An Industry at a Crossroads: Salmon Farming in Canada

Onda has written about the ban on net-pen farms on the Canadian West Coast before in one of our 2025 newsletters, and it continues to be an important topic in 2026. At present, the 2029 net-pen ban is still in effect and although the change in federal leadership brought hope of a reversal, the industry and community is still in a holding pattern which is impacting investment in farming and reducing salmon production on the West Coast. The January–February 2026 cover story in Aquaculture North America highlights a reality that many in the sector have been living for years: salmon farming on Canada’s West Coast is at a critical crossroads. The conversation has become increasingly polarized, often framed as a choice between protecting wild salmon or supporting aquaculture, when it shouldn’t be a choice, both need to be a priority.

Any discussion of salmon farming on the West Coast must also be grounded in the findings of the Cohen Commission, which underscored the complexity of factors affecting wild salmon populations. While aquaculture was examined as part of that broader ecosystem, the Commission concluded that no single activity could be isolated as the sole cause of wild salmon declines. Instead, it called for ongoing research, adaptive management, and evidence-based decision-making that evolves as science advances. More than a decade later, that message remains highly relevant: policy must reflect nuance, uncertainty, and the need for continual learning rather than fixed conclusions based on incomplete understanding.

Framing this challenge as a one or the other scenario oversimplifies a far more complex issue, one that touches Canada’s economy, Indigenous autonomy, coastal livelihoods, and the future of sustainable food production. It is time to move beyond absolutes and toward collaboration, evidence, and shared responsibility.

Salmon farming is a cornerstone of Canada’s blue economy, contributing hundreds of millions of dollars annually through direct employment, supply chains, exports, and regional investment. On the West Coast, it supports rural and remote communities where alternative economic opportunities are limited.

The loss of this industry would be felt far beyond the farm sites. The industry sustains feed producers, vessel operators, veterinarians, diagnostic labs, equipment suppliers, processors, and logistics providers. When decisions are made to scale back or eliminate salmon farming operations, the economic impact is not isolated, it ripples outward, affecting families, small businesses, and entire coastal regions.

Food security also matters. As global demand for protein grows and wild fisheries face increasing pressure, responsible aquaculture remains one of the most efficient ways to produce high-quality animal protein with a relatively low environmental footprint. Removing domestic production does not eliminate demand; it simply shifts production elsewhere, often to regions with weaker regulatory oversight.

Any discussion about salmon farming in Canada must meaningfully acknowledge Indigenous rights and leadership. Many Indigenous communities along the West Coast have a deep cultural, economic, and historical relationship with aquatic food systems, long predating modern aquaculture. Respecting Indigenous autonomy means honoring the right of each Nation to make its own decisions about aquaculture within its traditional territories. It also means recognizing that Indigenous-led aquaculture can be part of reconciliation, not a barrier to it. Policies that impose blanket outcomes risk undermining this autonomy and replacing one form of external control with another.

Activism has played an important role in raising awareness about environmental risks, fish health, and ecosystem interactions. These concerns should not be dismissed, but progress will not come from positioning farmers as adversaries. Farmers and activists are striving for the same outcome - healthy fish and healthy ecosystems. Poor environmental conditions, disease outbreaks, and stock losses are not abstract concepts, they directly threaten livelihoods and viability. There is far more alignment between farmers, conservationists, and Indigenous stewards than public discourse often suggests.

Meaningful improvement for both wild and farmed salmon will require activists, producers, and regulators to work together rather than talk past one another. Science must sit at the center of this conversation. The interactions between farmed and wild salmon are complex, influenced by multiple stressors including climate change, habitat loss, predation, and ocean conditions. Singling out aquaculture as the sole or dominant factor oversimplifies a multifaceted problem. When science is selectively applied policy loses credibility. Decisions affecting entire regions and industries must be rooted in the best available evidence, continuously updated as new data emerges.

The Canadian government has a responsibility to balance environmental protection, Indigenous rights, economic stability, and food security and balance cannot be achieved through rigid timelines or one-size-fits-all policies.

Re-evaluating current decisions does not mean abandoning environmental responsibility; it means ensuring policies reflect regional realities and community impacts, respect Indigenous governance and participation, are informed by peer-reviewed science and long-term monitoring, and support continuous improvement rather than forced exits.

The path forward will not be simple. But solutions are rarely found at the extremes. They are found where science, lived experience, Indigenous leadership, and constructive dialogue intersect. If the goal is healthy wild salmon, resilient coastal communities, and a sustainable food system, then working together is not optional, it is essential.