Foreign-Backed Groups Influenced Ministers in Salmon Farming Ban Decision

Foreign Funding and Policy Manipulation: The Battle Over BC’s Salmon Farming Industry

The Trudeau government’s plan to ban ocean salmon farming in British Columbia stems from political manipulation by activist groups backed by American dollars, according to a scathing new report from the Macdonald-Laurier Institute (MLI), one of Canada’s leading independent think tanks.

The report, “Swimming against the tide: The case for salmon fish farming in British Columbia,” characterizes the situation as a textbook example of foreign-funded activism hijacking national policy while dismissing scientific evidence, threatening economic stability, and undermining reconciliation efforts with First Nations communities that depend on aquaculture.

Ken Coates, director of Indigenous Affairs at the Ottawa-based MLI and the report’s author, details how organizations including Wild First, the First Nations Wild Salmon Alliance, and Pacific Wild received substantial funding from U.S. environmental groups and philanthropic foundations. These resources reportedly fueled a coordinated campaign against salmon farming through protests, social media campaigns, and high-profile lobbying efforts.

“These funds were strategically deployed to manufacture a campaign of distortion, using misleading studies, media manipulation, and targeted lobbying to create a false narrative around the risks of salmon farming,” the report states.

The MLI investigation highlights how activists gained influence with key Liberal cabinet ministers, particularly Joyce Murray and Jonathan Wilkinson, who both represented British Columbia ridings and held the Fisheries and Oceans portfolio at different times between 2018 and 2023.

According to the report, Murray embraced the activists’ rhetoric despite her own department’s scientific research repeatedly finding minimal risk to wild fish stocks from salmon farming operations. Wilkinson was instrumental in advancing the narrative that ocean farms should transition to land-based containment systems, despite warnings about the economic and environmental feasibility of such technology in British Columbia’s context.

The economic stakes are significant. The industry represents British Columbia’s top agri-food export, with the proposed transition plan estimated to cost taxpayers $9 billion while eliminating approximately 4,560 jobs, including more than 1,000 positions held by Indigenous workers. Beyond direct employment, over 1,400 B.C. businesses within the industry’s supply chain stand to lose an estimated $437 million, potentially forcing many to cease operations entirely.

The controversy intensifies as business leaders across British Columbia press Premier David Eby to oppose Ottawa’s shutdown plan. Adding fuel to the debate, a new scientific analysis has reportedly exposed significant exaggerations in activists’ claims about disease transmission from farmed to wild salmon.

While Canada considers scaling back its ocean-based salmon farming, the MLI report points out that competitors like Norway, Scotland, and Chile are aggressively expanding their aquaculture industries with advanced technologies that balance production increases with environmental protection. This global context raises concerns about Canada’s future food security and economic competitiveness in the growing global protein market.

“Ottawa’s lack of support for domestic aquaculture has caused Canada to fall behind, increasing reliance on imported farmed salmon rather than capitalizing on its own world-class natural resources,” the report warns.

The MLI is calling for an immediate reversal of the ban in favor of evidence-based decision-making that incorporates input from government scientists, Indigenous knowledge holders, and academic experts. The think tank advocates for a balanced approach that protects the environment while maintaining the economic benefits of the industry.

“The ban on West Coast salmon farming exemplifies the dangers of special interest-driven decision-making,” Coates said. “Canada has time to get it right, but the nature of the federal decision has allowed emotion to override effective policymaking.”

The report raises broader questions about policy development in Canada, particularly when significant foreign funding influences domestic environmental debates. As the battle over salmon farming continues, the economic future of coastal communities and Canada’s position in the global seafood market hang in the balance.