The Government of British Columbia has released the report that it received from the Minister of Agriculture’s Advisory Council on Finfish Aquaculture (MAACFA).

The council worked over the past 18 months to complete the report, which provides strategic, immediate and long-term recommendations.

They are grouped into six themes:

• Salmon farm locations
• Aboriginal rights and title
• Marine planning and community engagement
• Pathogens and disease
• Alternate technologies and approaches
• Transparency and information gaps

The report recommends policy changes by both the B.C. government and the Government of Canada, some of which require new funding to implement.

The Province is releasing the report to allow for public review, and to enable consultation with Indigenous peoples, the aquaculture industry and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The report recommends further consideration of implications, risks and benefits.

The moratorium on issuing new tenures for finfish aquaculture will remain in place while the Province considers the council’s report and recommendations.

The advisory council was formed in 2016 by the Province to provide strategic advice and policy guidance to the Minister of Agriculture about the future, and issuance, of new Crown-land tenures for marine-based salmon aquaculture in British Columbia. The members of MAACFA included representatives from the aquaculture industry, academia, non-governmental organizations, First Nations and federal and provincial government officials.

The council met 12 times between July 2016 and January 2018. It was provided with background on salmon farming (regulatory regime, operational arrangements and research and health developments) and presentations on finfish aquaculture issues. The council’s meeting minutes are also available on the MAACFA webpage.

Learn More:

Minister of Agriculture's Advisory Council on Finfish Aquaculture: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/agriculture-seafood/fisheries-and-aquaculture/minister-of-agriculture-s-advisory-council-on-finfish-aquaculture