BC farmers’ group eyes certification for all farms in province

Finfish aquaculture provides a healthy protein choice for people to eat, and studies have shown it’s also healthy for the planet (see graph), but salmon farmers in BC are committed to make it even healthier for both by having all salmon farms in the province certified to the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC).

An ASC certification verifies that the fish was raised in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. Roughly 60 percent of BC’s farms are currently certified.

BC Salmon Farmers Association executive director John Paul Fraser noted that salmon farming in BC has “evolved considerably in recent decades.”

“There’s not enough knowledge out there about the level of technology and innovation that there currently is in BC. That makes aquaculture on our coast quite extraordinary. Investment in new technologies and new ways of doing things allows us to help feed a hungry world in ever-more environmentally-sound ways,” said Fraser.

From 2017-2022 roughly half-a-billion dollars have been allotted towards innovation technology upgrades, and skills training, “the kinds of things that puts BC in a leadership position globally for ocean farming,” he added.