A recently released economic impact report, commissioned by the British Columbia Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA) found a proposed ban on net-pen salmon farming in British Columbia, Canada, would result in at least CAD 9 billion (USD 6.4 billion, EUR 6.1 billion) in “unnecessary costs” for Canadian taxpayers.
Canada renewed salmon-farming licenses in B.C. in June, effectively setting a five-year time limit on the industry in the province. The Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) later released its draft salmon aquaculture transition plan in September, which outlined how the government will support the industry and the people and communities affected by its loss.
“These conditions will strengthen protections for wild species and the marine environment while ensuring aquaculture facilities can operate safely during this transition period,” the DFO said in its transition plan.
BCSFA has long opposed the transition plan, which it said sets an unrealistic time period for completely transitioning the industry away from in-ocean farming to land-based farming and ignores science that shows a net-pen ban has little benefit to wild salmon.
“The proposed ban is a reckless decision by the Trudeau government that ignores both science and economic reality,” BCSFA Executive Director Brian Kingzett said.
According to the new report – compiled by RIAS Inc. – the proposed ban will also have severe consequences for the region’s economy, as taxpayers in Canada will wind up paying big if the government follows through on the transition plan’s promise of supporting those affected by the closure.
“It will reverse and harm once positive Indigenous economic development and reconciliation efforts and severely impact employment in areas with a history of underemployment,” the report stated. “An unjustified ban and push to unproven technology on salmon farming in B.C. will reduce Canadian agri-food production by 400 million healthy meals per year, eliminate B.C.’s top agri-food export, destroy 4,560 jobs, and cost Canadian taxpayers at least CAD 9 billion.”
According to the report, the ban would cause a CAD 1.17 billion (USD 832 million, EUR 793 million) reduction in ...
