DFO’s transition plan for salmon farms “from BC waters” extended indefinitely past summer 2023 timeline.

Response from Wild First @wildfirstcanada to Fisheries Minister’s stalling on salmon farm transition plan due but delayed indefinitely since June 2023.

February 22, 2024 “The Minister’s marching orders are ‘to transition open net pen salmon farms from BC waters by 2025’. Her Department, seeing no need to do that, is currently consulting on issuing new salmon farm licences for terms of 2-6 years, when they expire in June of this year.”

Read full Letter to the Editor here: bit.ly/3T9Cy56

Send a letter saying “NO” to licence extensions here: bit.ly/3t3aztQ

Minister to delay plan for closure of B.C. salmon farms after pressure from industry, Indigenous chief

May 31, 2023 The federal Fisheries Minister is delaying a decision on closing the remaining ocean-based salmon farms in British Columbia, after pressure from First Nations and the fish-farm industry (during DFO salmon farm transition consultations).

Joyce Murray had been expected in June to release a transition plan to move open-net fish farms out of B.C’s coastal waters, to land-based farms.

But on Wednesday her office issued a statement saying it was extending a consultation on the future of the remaining open-net salmon farms off the coast of B.C. throughout the summer.

Read Globe & Mail article

Alexandra Morton Comment:

So depressing to see the Norwegian salmon farming industry convince one First Nation after the next to act as human shields against a brave minister doing her best to protect wild salmon. The Fraser River First Nations are going to pay the greatest price as they are getting 0 benefit agreements even as their fish are swimming through the pathogen streams released by salmon farms and failing to return…

Department of Fisheries and Oceans — Pacific aquaculture salmon farm transition –

What we heard report phases 1 and 2 — May 18, 2023

Transition from open-net pen salmon aquaculture
(Some of) We have heard:
Interest in Indigenous self-determination and First Nation management of aquaculture and fisheries in their territories
Salmon aquaculture is a sustainable economic opportunity for First Nations to become self-sufficient and to address issues of food security
There would be impacts to other local businesses that rely on existing salmon aquaculture infrastructure if the industry was phased out
First Nations with industry partnership agreements are already holding the industry to high environmental standards and they are developing their own local transition plans
There is significant interest in area-based aquaculture management, but different views on what that should look like
Desire to see a transition away from all ocean-based salmon aquaculture based on views that land-based aquaculture is the only alternative technology that would eliminate interactions between wild and cultured salmon
Land-based aquaculture is not feasible in some territories of First Nations with industry partnership agreements
Interest in adopting a Broughton Aquaculture Transition Initiative type of process beginning with sites between the B.C. mainland and Vancouver Island (viewed as most linked to migratory salmon routes of interest to Nations that are concerned about the impact of aquaculture)
The impacts of open-net pens are widespread; they can affect salmon migratory routes and communities down-river
Should open-net pens be phased out, Government of Canada support would be required to allow communities to transition to other sources of economic development
Interest in conducting a cost-benefit analysis of the industry that would include the cultural value of wild salmon
Interest in the Government of Canada conducting a thorough analysis of the social and economic contributions from salmon aquaculture, including year-round employment and other factors
Language used in the discussion framework such as “progressively minimize or eliminate interactions” suggests status quo
Language used in the discussion framework such as “progressively minimize or eliminate interactions” puts too many constraints on industry and eliminates the creativity and trials needed to advance innovative solutions
Fisheries and Oceans Canada May 18, 2023

What we think about DFO’s ‘What We Heard’ report on salmon farm transition out of BC waters — May 24th, 2023

May 24th, 2023 Our review of their “What We Heard” report and federal documents we uncovered through an Access-to-Information request further suggest the AMD’s transition process is biased toward a pro-salmon farming industry outcome.

The report appears to conceal or omit key results that suggest the majority of people who submitted comments to the AMD want open net-pen salmon farms removed. For example, the front end of the report presents a broad summary of all the opinions for and against salmon farming and suggests the issue is “highly polarized,” but buried in Annex B (on pages 31-32) are the online public survey results which state:

“Overall, 70% of survey respondents supported a transition away from any marine salmon aquaculture to a sustainable land-based sector. Of those who support a transition away from marine aquaculture:
– Policy and management tools to progressively reduce or eliminate interactions between cultured and wild salmon were viewed as ineffective.”

The survey results suggest 78% of survey respondents view policy and management tools to progressively reduce or eliminate interactions between cultured and wild salmon as ineffective. Despite this significant majority, we are concerned the AMD continues to back away from the federal commitment to transition from open net-pens by 2025. Instead, they are driving the transition toward minimizing interactions between farm and wild salmon—a strategy that has consistently been proven to fail.

Full Review What we think, and send a letter to the Federal government

What options is DFO Minister Joyce Murray considering for aquaculture’s open-net salmon farms on BC’s coast?

A few considerations from Clayoquot Action (prior to DFO Public Input, but still on the table for the Minister’s decision). Semi-closed fish farm (SCCS)

Oct 5, 2022 DFO Aquaculture is attempting to transition open net pen fish farms to ‘semi-closed’ in-water fish farms. After monitoring this system for over a year, we learned that the new system still harms wild salmon. Help stop this false solution.

ATIP Summary: DFO Aquaculture staff water down federal promise to transition from open net-pen salmon farming — Some background from Stan Proboszcz, Watershed Watch Salmon Society — Oct. 2022

4 p. ATIP-Summary-–-DFO-Aquaculture-staff-water-down-federal-promise-to-transition-from-open-net-pen-salmon-farming

DFO Engagement and Aquaculture Consultation Timeline

July 2022 through June 2023

DFO Engagement and consultation phases — July 2022 through June 2023

This framework document supports the next phases of engagement and consultation on the development of a transition plan. It provides an overview of options for achieving the proposed vision, while inviting innovative contributions as consultation and engagement progresses. Consultation and engagement will be undertaken in a phased approach from late July 2022 to March 2023.

Phase 1 (Late July to September 2022)

Phase 1 focuses on information sharing and initial input on the framework through virtual workshops and online consultation. Invitations for virtual workshops will be emailed to First Nations, Indigenous organizations, Industry, conservation groups and local governments in B.C. An online survey will be open for public input through DFO Pacific Region’s consultations and engagement website.

Phase 2 (September to December 2022)

Phase 2 will provide opportunities for detailed dialogue and the exchange of ideas through workshops, roundtables, and meetings. Invitations will be emailed to First Nations and stakeholders in September for participation in Phase Two focused dialogue. DFO recognizes that many First Nations throughout B.C., whether they have salmon aquaculture in their territory or not, may want to contribute to this dialogue. In this phase more detailed information will be presented which will look at recommendations for inclusion in the final transition plan.

Phase 3 (January to March 2023)

Phase 3 will be available for all interested First Nations who want to continue their dialogue with DFO to ensure that they are thoroughly engaged and consulted in discussions related to potential outcomes of a transition plan. This phase will also ensure that all stakeholder groups have the opportunity to hear and respond to the input of other groups.

Phase 4 (March to June 2023)

Phase 4 will be a continuation of consultations, but more focused on addressing specific concerns and that perspectives are meaningfully considered in drafting the final transition plan.

DFO Engagement and consultation phases

Living Oceans offers a virtual course deciphering the Aquaculture Public Consultations

(September to October 27 2022)

Living Oceans: Transition Plan Consultations: False Start

September 22, 2022

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) was tasked by the Minister with undertaking consultations on the content of the Transition Plan that will guide the removal of salmon farms from B.C. waters. Living Oceans attended a consultation on September 1. Several First Nations consultations had taken place prior to this. The combined outrage of those consulted on the plan resulted in the whole procedure being stopped in its tracks by the Minister.

Living Oceans: Share your view on DFO’s aquaculture transition plan consultation:

Send the letter on Living Oceans site (that parallels the survey objectives) instead

September 29, 2022

How did the Consultations go off the tracks? DFO came up with a multiple-choice survey “predicated on the assumption that ocean-based salmon farms are here to stay and so designed that I cannot express my opinion on the content of a transition plan that would meet my expectations of the government’s promise to ‘transition open-net pens from B.C. waters by 2025’.” See Letter via Living Oceans

Living Oceans Share your views

Living Oceans Guide to: DFO Aquaculture Transition Consultation Questions Unpacked!

Early October This guide reproduces the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) questionnaire, with suggested answers and rationale. It is intended to assist you to answer the questionnaire, in order that once it’s tabulated, it does not disproportionately represent the opinions of the salmon farming industry and its supporters.

We found this guide necessary because the survey is extremely leading, based as it is on the presumption that ocean–based salmon farms will continue, with some regulatory and technological tweaks. Living Oceans has studied these issues in depth and our position is that it is impossible to regulate open–net pen salmon farms to be compatible with healthy, wild salmon;
and that there is no commercially viable in–ocean technology that will save our wild salmon.

You are also invited to use our online tool (previous post here) to express yourself more fully, to your MP/the Fisheries Minister and to the DFO engagement email.

Living Oceans Guide to DFO Aquaculture Transition Consultations

In a new report, Living Oceans looks at alternatives to ocean net-pens — the focus of DFO’s transition survey questions.

October 7 As the Canadian government launched its public consultation process for the long-awaited Transition Plan that will make good on their promise to transition open netpen salmon farms from British Columbia waters by 2025, DFO aquaculture staff appeared to be aligned with industry in an effort to define ‘transition’ as the addition of some technological innovations to ocean-based farms. All of the questions in their tightly designed public input questionnaire lumped together the only proven solution, land-based recirculating aquaculture (RAS), with experimental concepts such as “semi-closed”, “hybrid” and “offshore” production systems, all of which still employ open netpens for all or part of the production cycle.

link to LOUSY CHOICES III: Why Salmon Farms have to come Out of the Water AUTHOR: KAREN G. WRISTEN

DFO Survey: “Comment on the discussion framework for a BC aquaculture open-net pen transition plan”

September 28

On September 6, this survey was taken down from this website and republished on September 28. As a consequence, the survey input window has been extended to October 27 to ensure the total available opportunity for input is not reduced.

We updated our survey questions on September 28th, 2022 to provide greater clarity. Submissions received prior to September 6 will continue to be taken into consideration and will be given equal weight to those received after the republication. If you filled out the survey prior to September 6, but feel that these updates could change your responses, you may fill out the survey again.

DFO link here

Enviro’s views on the DFO Aquaculture Consultation Survey: to fill it out or not?

Perhaps submit only select questions on the survey (so as to be included in the Survey returns) along with a letter from an Enviro? See Watershed Watch’s example.

Clayoquot Action:

Early October DFO is seeking your input right now—until October 27th. But their online survey has a pre-determined outcome: that fish farms will remain in BC waters—indefinitely!

We recommend that you not wade into DFO’s tricksy online survey, as anything you say there will be used as proof that you support fish farms staying in the ocean. Link here to Clayoquot Action’s Letter:

Watershed Watch:

Aquaculture staff in DFO watered-down the federal promise to remove salmon farms (excerpt)

October 7

You can read our full summary of the government documents for yourself. We still believe the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Joyce Murray, wants to do the right thing but she’s hampered by some rotten apples in DFO.

The federal government currently has an online survey for citizens to fill out on the salmon farming transition. We’re not convinced filling out the entire survey is the best thing to do to get fish farms out, because DFO Aquaculture may just cherry-pick the answers they want from it. But if you want to help, there is one question that you can skip-to and answer to make things crystal-clear for them. It’s the question below. Just go to the DFO survey and scroll down and you’ll find this question and click on the first answer.

Watershed Watch also has their own letter to DFO for people to send: link here

Georgia Strait Alliance

October 7th Currently, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), is running a public consultation to inform the future of salmon aquaculture in British Columbia. However, while we welcome and encourage public processes like this, this survey does not seem to be information gathering with the goal of building a plan to remove all fish farms from BC waters by 2025.

Because of its vagueness and misleading questions, we believe that the survey put forward by DFO staff has been designed to support the continued existence of the destructive salmon farming industry in BC waters.

Why are we so sure that this survey is a problem? In conversations with DFO regarding this transition plan, it was clear that they are not fully set on removing open-net fish farms from BC waters by 2025. This contradicts the Ministerial mandate that clearly directs the Minister and DFO to “continue to work with the Province of B.C. and Indigenous communities on a responsible plan to transition from open-net pen salmon farming in coastal B.C. waters by 2025.”

That is why we are asking you not to engage with DFO’s public survey and instead, use our editable letter to Minister Murray to ensure your voice is truly heard. link here

Wild First

Mid October Despite the federal government’s promise to “transition open net pens from BC waters by 2025,” Fisheries & Oceans Canada has launched a multiple-choice consultation survey that implies ocean-based salmon farms are here to stay.

Fisheries & Oceans is suggesting options like “semi-closed,” “hybrid,” or “offshore” farms in the ocean — this means open-net pen salmon farms will remain in BC waters. These systems will continue to expose wild Pacific salmon to parasites, pathogens and pollutants.

Let your MP, Minister Joyce Murray, and Fisheries & Oceans Canada know that band-aid solutions are not an option. It’s time to get open-net pens out of BC waters.

link here

David Suzuki Foundation: Petition to Brenda McCorquodale, Director, Aquaculture Division (conducting the Consultations)

Mid October Support transition from open-net pen fish farms.

The federal government has committed to transitioning B.C.’s aquaculture sector from open-net pens by 2025, but the proposed framework suggests the government is backtracking from its promise and plans to leave the door open to allowing industry to continue its harmful practices.

That’s why it’s so important for the government to hear from you!

Transitioning from open-net pens must require removal of salmon farms from B.C. waters along with support for coastal economies to develop shellfish, seaweed and land-based finfish aquaculture, or other sustainable economic sectors.

Anything less will continue to put wild salmon in jeopardy.