Nanaimo—Ladysmith Member of Parliament Sheila Malcolmson is renewing her call to transition salmon farms onto land, to save wild salmon following a well attended and highly-engaged town hall.
“Open net-pen fish farms are a sunset industry we know is harming the wild salmon fishery. Wild Pacific salmon are under threat from sea lice and disease from open net-pen fish farms,” said Malcolmson.
“The BC New Democrat government has taken some good steps on fish farms in recent weeks, but the responsibility for fish farms is 90 per cent federal, and responsibility for wild salmon is 100% federal. We need to keep the pressure on the Trudeau Liberal government to keep its promises, protect wild salmon, and transition to on-land closed-containment salmon farms.”
Malcolmson hosted a town hall at Vancouver Island University on July 17 with guests Fin Donnelly, New Democrat critic for Fisheries, Oceans and Coast Guard and Member of Parliament for Port Moody—Coquitlam, Nanaimo-North Cowichan MLA Doug Routley and wild salmon defender and coastal hero, scientist Alexandra Morton.
“The science is clear: diseased Atlantic farmed salmon in open-net pens are threatening the health of wild Pacific salmon. The federal government must stop dragging its feet and immediately transition this harmful industry to safe, land-based closed containment technology,” said Donnelly.
“British Columbia is well positioned to become a world leader in closed containment salmon aquaculture. Federal New Democrats are calling on the Trudeau Liberal government to seize the opportunity and invest in a safe, sustainable industry that protects Pacific wild salmon, maintains employment, develops new technologies, jobs, and export opportunities.”