Wild and farmed salmon…their story is still being written by the tides and the rivers, by scientists and fishermen, by First Nations leaders and farmers, and even by the people themselves.
British Columbia’s salmon farms are forever being gutted by selective science. Whenever public debate turns to the future of aquaculture on this coast, familiar accusations resurface, like a bloated carcass, claiming salmon farms endanger wild salmon, and that pathogens-typhoon roar unchecked beneath their nets.
This questionable activism claims that government scientists are puppets dancing for industry profit. These claims, regurgitated as constant as the currents, have nothing to do with evidence. Instead, their ideology obscure the very real, very collaborative work being done to protect both wild and farmed fish.
One of the latest examples comes from a recent article accusing Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) of downplaying the risks posed by two pathogens associated with salmon aquaculture: Piscine orthoreovirus (PRV) and Tenacibaculum maritimum.
The author argues that DFO is biased, that it ignores research, and that its processes are so flawed they amount to “regulatory capture.” A catch-all insult if ever there was one to submerge the scientists and regulators doing real work to protect Canada’s coasts.
The authors also claim that the only solution is a new “independent science advisory body”. Conveniently for them, and so frustrating for everyone else, that this is the one idea the activist community now claims as its own.
The truth is that salmon farmers themselves have long advocated for independent oversight (as evidenced in this article from 2018 Canada’s Salmon Farmers Push for Federal Aquacultural Act.)
Industry leaders have repeatedly called for transparent, third-party science frameworks precisely because they welcome the scrutiny. Salmon farmers understand that public trust is built on verifiable data that will inundate rhetoric.
For the activists to claim that the idea of independent governance originated anywhere else is mendacious.
What’s more, their demands for independence conveniently ignore the collaborative science initiatives that already exist…from joint research partnerships with universities and First Nations to voluntary participation in internationally recognised certification programmes such as the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP).
These are not the actions of an industry trying to hide, these are the actions of an industry pleading to be seen.
Pathogen dynamics in marine ecosystems are complex. Wild fish encounter countless potential disease sources during their migrations: from natural reservoirs and other wild species to ballast water discharges and climate-driven changes in ocean conditions.
To isolate farms as the sole or primary source is a drastic oversimplification that undermines solutions-focused policy. In fact, the most credible peer-reviewed studies consistently show that while pathogens like PRV are present, they do not cause population-level declines in wild salmon.
Modern aquaculture operates under some of the strictest biosecurity protocols in the world: regular veterinary checks, mandatory health reporting, fallowing practices, and continuous water quality monitoring.
The evidentiary bar is high because science demands it…and because salmon farmers want regulation so that the world can take note of the future of farming.
It is also worth challenging the claim that the DFO “suppresses” information. Many of the documents activists now cite as being hidden from public view were, in reality, released through existing information-access channels. And when new data emerges, it is scrutinised, debated, and integrated into risk assessments.
The accusation that these processes lack transparency ignores the fundamental truth: fisheries management in Canada is already among the most transparent in the world, subject to judicial review, independent audits, and parliamentary oversight.
Ultimately, the conversation we need to have cannot be about sacrificial victims or conspiracy theories. It must be about how best to steward a shared resource in a changing world.
Salmon aquaculture is not an enemy of wild salmon, it is part of a comprehensive food system that reduces pressure on wild stocks, feeds millions of people, and supports thousands of coastal jobs. It is a vital tool in climate-resilient food production.
Selective science makes for compelling headlines, but it does absolutely nothing to advance meaningful solutions.
Collaborative, evidence-based, and transparent work is already underway to save the salmon, wild and farmed.
It’s time we stopped vilifying the people who are actually doing just that…saving the salmon.