As the 30th Cabinet Ministry of Canada is sworn in, the future of B.C. salmon farming remains uncertain
When Mark Carney was chosen as the new party leader to succeed former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, it seemed that it was just enough change for the Liberal Party of Canada to then earn another election win on April 28. But when it comes to addressing the aquaculture industry’s concerns, this change might not be enough.
Yesterday (May 13), Prime Minister Carney swore in a new Cabinet Ministry that included 28 members and 10 secretaries of state. Within this group of 38 ministers, about two dozen are brand-new faces. A familiar face for us is Newfoundland and Labrador Min. Joanne Thompson, who keeps her role as Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Thompson was first appointed as minister on March 14, the same day Carney first assumed office. She took over this role from former Min. Diane Lebouthillier, who announced a five-year transitional plan last year to ban net-pen salmon farming on the coasts of British Columbia. Lebouthillier lost her seat in the House of Commons during the election to the Bloc Québécois representative, Alexis Deschênes.
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Now that the Canadian election is behind us, the fate of the B.C. salmon farming industry falls on Thompson’s desk. I can only speculate how difficult the task will be as the fourth minister in five years to inherit a decision that was set in motion long before she even began her career as a Member of Parliament.
But, this doesn’t discredit the prolonged frustration and anxiety that the aquaculture sector has experienced while their farm licenses continue to be at the mercy of an office with a high leadership turnover. There is a real human cost that is being overlooked as the government continues to delay on this decision.
The B.C. salmon farming industry is the one that hears the ticking clock of that five-year transition plan most loudly. The transition was first announced in June last year, with the intention of phasing out the industry by June 30, 2029. During that announcement, then Min. Lebouthillier also said her office would begin to review new project proposals in hopes that closed containment and land-based aquaculture could replace the productivity of traditional net pen farming. We have not yet seen records of new licenses being issued to new projects.
A draft transition plan was promised for the end of July, but it wasn’t released until late September. A final draft plan is promised for 2025 after community consultations were conducted over the winter, but there has been no hint of a target release date.
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The draft transition plan was released under the office of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), which was previously led by Ontario Min. Anita Anand. As of yesterday’s cabinet shuffle, she has been re-appointed as the new Minister of Foreign Affairs. The person who last held that job, Quebec Min. Mélanie Joly, will now take over Anand’s role as the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.
Joly has spent years as a foreign affairs minister that has navigated the diplomatic waters of the Ukraine invasion, the war in the Middle East, the tensions in India and China. Now, she told CBC she sets her sights back on the Canadian economy, prioritizing industries that are targeted by the trade war – auto, steel, and aluminum sectors. It may be too early to judge, but I didn’t hear a hint about the aquaculture sector.
The Liberal Party ran the election campaign with the promise to help Canadians navigate rapidly shifting international trade relationships, the rising cost of living, and national security. Of those things, U.S. tariffs was the number one priority for all federal party representatives during the campaign. And so, will the ISED office be too occupied with Trump negotiations or G7 Summit meetings to pick up the draft plan that was promised to the aquaculture industry this year?
Another notable appointment to mention is of P.E.I. Min. Heath MacDonald, the new Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. He has previous experience serving as the agricultural minister at the provincial level. At the federal level, he has been part of several parliamentary committees on public safety and national security.
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As the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA) continues its “Aquaculture is Agriculture” campaign, advocating for the industry to be governed more closely with its fellow Canadian farmer industries, MacDonald will be a key minister towards that effort.
Of course, the aquaculture associations will congratulate all the ministers in their new roles. They will continue to work and negotiate with the offices that hold the key to the industry’s future. But I can only assume that they, too, are looking ahead to the fact that while existing B.C. salmon farming licenses are renewed, they will be subject to stricter conditions and a review at the two-year point, starting next year.
So, perhaps, the aquaculture sector must take this opportunity and strike while the iron is hot. This new Cabinet and these new ministers could be the clean slate that the industry needs to promote the economic benefits that aquaculture can offer, especilly in British Columbia. B.C. salmon farming used to be a world-leading industry and perhaps, it could be again if it can align with this new government’s agenda to support all Canadian industries.