Collaboration with the Province, First Nations, Cermaq, Marine Harvest and the Federal government

BC Govt, First Nations and aquaculture firms agree to restrict salmon farming

CANADA
Tuesday, December 18, 2018, 01:50 (GMT + 9)

British Columbia (BC) Government intends to protect and restore wild salmon stocks in the Broughton Archipelago by allowing an orderly transition plan for open-pen finfish and creating a more sustainable future for local communities and workers.

As part of the initiative, farm operators Marine Harvest Canada and Cermaq Canada expressed an agreement on a series of recommendations that have come out of a process undertaken by the Province and three First Nations, following a letter of understanding (LOU) regarding the future of finfish aquaculture.

“Our governments have come together to help revitalize and protect wild salmon, and provide greater economic certainty for communities and local workers. These are the kinds of gains true reconciliation can deliver,” said Premier John Horgan.

Left John Horgan Premier of British Columbia and right the Chief Robert Chamberlin, Chief Councillor of the Kwikwasut’inuxw Haxwa’mis First Nation, with his wife

For his part, Chief Robert Chamberlin, Elected Chief Councillor of the Kwikwasut’inuxw Haxwa’mis First Nation and First Nations’ Chair of the steering committee, stated that together with many British Columbians, their Nations have been raising serious concerns about this industry for decades and are grateful that governments and industry are finally starting to listen and work with them to find solutions that aim to protect and restore wild salmon and other resources.

The Province and the three First Nations endorse the recommendations, which:

• Create an orderly transition of 17 farms, operated by Marine Harvest Canada and Cermaq Canada, from the Broughton area between 2019 and 2023;
• Establish a farm-free migration corridor in the Broughton in the short term to help reduce harm to wild salmon;
• Develop a First Nations-led monitoring and inspection program to oversee those farms during the transition, which will include compliance requirements and corrective measures;
• Implement new technologies to address environmental risks including sea lice;
• Call for immediate action to enhance wild salmon habitat restoration and rehabilitation in the Broughton;
• Confirm a willingness to work together to put into place the agreements and protocols necessary to implement the recommendations, including continued collaboration with the federal government; and
• Secure economic development and employment opportunities by increasing support for First Nations implementation activities and industry transition opportunities outside the Broughton.

The Province, First Nations and industry are committed to working with the federal government to implement the recommendations.

“These recommendations show that we can implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and find respectful solutions in a timely manner,” Chamberlin said.

“This process respected the need for Indigenous peoples’ consent and allowed us to work together to establish an orderly transition of the finfish farm tenures, while recognizing the needs of other governments, industry and local communities,” he added.

The recommendations provide for a transition that allows industry to respond and provides an opportunity for transparent monitoring and oversite. Further, the recommendations include timeframes for both transition action and broader monitoring plans – proposed as January and March 2019, respectively.

The Province continues to engage in consultation on the tenures with other First Nations in the area who decided not to participate in the letter of understanding.
 
[email protected]
www.seafood.media

Print