It's time to commit to salmon farming, sector tells Canadian government
Country has an opportunity to strengthen its commitment to sustainable, healthy, and locally produced food in face of Trump tariffs, but needs the right signal
Salmon farmers in western Canada have repeated their call for a rational, evidenced-based policy approach to the sector from the federal government in the wake of 25% tariffs on Canadian imports to the United States.
They point out that approximately 70% of salmon farmed in British Columbia goes to US customers, and say the tariffs introduced yesterday will reduce US demand by 32 to 40%.
They add that the move by US president Donald Trump will drive revenues for BC salmon farmers down by between CAD 131.5 million (£71m / US $91m) and CAD 142.4m per year, result in a CAD 155m to CAD 168m reduction in GDP, and cause losses of between 1,100 and 1,195 jobs.
Rock and a hard place
The BC salmon industry has already suffered at the hands of Canada’s outgoing premier, Justin Trudeau, who has mandated successive fisheries ministers to transition the sector to closed containment, despite nine studies from government scientists that concluded that open net pen farming of Atlantic salmon poses no more than a minimal risk to stocks of wild Pacific salmon.
Trudeau’s policy led to a December 2020 order by the then fisheries minister Bernadette Jordan that 19 fish farms in the Discovery Islands had to close by mid-2022, and an announcement by Ottawa last year that all licences for open net pen salmon farms in BC will expire in June 2029 and won’t be renewed. Licences will only be considered for floating closed containment facilities or for land-based fish farms.
“At a time when food security and economic stability are top priorities, Canada has an opportunity to strengthen its commitment to sustainable, healthy, and locally produced food,” the BC Salmon Farmers’ Association said in a statement.
Support salmon farming
“We need a rational, evidenced-based policy approach and a clear government signal that salmon farming is a key component of Canada’s agri-food sector. With that, the sector could generate $2.5 billion in economic output, $930 million in GDP, and 9,000 jobs, paying $560 million in wages annually by 2030.
“BC salmon farmers continue to work nationally through the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA), the National Seafood Roundtable on Tariffs, and provincially through the BC Agriculture Council (BCAC) and the new BC Premier’s task force on agriculture and food economy, along with other sector partners, to ensure that government decision-makers fully understand the impacts of trade barriers on salmon farming operations, employees, and communities.”
Strengthen at home
The CAIA said the introduction of 25% tariffs on Canadian products will hurt Canadian and American families, communities and businesses.
“In the face of these tariffs, our opportunity in Canada is to first strengthen our production at home. We need the economy firing on all cylinders. We must first immediately address negative policy actions that federal and provincial governments that are unnecessarily suppressing Canadian seafood farming production,” said the CAIA.
It cited the BC transition plan as one of the negative actions from government, and called for Ottawa to provide new funding for domestic marketing and flexibility for international marketing.
