Canada's Salmon farmers respond to the federal government's decision to renew salmon farming licenses in British Columbia, Canada

OTTAWA, ON - The Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA) and the BC Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA) believe that the federal government's decision to renew the licenses of salmon farms in British Columbia and establish a process for the salmon farms in the Discovery Islands is good for Canadians. The government's own science evaluation process, and multiple independent peer-reviewed science processes, have concluded that salmon farms have minimal effect on wild fish abundance and that farmed and wild salmon can and do co-exist in the Pacific Ocean.

"The renewal of licences in British Columbia is a positive first step and confirms the voices of Industry and First Nations, in whose territories we operate, have been heard," says Ruth Salmon, Interim Executive Director of the BC Salmon Farmers Association. "This announcement will give us the opportunity to work with all levels of government, including First Nations, to secure a future that will benefit Indigenous and non-Indigenous coastal communities, meet the global demand for healthy, affordable seafood, and support the continuation in protection and restoration of wild Pacific salmon."