analysis of federal data by Watershed Watch Salmon Society suggests industry lobbying has increased significantly since 2022. The prime minister promised a transition by 2025 and the first phase of government-led consultations around the transition began in early 2022. Licences for all B.C. salmon farms were expiring in mid-2022 and farm sites in the Discovery Islands were mandated by the federal government to be removed by this time.
In 2010, there were 8 reported lobbying interactions by industry proponents; in 2015 there were 12. In 2020, following the promise from the prime minister, there were 52 and in 2022, there were 199. Last year, there were 214.
Lobbying levels in the first quarter of 2024 continue on pace with 2022-23 with over 50 communications reported to the federal Lobby Register.
A federal transition plan for the industry expected in 2023 was delayed to spring 2024 and has yet to be released. All federal B.C. salmon farm licences expire June 30, 2024, and will be up for renewal at that time.
In 2012, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Bruce Cohen, in his commission report on the decline of sockeye salmon, raised the issue of a pro-industry bias within DFO.
“As long as DFO [Fisheries and Oceans Canada] has a mandate to promote salmon farming, there is a risk that it will act in a manner that favours the interests of the salmon farming industry over the health of wild fish stocks,” Cohen wrote
A 2023 parliamentary committee report reiterated that concern in recommendation 41.
Federal documents obtained by Watershed Watch reveal 14,722 emails were sent to the federal government from the public between August 11 and November 15, 2022, at least 98 per cent of them in favour of removing open net-pen fish farms from B.C. waters. None were in favour of keeping open net-pen fish farms.
In December, B.C. Premier David Eby declared that the social licence for salmon farms in B.C. “is expired.”
“B.C. salmon farms amplify and spread parasites, foreign viruses and bacteria to vulnerable young wild salmon,” said Stan Proboszcz, senior science and policy analyst, Watershed Watch. “Despite this onslaught of industry lobbying the Prime Minister needs to keep his promise to Canadians and remove this harmful industry to protect wild fish stocks.”
Contact
Stan Proboszcz, Senior Science and Policy Analyst, Watershed Watch Salmon Society, proboszcz@watershedwatch.ca
Supporting Documents
Lobbying plot image: https://drive.google.com/file/
Excel spreadsheet used to plot lobbying: https://docs.google.com/
Federal documents showing emails sent to DFO during 2022 consultation period: https://watershedwatch.ca/wp-