Several groups responded with dissatisfaction to Leonardo DiCaprio’s take on ‘open-net salmon farms’ in B.C.
In a post to Instagram, DiCaprio says the Canadian government is considering extending the licenses for open-net pen salmon farms by up to six years.
The Hollywood actor says this would break their promise to phase out open-net pen salmon farms from coastal BC waters by 2025. He invited his followers to join Wild First Canada’s initiative to stop license extensions for “ocean-polluting Atlantic salmon farms in BC.”
Global Seafood Alliance called DiCaprio’s post incredibly misinformed.
“Aquaculture provides a solution to feed the world’s growing population in a responsible way — there is only so much land available to convert to agriculture. Responsibly farmed seafood enables millions of people to have access to safe, healthy protein,” it said.
“Aquaculture production emits less greenhouse gas emissions than all other types of livestock industries (pork, beef, chicken, etc.), while providing millions of jobs around the world.”
Young Salmon Farmers of BC also responded to DiCaprio’s post saying he should “do better.”
“As young leaders in this sector who supported your movies and work, we are incredibly disappointed. This post is misinformed. Two-thirds of the sector in BC is under 35. We are the ones you are targeting with this post. We are the ones that will lose our careers. We are the ones innovating the sector to always be reducing our environmental impact,” it said.
“Thank you for showing an entire generation of young leaders who have committed their careers to this carbon-friendly sector growing food for the world that you don’t actually research these issues before you take a public stance on them.”
BC Salmon Farmers Association also met DiCaprio’s stance with opposition, saying the information provided to him by Wild First was incorrect.
“We welcome you to come to BC and tour our farms and meet our farmers… We work in agreement with First Nations in whose territories we operate and we respect their rights and title,” it said.
The association says its sector has been innovating for decades and is globally recognized as “responsible stewards of the environment.”
“We support thousands of families in rural coastal communities and are the main employer in a lot of these communities. It’s important to understand our operations before believing what an activist group tells you and using your incredibly large platform to ask for our sector to be shut down,” it said.
“The BC government tried introducing Atlantic salmon to BC waters long before salmon farming was around and could never establish a population here because they cannot compete with pacific salmon or interbreed.”
BC Salmon Farmers Association tells DiCaprio that science says salmon farms are not impacting wild salmon populations and growing Atlantic salmon in Pacific waters is not a risk.
Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation also disagreed with DiCaprio and Wild First’s narrative.
An Instagram account named Kitasoo Xai’xais Aquaculture posted on social media saying DiCaprio and Wild First are spreading a “false narrative” regarding the impact of fish farms in B.C. The post says their future should not be decided by people hundreds or thousands of kilometres away.
“There is an incorrect story being told by celebrities and activists who do not understand nor account for the realities of First Nations,” the post said.
“Organizations like Wild First Canada pull activists and the public in with misinformation and get big names to stand behind them, with zero accountability.”
There has been a disagreement between different groups regarding the topic in the last few months.
According to Wild First open-net pen fish farms have been releasing parasites, pathogens, and pollutants into wild Pacific salmon migration routes for over 30 years, leading to “deadly consequences.”
“Where open-net pen salmon farms have been removed, wild Pacific salmon are seeing positive impacts,” according to Wild First.
Wild First says this is to protect wild Pacific salmon and future-proof the aquaculture industry for generations to come.
“These fish farms cannot contain or control the outflow of waste from their facilities — they’re allowed to pollute for free,” said Wild First.
Last month, in an interview with CityNews Vancouver, Bob Chamberlin said the First Nation Wild Salmon Alliance (FNWSA) had identified over 120 First Nations in B.C. that support the transition, and many have been a part of the planning process.
Chamberlin told CityNews they want “the top leadership in this country to understand that it’s time for them to step in and make the correct decision. Err on the side of caution embrace the principles of Canada’s Ocean Act and protect B.C. wild salmon.”
Chamberlin says by supporting the act, the government would be showing a “strong measure of reconciliation province-wide.”
A spokeswoman for the DFO said in a statement to the Canadian Press that “scientific integrity guides and shapes how it generates advice to inform decision-making.”
“DFO continues to engage with our partners and stakeholders on the development of a responsible plan to transition from open net-pen salmon farming in coastal British Columbia waters by 2025,” Kathryn Hallett, a media relations officer with the department tells the Canadian Press.
“Consultations are ongoing with First Nations, the province of B.C., industry, ENGOs, and British Columbians.”
Hallett said the goal is to conserve the aquatic ecosystem for the future.
This is a developing story, CityNews is reaching out to Wild First for a statement.
-With files from Raynaldo Suarez