First Nations group launches billboard campaign to promote B.C. farmed salmon

The Coalition of First Nations for Finfish Stewardship (FNFFS) launched a billboard campaign in Ottawa stating the economic and social importance of salmon farming in First Nation communities. 

The billboard, featuring Isaiah Robinson of the Kitasoo Xai’xais First Nation, carries the message, “100% of B.C. farmed salmon is raised in partnership with B.C. First Nations.”

This comes after radio advertisements by Wild First claim wild Pacific salmon are “on the brink of extinction,” a statement that the B.C. Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA) is fighting.

Photo: Coalition of First Nations for Finfish Stewardship, Facebook

Wild First is a non-governmental organization with a mission to transition away from net-pen farming in British Columbia.

In 2023, the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA) challenged the removal of “false” advertising in Ottawa, causing these billboards to be taken down. 

According to information from the FNFFS’s website, fish farming and processing are major sources of income in Klemtu, creating more than 50 jobs for the small community in BC.

“The Kitasoo/Xai’xais First Nation prides itself in stewarding their territory and guarding their values. For the Kitasoo/Xai’xais, it is important to ensure that future generations inherit healthy lands and waters to steward for the next millennia,” it states.