Pacific Fish Farms Must Use Closed Tanks

Summary#

This bill amends the federal Fisheries Act to allow commercial finfish farming in Canadian Pacific coastal waters only if it uses closed containment (solid-wall) systems. It phases out open-net pen finfish farming in those waters over a maximum of 4 years and requires a minister-led transition plan with support for workers and companies.

• New licences for Pacific Coast finfish farms can be issued only for closed containment facilities (Bill s.7(1.01)).
• Operating finfish farms in Pacific marine waters without closed containment becomes unlawful after the earlier of a licence’s expiry or 4 years after the prohibition takes effect (Bill s.26; Transitional Provisions (2)).
• “Closed containment facility” means a solid-wall structure, onshore or offshore, that prevents fish, parasites, waste, and other pollutants from escaping (Bill s.2).
• The Minister must, within 12 months, prepare, table in Parliament, and implement a transition plan with specific support for affected corporations and workers, including training and income support through Employment Insurance (Transitional Plan).
• Applies only to finfish in Canadian fisheries waters off the Pacific Coast; shellfish and inland freshwater aquaculture are not covered by this bill’s restrictions (Bill ss.2, 7(1.01), 26).

What it means for you#

• Households

  • No direct obligations or new fees. The bill sets rules for licensing and operation of finfish farms in Pacific marine waters (Bill ss.7(1.01), 26).

• Workers (Pacific Coast finfish aquaculture)

  • Your employer must shift to closed containment to keep operating in marine waters after the transition period (Bill ss.7(1.01), 26).
  • Existing non–closed containment operations may continue only until the earlier of licence expiry or 4 years after the prohibition takes effect (Transitional Provisions (2)).
  • A federal transition plan must offer support to protect jobs and financial security, including training and income support through the EI system (Transitional Plan).
  • The plan must be prepared, tabled, and started within 12 months of the law coming into force (Transitional Plan).

• Businesses (finfish aquaculture operators in Pacific marine waters)

  • New or renewed licences will be available only for closed containment facilities that prevent any escape of fish, parasites, waste, and pollutants (Bill ss.2, 7(1.01)).
  • If you currently hold a licence for non–closed containment, you may operate only until the earlier of licence expiry or 4 years after the prohibition takes effect; after that, you must have a closed containment licence to continue (Bill s.26; Transitional Provisions (2)).
  • The minister’s transition plan must set out support measures for corporations and workers; the bill does not specify amounts or program details (Transitional Plan).
  • The bill does not change rules for shellfish or inland freshwater aquaculture (Bill ss.2, 7(1.01), 26).

• Indigenous governments and local governments

  • The bill changes federal licensing under the Fisheries Act for Pacific marine finfish farms. It does not amend provincial, Indigenous, or municipal permitting laws (Bill text confines changes to the Fisheries Act).

• Consumers

  • No direct changes to prices or access are mandated by the bill. Any market effects are not specified.

Expenses#

Estimated net cost: Data unavailable.

• No fiscal note or cost estimate is provided in the bill text. Data unavailable.
• The bill includes no explicit appropriations or dollar amounts. Data unavailable.
• It requires the Minister to “prepare, table, and implement” a transition plan within 12 months, including training and income support through the EI system, but it does not state costs or funding sources (Transitional Plan). Data unavailable.
• Administrative and enforcement costs for licensing changes are not quantified. Data unavailable.

Proponents' View#

• Reduces ecological risk: By allowing only closed containment systems that prevent escape of fish, parasites, and waste, the bill aims to lower interactions with wild fish and the marine environment (Bill s.2).
• Provides a clear, time-limited transition: Existing non–closed containment operations must end or convert by licence expiry or within 4 years of the prohibition taking effect, giving a defined window for change (Transitional Provisions (2)).
• Directs worker and corporate support: The bill requires a transition plan with specific measures to protect jobs and financial security, including EI-based training and income support (Transitional Plan).
• Supplies regulatory certainty: New licences in Pacific waters can only be for closed containment, which sets a stable rule for future investments (Bill s.7(1.01)).
• Targets only the Pacific Coast finfish sector, matching regional concerns while not changing rules for other aquaculture types (Bill ss.7(1.01), 26).

Opponents' View#

• High conversion costs and feasibility risks: The bill mandates closed containment but sets no funding. Companies may face large capital needs and may not complete planning, permitting, financing, and construction within the 4-year window (Bill ss.7(1.01), 26; Transitional Provisions (2)). Assumes limited time and financing options.
• Job loss risk if firms exit: If operators cannot convert, facilities may close, affecting workers and communities despite the required transition plan (Transitional Plan). Assumes support measures are insufficient or delayed.
• Technology constraint: The definition requires a “solid wall structure,” which may exclude some semi-closed or alternative systems and limit innovation pathways (Bill s.2).
• Enforcement and compliance uncertainty: Proving a facility “prevents” the escape of fish, parasites, and waste could be challenging in practice, creating regulatory disputes (Bill s.2).
• Implementation timeline strain: The Minister must prepare, table, and implement a plan within 12 months, which may be difficult to execute alongside industry changes and could delay supports (Transitional Plan). Assumes administrative capacity and intergovernmental coordination are limited.