Liberals have retained power but as a minority government. However, the threat the transition from open net-pen salmon to closed containment in just over five years is still on the cards.
It’s not the news that the BC salmon farming industry, but Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party have won the election – though only slightly, according to projections by Canada’s national broadcaster, CBC.
Over the past few weeks, salmon farmers in Pacific Canada have been watching the elections closely with bated breath with good reason. On the first of this month, on page 36 from its manifesto, the Liberal party wrote, in just four lines, how it planned to end salmon farming as we know it: “In British Columbia, we will work with the province to develop a responsible plan to transition from open net-pen salmon farming in coastal waters to closed containment systems by 2025”.
However, the victory is modest, with the Liberals weakened to a minority government in the 338-seat House of Commons.
This would leave Trudeau having to work with left-wing opposition parties to push through key pieces of legislation. However, the NDP (projected to have 15.8 per cent) and the Greens (6.3 per cent) also campaigned on an anti-open pen salmon farming manifesto in BC.
