Walk into your local grocery store and you will likely find imported salmon. Canada currently imports over $750 million worth of salmon. Local farmers want to change this and grow the industry right here in New Brunswick.

According to a recent report from CBC News, the value of imported salmon doubled since 2016. During that same time, the amount of salmon farmed in Canada dropped by more than 25 percent.

The Push for Local Production

The Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association believes the region has the resources to replace these imports. Executive director Tom Taylor says the industry has the people, the coastline, and the knowledge to raise these fish locally.

“The products that were imported into Canada could be raised here and should be raised here,” says Taylor.

To achieve this growth, the association wants the government to reform regulations and speed up project approvals. Currently, it takes an average of six months to approve a new operation in Norway. In Canada, the same process takes years. Taylor wants to cut that approval time in half by 2030.

New Brunswick Aquaculture Minister Pat Finnigan supports industry growth but refuses to commit to a specific target. He insists the province will make the application process efficient without cutting corners.

Conservation Groups Push Back

Not everyone agrees with expanding the salmon farming footprint. The Atlantic Salmon Federation opposes new farming operations. Vice president of communications Neville Crabbe says new farms threaten wild salmon populations.

Crabbe points out that New Brunswick and Nova Scotia lack available coastline for new farms. He suggests the industry focus on making existing operations more productive instead of expanding into new areas.

“Stay where you are, use what you have and do what you can,” says Crabbe.

Industry Focuses on Efficiency

Saint John based Cooke Aquaculture is already working on this approach. The company operates around 130 sites in the region and employs nearly 2500 people.

Joel Richardson is the vice president of public relations for Cooke Aquaculture. He says the company plans to adopt new technology to increase production at current sites. This includes growing fish larger in land based facilities before transferring them to ocean cages. This strategy gets the fish to market faster.

However, Richardson notes that slow government approvals make it tempting to invest in other countries. He says governments need to answer whether they truly want to support job creation and investment in Canada.

Protecting Marine Environments

Environmental advocates want to ensure growth does not come at the expense of the ocean ecosystem. Matt Abbott is the marine program director for the Conservation Council of New Brunswick. He opposes lifting restrictions that would allow aquaculture companies to use medications or pesticides in federally designated marine protected areas.

Abbott says these chemicals kill sea lice but also harm other marine life like lobsters. He insists marine protected areas must remain off limits to industrial activities.

The Cost to Consumers

Relying on imports directly impacts your grocery bill. Sylvain Charlebois is the senior director at the Agri Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University. He tracks food pricing and notes that salmon saw massive price increases recently.

Charlebois cites import costs from countries like Chile and Norway as a major factor. He believes it makes perfect sense to produce our own salmon locally to stabilize prices and utilize our natural capacity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do New Brunswick salmon farmers want to expand?

Farmers want to replace the $750 million worth of imported salmon currently sold in Canada. They believe local expansion creates jobs and utilizes the natural coastline of Atlantic Canada.

Why are conservation groups against new salmon farms?

Groups like the Atlantic Salmon Federation believe new operations threaten wild salmon populations and coastal marine areas. They want the industry to focus on improving existing sites instead of taking up more coastline.

How does importing salmon affect grocery prices?

Importing salmon from countries like Norway and Chile adds significant transportation and logistical costs. These costs get passed down to you at the grocery store.