An effort to fill in the gaps in information about salmon farming turned into a 500-page 乌鸦传媒渢extbook乌鸦传媒� on the industry that was launched on Friday, April 5 in Campbell River.
乌鸦传媒淢odern Salmon farming in british Columbia: A Review乌鸦传媒� was commissioned by the Coalition of First Nations for Finfish Stewardship (CFNFS) and other rightsholder First Nations that host salmon farming in their traditional territories. The document is intended to provide additional transparency and details of salmon farming operations to answer questions from Indigenous communities as the federal government乌鸦传媒檚 transition for the sector nears.
乌鸦传媒淟ast year, our leadership recognized during community meetings that there were some gaps in information in salmon farming and gaps that we asked the (aquaculture) companies to fill,乌鸦传媒� Dallas Smith, spokesperson for the Coalition of First Nations for Finfish Stewardship, said at the launch of the review held at the Tidemark Theatre in Campbell River. 乌鸦传媒淏y commissioning this review, Modern Salmon Farming in British Columbia, we have created a solid start for First Nations with salmon farms to start owning and leading the science and research of farms in their territories.乌鸦传媒�
Communities on the coast of B.C. have diverse geographical conditions and there乌鸦传媒檚 not one size fits all in approaches to industry or sector development within their territories, Smith said.
The release of this science compilation is timely for First Nations, the sector, and suppliers as federal fisheries minister Diane Lebouthillier is expected to announce the salmon farming licencing decision in BC later this spring as she meets her mandate to finalize a 乌鸦传媒渞esponsible, realistic and achievable乌鸦传媒� Transition Plan for the sector by 2025.
乌鸦传媒淪o, it乌鸦传媒檚 taken this time to make independent transition plans,乌鸦传媒� Smith said. 乌鸦传媒淏ut at the same time, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans has been doing their transition plan. And so we want to use this salmon farming Science Review as a foundation going forward for a government-to-government-to-government process as we make sure that no one gets left behind as we transition from the old industry into the new sector that provides all those benefits around food security, human wellbeing, economic wellbeing and social wellbeing to our communities.乌鸦传媒�
Smith said the document also enables Indigenous leadership to make better informed decisions for their communities, marine management plans and economic diversification 乌鸦传媒渁s original stewards since time immemorial.乌鸦传媒�
The British Columbia Salmon Farming Association compiled the science review over the past year for publishing online today. At the same time, the CFNFS has sent copies to dozens of First Nations across the province in the spirit of creating a Nation-to-Nation dialogue. Topics covered in the publication across 13 chapters include the current state of Pacific salmon, sea lice, fish health, benthic conditions, incidental catch, mammal interactions, and First Nations stewardship.
乌鸦传媒淲hile the development of this review has been a rigorous effort, it is important to show that we truly are committed to trust and transparency with, first and foremost, the First Nations in whose territories we operate, as well as the public and government decision-makers,乌鸦传媒� says Brian Kingzett, Executive Director of the BCSFA.
Not everyone was impressed with the document. Bob Chamberlin, chairman of the First Nation Wild Salmon Alliance, said the document is 乌鸦传媒渓ike marking your own homework, giving yourself an A-plus. No?乌鸦传媒�
Chamberlin referenced today乌鸦传媒檚 press conference and image of Smith holding up the 500 page binder that comprises the review when he said, 乌鸦传媒淚 thought, well, we乌鸦传媒檝e provided DFO with, I think, three three-inch binders of science that shows the contrary position.乌鸦传媒� He said there have been numerous court rulings 乌鸦传媒渟cathing against DFO乌鸦传媒� as well as an auditor general乌鸦传媒檚 report as well as Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans reports 乌鸦传媒渃ritical of how DFO is managing this industry.乌鸦传媒�
Modern Salmon Farming in British Columbia: A Review also expands on the importance of First Nations inclusion in the operations and data analysis of the sector, particularly in applying their traditional knowledge and oversight utilizing stewardship programs like Guardian Watchmen. Both the Coalition and the BCSFA are united in support of building Indigenous science capacity and the marriage of Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) with Western science methodology to provide a fulsome, holistic picture of what乌鸦传媒檚 happening in the marine environment.
The BC Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences (BC CAHS) is an ISO-accredited lab in Campbell River whose governance is now Indigenous-led. BC CAHS is an independent non-profit that specializes in working with wild and farmed salmon and focuses on inclusive science with local First Nations. It will add its services to a new Indigenous Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences and Stewardship (iCAHS) planned on Wei Wai Kum territory.
The full report can be found at .
