Open-net fish farms off B.C.’s coast are a long-running subject of debate, with opponents saying the farms are linked to the transfer of disease to wild salmon, while supporters say thousands of jobs are threatened if the operations are phased out.Bob Chamberlin, Chair of the First Nations Wild Salmon Alliance, speaks during a press conference n Parliament Hill in Ottawa advocating for transition of open-net fish farms out of B.C. waters on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023.
An alliance of British Columbia Indigenous leaders is calling on the federal government to stand firm on plans to transition away from open-net salmon farms in B.C. waters by 2025. Chiefs from across the province are in Ottawa for meetings with federal officials, including Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier.
Bob Chamberlin, chair of the First Nations Wild Salmon Alliance, says they told the minister that most B.C. First Nations want the transition.