An Act to amend the Fisheries Act (closed containment aquaculture)
Bill C-258 was an NDP Private Member's Bill amending the Fisheries Act (R.S.C. 1985, c. F-14) to require the federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to transition open-net-pen salmon-farming operations in British Columbia waters to closed-containment aquaculture (CCA) facilities by 2029. The federal government separately announced in June 2024 a transition plan for BC open-net-pen aquaculture (approximately 79 open-net licences operated by Mowi Canada West, Cermaq Canada, and Grieg Seafood). Indigenous-Nation opposition to open-net pens (the 'Namgis First Nation, Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation, and others) cited wild-salmon-stock impacts. The bill provided statutory binding force to the transition. Did not pass third reading.
Status
Quick learn
Would require BC's open-net-pen salmon farms to move to closed-containment systems by 2029, to protect wild salmon, a long-standing demand of several First Nations. The federal government announced its own transition plan in 2024. An NDP private member's bill; it did not pass third reading.
Issues this bill touches
- Agriculture & Food Security
Phases out open-net salmon aquaculture for closed containment.
Legislative history
- First reading
First reading in the House of Commons.
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Official source
Read full text on Parliament of Canada