FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BC COASTAL FIRST NATIONS TELL OTTAWA THAT SALMON AQUACULTURE WILL UNBLOCK HUNDREDS
OF MILLIONS IN NEW INVESTMENT AND ADDRESS CRISES IN FOOD SECURITY , AFFORDABILITY AND
YOUTH EMPLOYMENT. CALL FOR REVERSAL OF TRUDEAU-ERA NET SALMON PEN BAN
Federal government must walk the talk on economic reconciliation by enabling the continuation of
modern, BC salmon farming.
OTTAWA – April 29, 2026 – As the federal government enthusiastically champions Indigenous equity
participation in pipelines and major resource projects, BC coastal First Nations say urgent action is
needed closer to home. Food banks lines are getting longer in rural and remote communities where
food insecurity and job losses in salmon aquaculture are being felt most acutely.
With aquaculture companies already scaling back operations ahead of the planned 2029 salmon net pen
ban, First Nations leaders warn that the policy is undermining critical sources of employment, new
foreign and Indigenous investment, and locally produced, affordable and sustainable food.
At a press conference today on Parliament Hill, Chiefs from the BC coastal First Nations Finfish
Stewardship Coalition (FNFFS) unveiled a plan for greater Indigenous equity and leadership in salmon
aquaculture, while also welcoming the federal government’s $1.3 billion investment in wild Pacific
salmon conservation.
Their message was clear. The timeline is urgent. Reversing the Trudeau-era 2029 net pen ban is essential
for sustainable growth. At stake is significant new foreign direct investment, and the long-term
economic participation of First Nations communities in a sector where they are already key partners.
Coalition Chiefs say this approach directly aligns with the Carney government’s federal priorities:
attracting investment creating jobs – including for youth, improving affordability, strengthening food
security, and advancing economic reconciliation in an increasingly uncertain global economy.
The next six-year salmon grow-out cycle begins in June 2026. Without policy clarity, aquaculture
companies face two stark options: proceed with production only to cull millions of healthy fish in 2029,
or halt the cycle entirely—triggering immediate job losses across rural, remote, coastal and Indigenous
communities.
The FNFFS Chiefs unveiled their own proactive, 5-pillar plan for their future in the salmon aquaculture
sector including:
- A transformation of the ISO-accredited Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences (CAHS) to the ISO-accredited Indigenous Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences (iCAHS), located in Wei Wai Kum territory – braiding western science with Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK).
- The creation of a Nation-led Salmon Stewardship Fund – requiring salmon aquaculture companies to make a per-harvested-tonne contribution to the new Indigenous Centre for Aquatic Health Science (iCAHS).
- A majority equity Indigenous investment in the largest seafood harvesting facility network in western Canada.
- Increased First Nations equity investment in BC coastal aquaculture industry and ancillary businesses up and down the supply chain.
- Beginning in 2029, First-Nations-issued salmon aquaculture licenses.
B.C.’s salmon aquaculture sector currently generates $1.12 billion in annual economic activity, including
$483 million in GDP, and supports more than 4,000 jobs. Two-thirds of the workforce is under the age of
35. For the more than 1,000 First Nations workers in salmon aquaculture, this includes over $59.9
million in annual wages.
QUOTES:
“BC coastal First Nations believe in conservation and having a choice to responsibly develop sustainable aquaculture economies for our people and within our territories, and salmon aquaculture is the backbone. 100% of salmon farms operate with the permission of Rights-holder Nations. In the midst of an affordability crisis, and in a sector where 2/3 of the workforce is under 35, maintaining jobs that grow Canadian food for Canadian families should be a priority for the Government of Canada. BC coastal First Nations are calling on the Carney government to immediately reverse the 2029 Trudeau net pen ban so that we can implement our responsible plan to drive new foreign investment and increase our equity investment in the BC salmon aquaculture sector”. – Dallas Smith, Tlowitsis First Nation and Spokesperson for the FNFFS
“Kitasoo Xai’Xais Nation has a 40-year history with aquaculture in our traditional territory, and we have confidence in the science and modern technology behind it. Living 800 km up the BC central coast, and accessible only by plane or boat, we are already feeling the social and economic effects of the 2029 net pen ban in job losses. Salmon aquaculture is 51% of our economy. Modern salmon aquaculture is the backbone of the seafood processing, water transportation, small craft harbours, net repair, and other businesses that support the sector – including the development of new technologies. It just doesn’t make sense that the federal government wants us to accept the development related to tankers, pipelines and increased natural resource development, yet it continues to block new investments in the highly regulated salmon farming sector that feeds families and employs thousands in rural BC”. – Isaiah Robinson, Deputy Chief Counsellor Kitasoo Xai’Xais Nation
“The Prime Minister has called for elbows up, for Canadians to stand together to build Canada strong, and the First Nations for Finfish Stewardship Coalition with our industry partners – is part of that. We are asking to stand inside the economic agenda, partner to partner. We have seen all across this country, First Nations with equity stakes – or building towards them – in projects like pipelines, mining, oil and gas, in critical minerals. That is self-determination. That is reconciliation in action. It is the right of every First Nation. It can’t be pipelines and mines and forestry for some First Nations, but not salmon aquaculture for ours. That is our natural resource”. – Hasheukumiss, Tyee, Ahousaht First Nation
“First Nations leadership has been central to shaping a responsible and sustainable aquaculture sector in British Columbia. Their stewardship, combined with our company values, demonstrates how economic opportunity, responsible production, and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand. CERMAQ has long supported the importance of these relationships and aligns with the FNFFS Coalition First Nations and their important role in the future of salmon farming”. – Steven Rafferty, CEO, CERMAQ
“This net pen policy has had a damaging effect on the economies of coastal communities, British Columbia and Canada, and has directly impacted foreign investment. It has weakened food security and food sovereignty, forcing Canadians to rely on imported salmon instead of affordable Canadian-raised fish or go without. MOWI remains committed to stewardship, science-based decision-making, certification to Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative benchmarked standards and full compliance with regulatory requirements. The time is now to create certainty for the Nations and for the industry”. – Ivan Vindheim , CEO MOWI ASA
ABOUT FNFFS
The BC Coalition of First Nations for Finfish Stewardship (FNFFS) is a coalition of Rights-holding First
Nations whose territories along the BC coast host modern partnership-based salmon aquaculture. FNFFS
advances Indigenous-led stewardship, responsible aquatic operations in member territories and First
Nations equity participation across the BC salmon aquaculture supply chain.
www.firstnationsforfinfish.ca
Please watch the latest FNFFS video at https://youtu.be/jQn7HmvI9D4
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Contact:
Dallas Smith, FNFFS spokesperson
info@firstnationsforfinfish.ca
c: (250) 203-0280
Isaiah Robinson, Deputy Chief Councillor
Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation
c: (604)869-6217