Major BC salmon producers may exit as Ottawa phases out open-net farms.
The Canadian federal government is preparing for the potential exit of major salmon producers from British Columbia, according to internal documents obtained by Canada’s National Observer.
A February 2025 memo to Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Deputy Minister Annette Gibbons warned that international companies such as Mowi Canada West, Cermaq, and Grieg Seafood may abandon BC operations — including broodstock hatcheries — in response to Ottawa’s commitment to phase out open-net pen farming by 2029.
The memo cautioned that if these producers shut down local hatcheries, closed-containment ventures would be left scrambling for Atlantic salmon eggs, a supply chain dependency that has historically relied on existing operators. Importing eggs from outside the province, including from Norway or eastern Canada, is currently restricted by Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) rules aimed at preventing the spread of infectious salmon anaemia.
The federal government is now exploring options to support closed containment operators through complex permitting routes, including potential import protocols from Norway or elevated biosecurity designations for eastern facilities. However, these processes are expected to be lengthy.
Norway’s Salmon Evolution is among the land-based operators exploring an expansion into North America. While the company has not confirmed a BC site, its annual report describes “advanced negotiations” for a facility on the West Coast, with construction potentially beginning in 2026. Its Indre Harøy site in Norway produced 4,900 tonnes in 2024 and aims to scale to 100,000 tonnes annually across multiple regions, including North America.
The BC Salmon Farmers Association described the 2029 deadline for transitioning to closed containment as “unrealistic and unachievable,” and warned that the shift could jeopardise 4,500 full-time Canadian jobs and C$1.1 billion in economic activity tied to open-net salmon farming. Open-net operators currently produce around 50,000 tonnes of salmon annually in BC.
The DFO has pledged to support the transition but has not provided specifics. Key stakeholders — including Mowi, Cermaq, and Salmon Evolution — declined to comment when contacted by Canada’s National Observer.
