The Big Decision was a long time coming. n Back in 2012 The Cohen Commission Inquiry released a report that suggested salmon farming might have to end unless it could be proven by 2020 that fish farms didn’t harm wild salmon. The inquiry was looking into the decline of Sockeye Salmon in the Fraser River, a major highway for fish travelling to the ocean.
That started a debate, resulted in new science, attacks on science and scientists. Biologist Alex Morton, who shifted her career from studying whales to researching sea lice on wild salmon coming from the fish farms was a frequent target of fish farm supporters. Fast forward to 2024.
Episode 17 of The Salmon People tells the story of Fisheries Minister Diane LeBoutillier’s announcement to ban fish farms from B.C. waters in 2029. And the concerns of many that five years is too long to wait.
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