'Job insecurity, lost investment opportunity and major socio-economic impacts'
Aquaculture association's new committee chair slams Canadian government's actions in BC
The new chair of the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Association’s executive committee has criticised the federal government’s approach to aquaculture in British Columbia, where the farming of Atlantic salmon in open net pens will be banned by mid-2029.
Joel Richardson, communications chief for Canadian-headquartered global fish farmer Cooke Aquaculture Inc., pointed out that more than 50% of the world’s seafood comes from ocean farms because marine aquaculture is one of the healthiest and most efficient ways to feed the population with minimal environmental impact and low carbon footprint.
“Canada’s aquaculture sector generates nearly $5 billion in economic activity, employs thousands of people, and is a vital social driver in coastal, rural and Indigenous communities,” said Richardson.
Poor handling
“The Federal Liberal Government’s poor handling of aquaculture on the coast of BC has resulted in job insecurity, lost investment opportunity and major socio-economic impacts on hard working Canadians. Aquaculture is agriculture, and the time has come for the federal government to bring aquaculture growth and development under Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to legitimise the sector’s rightful place as a major farming contributor to the nation’s food security.”
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is a federal government department that supports the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector through initiatives that promote innovation and competitiveness.
Pringle on board
Meanwhile, former Mowi Scotland, Scottish Sea Farms, and Loch Duart farming director Gideon Pringle has been named as one of several new members of the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Association’s board of directors.
Pringle is currently managing director of Mowi Canada East, having left Mowi Scotland in 2020 but rejoining in July 2022 after relatively short spells as operations director for Sutherland -based salmon producer salmon Loch Duart and farming director for Scottish Sea Farms.
Other new CAIA board members include Jamie Gaskill, chief executive of Vancouver Island-based fish farming supplier Poseidon Ocean Systems; Gopakumar Menon, US-based vice president of Indian net supplier Garware Technical Fibres Limited; and Isaac Yun, strategy, product, and commercial leader at aquafeed supplier Cargill.
