From left: Anna Kindy, Michele Babchuk, and Nic Dedeluk, who are contesting the North Island riding of Vancouver Island in the BC Parliamentary elections.
Photo montage: BC salmon Farmers' Association
Salmon farming jobs can't be saved here, says BC Greens election candidate
A Green politician seeking election in a British Columbia salmon
farming area has claimed there are “lots of wild salmon jobs out there” for
workers who face redundancy because of the federal government’s plan to “transition”
from open net pen farming in BC.
Nic Dedeluk, who is contesting the North Island seat of Vancouver Island for the
BC Greens in elections for the provincial Parliament, claimed there was “lots
of science saying that we need farmed salmon out of the ocean” and dismissed
the idea that transition to closed containment can help save jobs in the riding.
“They’re not going to move to closed containment in our
riding,” said Dedeluk, who said there should be a transition plan “so that our
employment isn’t lost”.
Conservative support
She made her comments in a debate hosted by Campbell River
Chamber of Commerce last Sunday, when candidates were asked what their parties would
to support the industry and protect fish farming jobs which are largely in the
North Island riding.
Almost every day that we have door knocked in the North Island, we have talked to someone who is employed in the fish farm industry either directly or indirectly
Anna Kindy
Dedeluk, Michele Babchuk (New Democratic Party) and Anna
Kindy (Conservative) are contesting the seat. Kindy did not attend the debate
but answered the question later and was the only candidate to unequivocally
support fish farming.
“Almost every day that we have door knocked in the North
Island, we have talked to someone who is employed in the fish farm industry
either directly or indirectly like equipment supply, feed production and
transportation. Fish farms generate millions of dollars each year and provide
good paying jobs to our community,” said Kindy.
Reconciliation
She said fish farms were a key part of economic
reconciliations with indigenous populations where they are welcomed, and that
the sector had contributed to the financial stability, health and self-determination
of First Nations communities.
“I have visited fish farms, hatcheries as well fish
processing plants in our community. I also have read the scientific papers
which overall conclude fish farms as being low risk to the surrounding
habitat. I therefore support the fish farm industries that follow BC’s stringent
guidelines and monitoring,” said Kindy.
Babchuk accused
the federal government of “dragging their feet” over transition, adding: “We need to make sure that as we move forward with industry
that we are doing a modern and sustainable way of doing business. And we have
industry here, like Poseidon, Heather and Matt Clarke, who are at the leading
edge of technology that is creating a barrier between what a farmed salmon and
our wild stocks would be."
She concluded: “It doesn’t matter which side of the farmed
salmon you are on, you have to agree that it is a large economy for the North
end of Vancouver Island and if the feds are gonna blow it up then they need to
pay for it.”
Advance voting in the election began yesterday, with polling
stations open on October 19.
Read the candidates' full responses below:
Anna Kindy (Conservative)
Fish farms are one of the economic drivers of the North Island community. Almost everyday that we have door knocked in the North Island, we have talked to someone who is employed in the fish farm industry either directly or indirectly like equipment supply, feed production and transportation. Fish farms generate millions of dollars each year and provide good paying jobs to our community. Of note, Norway has over 1,200 fish farms. In BC we have 57. There have been many advances in the fish farm industry including the monitoring of fish health, sea lice and escape.
Of note, the BC government has introduced stringent sea lice monitoring. In addition, over the past 100 years, there has been over 200 attempts to introduce Atlantic salmon to our coasts which have all failed. Fish farms are a key part of economic reconciliations with our indigenous populations where they are welcomed. It has contributed to the financial stability, health and self determination of first nations communities.
The regulation of fish farms is a federal matter. Prior to 2014, fish farm was under provincial jurisdiction as it still is in Nova Scotia. As a provincial candidate for the BC conservatives, we need to support our industries that provide good paying jobs. I have visited fish farms, hatcheries as well fish processing plants in our community. I also have read the scientific papers which overall conclude fish farms as being low risk to the surrounding habitat. I therefore support the fish farm industries that follow BC's stringent guidelines and monitoring.
Michele Babchuk (NDP)
Once again, we are dealing with a federal transition, and they are dragging their feet, so the uncertainty of this industry is absolutely high, and it’s making people extremely anxious. As a province, we are in charge of tenure, and what we have historically and continue to say is that there are two clarifications that need to happen: if DFO gives the licence, which means that they have met all of the environmental targets and they are not impeding a run of salmon with a farm and that Indigenous participation in the form of a joint venture or an MOU has been signed, then we will issue tenure. That’s not just the end of it, we need to make sure that as we move forward with industry that we are doing a modern and sustainable way of doing business. And we have industry here, like Poseidon, Heather and Matt Clarke, who are at the leading edge of technology that is creating a barrier between what a farmed salmon and our wild stocks would be. So, we need to be able to take this out of the boardroom and put it in the kitchen for people that are in these industries. It doesn’t matter which side of the farmed salmon you are on, you have to agree that it is a large economy for the North end of Vancouver Island and if the feds are gonna blow it up then they need to pay for it.
Nic Dedeluk (BC Greens)
I think that farmed salmon in the ocean is no longer sustainable. We have lots of science saying that we need farmed salmon out of the ocean. People are concerned about jobs, and I think that there should be a transition plan so that our employment isn’t lost. Saying that the farms are going to go to closed containment is one really great answer, but for our riding, they’re not going to move to closed containment in our riding. So, while that is a solution that protects jobs, it’s not a solution that is going to work in our riding. So, we need to work on a transition plan. There’s lots of jobs out there, there’s lots of wild salmon jobs out there. There are salmon stewardship jobs that are available. We will be working to transition those employees that are losing their jobs from the transition plan.
