A group of First Nations leaders presented a united front this week to urge the federal government to remove all fish farms on the B.C. coast by 2029.
Sqwá elder Eddie Gardner of Chilliwack was among the leaders of the First Nation Wild Salmon Alliance who met with Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson on Oct. 14 in Vancouver.
Gardner said the message was clear and unequivocal asking the government to "stay the course" on banning open-net fish farms in the ocean.
"It was a great group of chiefs and leaders speaking of the importance wild salmon to our peoples as food security, foundation of culture and traditions, and to all British Columbians as well," commented Robert Chamberlin, chair of the First Nation Wild Salmon Alliance, in a post after the meeting.
The broad majority of First Nations support the complete ban, he said.
"I am always so grateful for the Alliance member First Nations and their unwavering commitment to what our peoples need. That benefits the environment, the economy and all folks across B.C. who enjoy wild Pacific salmon."
Gardner has been advocating for fish-farm removal from the coast since 2011, and argues that removing them is key to freeing the migration routes of salmon from the diseases, pollution and parasites that emanate from the open-net pens in the ocean.
He was "honoured" to be asked to deliver Sqwá Chief Jonathan Prest's message to Minister Thompson, alongside Stó:lō Tribal Council chair Tyrone McNeil, and others.
Minister Thompson came to the meeting with the express aim of listening to the leadership, Gardner noted, and his hope is that the meetings and the dialogue in good faith will continue to help them oversee the removal of the fish farms in the coming years.
"The minister made commitment to further meetings with the Wild Salmon Alliance but she couldn't say any more," Gardner added.
The real conundrum as he sees it is that DFO’s core mandate is the protection of wild fish and oceans, but it also supports the industry of aquaculture, which puts it at cross purposes.
"It cannot be of two minds – one of an adopted mandate to support a destructive aquaculture industry at the expense of wild salmon which is DFO’s central ministerial mandate to protect," Gardner said.
The atmosphere of the meeting was collegial and positive but there is a sense of urgency among the Indigenous leadership to seeing the federal commitment through to its logical conclusion.
Should the feds try to back out of their commitment to remove all fish farms by 2029, the Alliance has said it would have "no alternative" but to bring it to the attention of international forums to enforce UNDRIP and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and other human rights forums to which Canada is a signatory.
Consequently DFO officials are being urged to do the "reasonable and lawful thing on this file," Gardner added, which is steeling their resolve to complete the removal of all fish farms from the B.C. coast by 2029, and in so doing, join the states of California, Oregon, Washington and Alaska in making the entire North American Coast fish-farm free.
"The removal of fish farms from the B.C. coast will benefit everyone by preserving the integrity of vital ecosystems from the oceans to the headwaters," Chief Prest said.
"We, the Sqwá people, are part of the Pelólxw Tribe, along with Cheam and Kwaw Kwaw Apilt First Nations. We are salmon people, people of the river.
"We have a sacred duty and responsibility to care for, conserve and preserve wild salmon and its habitat for the wellbeing of future generations," Prest said in his statement.
