An Ahousaht Nation hereditary chief is urging the Canadian government to reconsider its decision to prohibit open-net fish farms along the British Columbia (B.C.) coastline. Originally scheduled for 2025, the ban was postponed to June 2029 following a directive from the federal fisheries minister last June. The move, supported by environmentalists and several First Nations groups, aims to address concerns about the potential transmission of diseases from open-water fish farms to wild salmon populations.
hasheukumiss, a hereditary chief and president of Ahousaht’s economic development organization, emphasized the benefits of having fish farms operating in their waters. With 12 farms in Ahousaht territory near Tofino on Vancouver Island’s west coast, these facilities are managed by Cermaq, a Norwegian aquaculture company. The Maaqutusiis Hahoulthee Stewardship Society (MHSS), the nation’s economic development entity, has established a protocol agreement with Cermaq to regulate the company’s operations.
Financial contributions from Cermaq enable the society to invest in various community projects and provide employment to approximately 50 Ahousaht Nation members. hasheukumiss highlighted the potential adverse impacts of removing the farms, emphasizing ongoing efforts to reduce sea lice and pathogens on farmed fish through stringent protocols jointly developed with Cermaq.
Collaborative initiatives involving Cermaq, MHSS, and the Ahousaht Nation have successfully utilized new technologies to lower sea lice levels below thresholds set by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. hasheukumiss praised the involvement of First Nations in monitoring and implementing rigorous protocols to address environmental concerns, underscoring the employment of an independent biologist to verify Cermaq’s findings.
Despite hasheukumiss’s arguments that the ban would infringe on the nation’s rights to manage its territories and people, Bob (Galagame’) Chamberlin, head of the First Nation Wild Salmon Alliance, opposes open-net fish farms. Chamberlin cited scientific evidence indicating the detrimental impact of these farms on wild salmon populations and pointed to increased sockeye salmon returns in the Fraser River following the removal of some fish farms on Vancouver Island’s east side.
Chamberlin emphasized the importance of considering the views of all B.C. First Nations with fishing rights in the decision-making process, noting widespread support for the ban among these communities. Fisheries and Oceans Canada, when questioned about the timeline for phasing out fish farms by 2029, provided a generic statement affirming the government’s commitment to sustainable aquaculture in collaboration with provincial authorities, First Nations, and industry stakeholders.
