Canada: Federal court rejects bid to review not renewing licenses of British Columbia fish farms

Published 2024년 6월 8일

Tridge summary

A federal Court has upheld the decision by former Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray to cease renewing licences for 15 open-net Atlantic salmon farms in the Discovery Islands, British Columbia, citing concerns over the potential risk to wild salmon. This decision, which has been appealed by two First Nations and salmon farm operators, including Grieg Seafood, was deemed reasonable and in compliance with the duty to consult and procedural fairness. The court's ruling is supported by Wild First, an organization advocating for the shift away from open-net salmon farming, as it aligns with the Prime Minister's directive to transition away from such farming practices by 2025. The decision, however, leaves the future of the 79 B.C. salmon farms uncertain, raising concerns about the potential economic impact on the province.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

A federal Court has rejected a bid by two First Nations and salmon farm operators to review Ottawa’s decision to not renew licences for 15 open-net Atlantic salmon farms in the waters off British Columbia. The written ruling from Judge Paul Favel says former fisheries minister Joyce Murray’s February 2023 decision not to renew the licences for farms around B.C.’s Discovery Islands met the “requirement of the duty to consult” and “did not breach the operators’ rights of procedural fairness.” Favel also says the federal decision, which cited the uncertain risks posed by fish farms to wild salmon, was “reasonable.” The application for judicial review into the decision not to renew licences was launched by the Wei Wai Kum and We Wai Kai nations in the areas of Quadra Island and Campbell, some 200 kilometres northwest of Vancouver, as well as salmon farm operators including Grieg Seafood. Court documents say the First Nations made the application with concerns about the federal ...

Source: Thenorthernview