Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio is entering the discussion about B.C.’s fish farms.
The Canadian government is thinking about prolonging the licences of salmon farms for two to six years to provide more time for the industry to change.
It’s also considering modifying the terms of the licences, including reducing sea lice and enhancing record-keeping.
DiCaprio shared on Instagram that it would “violate their promise to phase out open-net pen salmon farms by 2025.”
He urged people to join the effort against the extension.
There are currently 57 salmon farms operating in B.C. In February 2023, the DFO closed 15 open-net Atlantic salmon farms in the Discovery Islands.
Environmentalists oppose the farms, stating they endanger wild salmon, while the farms are backed by First Nations communities they operate in.
The B.C. salmon farming industry rejects any link between aquaculture and the difficulties wild salmon are confronting.
“That is clearly inaccurate. We have a substantial amount of scientific evidence that demonstrates we are not a threat to wild Pacific salmon, we are consistently coming up with new ideas, and we have committed to keep innovating,” Brian Kingzett, executive director of the B.C. Salmon Farmers’ Association told Global News last September.
“Some of the highest salmon returns over the last three decades have occurred during the period of salmon farming, but we are consistently used as a convenient scapegoat.”
