Don’t take our jobs, First Nations spokesman tells Canadian PM

Failure to renew BC salmon farm licences would come at high cost to Kitasoo Xai’xais

Failure to renew current salmon farming licences in British
Columbia will put a remotely located First Nation at risk and will result in it
suffering annual economic losses of $2.82 million in economic output, $2.8m in
employment income, and 60 jobs, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been
told.

The grim prospect was outlined in a letter to Trudeau from
Isaiah Robinson, deputy chief councillor of the Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation, a coastal
community situated in the Klemtu area 500 miles north of Vancouver. The  Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation sets the conditions under which tenant Mowi Canada can farm in its traditional territory.

Robinson’s open letter is the latest of several sent by those
linked to the BC salmon farming sector to request that licences are renewed for
a minimum period of six years.

Transition plan

The BC salmon sector has been under threat from Canada’s
Liberal government since Trudeau made a 2019 election promise “to develop a
responsible plan to transition from open net pen salmon farming in coastal
waters to closed containment systems by 2025” in the province.

In late 2020, the then fisheries minister Bernadette Jordan
announced the arbitrary closure of 19 farms in the Discovery Islands in BC, and
in 2022 her successor Joyce Murray – a known opponent of net pen fish farms – said
she would renew licences for the remaining 79 farms in BC for just two years.

Murray lost her job in a government reshuffle last July and
was replaced by current fisheries minister Diane Lebouthillier who it is hoped
will take a more even-handed approach to the issue.

Kitasoo Model

In his letter, Robinson said the “Kitasoo Model” of fish
farming had been instrumental in fostering a robust and sustainable economy
over the past three decades, successfully integrating stewardship of natural resources
with community-led economic development.

He added that an Innovation Plan, expanding and modernising
the framework of the Kitasoo Model, provided a sustainable development model
for the local finfish aquaculture sector.

“Developed using over 20 years of scientific research and
centuries of traditional knowledge, this plan represents our commitment to
sustainability and community well-being,” wrote Robinson.

Technology adoption

“This plan aims to enhance technology adoption and
innovation in the local industry, establish the KX Aquaculture Management
Committee for environmental oversight, and develop metrics that reflect our
goals and public concerns.

“The Innovation Plan not only addresses political and public
concerns regarding the salmon farming industry but also sets a foundation for a
sustainable and prosperous future in finfish aquaculture, reinforcing our
ability to balance environmental stewardship, economic development, and
community resilience.”

Robinson said the Nation continuously asserted its Rights
and Title authority in its traditional territory and had invited the government’s
Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to engage in collaborative efforts to
gain insights into its forward-thinking approach to industry management.

One-sided dialogue

“At times, this dialogue with the DFO and the Government of
Canada has been frustrating and one-sided. Today, we are no closer to
understanding the federal government’s direction in finalising a ‘responsible
transition plan’,” wrote Robinson.

He repeated the sector’s call for all salmon farm licences
to be renewed for at least six years.

Robinson, a member of the Coalition of First Natons for Finfish
Stewardship (FNFFS), has previously spoken of the importance of salmon farming
in his community. “Because of the work and dignity that comes with the salmon
farming industry, we have had no suicides in my community of Klemtu for the
past 18 years,” he said. “My community now has 99% employment and 51% of
our income comes from the salmon farming sector. It makes no sense to shut it
down. There is no industry that can fill that space.”