Canada: Fisheries Department to close 15 fish farms off British Columbia's coast to protect wild salmon
Salmon
Seafood
Canada
Published Feb 18, 2023
Tridge summary
Minister Joyce Murray says the Discovery Islands area is a key migration route for wild salmon where narrow passages bring migrating juvenile salmon into close contact with the farms.
Original content
VICTORIA — The plight of British Columbia's endangered wild salmon came first Friday in the decision against renewing licences for 15 open-net Atlantic salmon farms in the Discovery Islands area off Vancouver Island, says the federal fisheries minister. Joyce Murray said wild salmon are in serious, long-term decline, with some runs near collapse and the government is making their protection its priority. The minister said her decision was "difficult," and she spent the afternoon providing her reasons in phone calls to First Nations and industry officials before making the announcement. "I have to take into account the plight of wild salmon, which are in a state of serious decline," she said in an interview Friday. "I decided this was a situation that deserved very precautious measures and that's why I made the decision not to re-licence the Atlantic salmon aquaculture facilities in the Discovery Islands." The Discovery Islands area is a key migration route for wild salmon where ...
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