B.C. premier discusses concerns with Trudeau about jobs if fish farms close

B.C. premier discusses concerns with Trudeau about jobs if fish farms close

Source: national observer

3/17/2022

Credit: The Canadian Press /Jonathan Hayward

Any federal government plans to move away from open-net pen salmon farms in British Columbia should come with transition help for the industry and workers, says Premier John Horgan.

A letter dated March 10 from Horgan to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said concern is widespread on Vancouver Island that the federal government is poised to make a decision that could threaten hundreds of jobs and the economies of coastal communities.

Federal Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray's mandate letter includes the development of a transition plan from open-net pen salmon farming by 2025, coinciding with her department's forthcoming decisions on whether to renew many fish farm licences and tenures in coastal B.C. waters, says Horgan's letter.