The Big Decision was a long time coming. n Back in 2012 The Cohen Commission Inquiry released a report that suggested salmon farming might have to end unless it could be proven by 2020 that fish farms didn’t harm wild salmon. The inquiry was looking into the decline of Sockeye Salmon in the Fraser River, a major highway for fish travelling to the ocean.

That started a debate, resulted in new science, attacks on science and scientists. Biologist Alex Morton, who shifted her career from studying whales to researching sea lice on wild salmon coming from the fish farms was a frequent target of fish farm supporters. Fast forward to 2024.

Episode 17 of The Salmon People tells the story of Fisheries Minister Diane LeBoutillier’s announcement to ban fish farms from B.C. waters in 2029. And the concerns of many that five years is too long to wait.

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The Salmon People and the fish farm industry are waiting on two big announcements: one from the court and the other from the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. Each group is worried the decisions won’t go their way.

The first time the Court evaluated the Minister’s decision on fish farms – the industry won, and the consultations on transitioning fish farms out of the water by 2025 – started all over again. 

And this time, everyone wants to be heard. But something odd happens – the First Nations and the fish farms seem to be getting more of the Minister’s time.

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A firefighter’s wife and a corporate lawyer in different parts of the U.S. get pulled into solving separate mysteries. Something was making cows die and deer hemorrhage to death in West Virginia. That same something could also be giving firefighters cancer — all over the country.

When the lawyer and the firefighter’s wife met, they found out they were working on the same mystery.

The mystery was caused by a human-made chemical that environmental regulators should have known about but didn’t. A chemical that is said to be so toxic, it is unclear if any contact with it is safe.

The chemical was created by a corporate giant, and then another corporate giant began using it to provide the world with so-called revolutionary products. Products that come with a very steep price.

This is a fascinating story of two people unravelling a ball of yarn that would reveal the poisoning of the world.

Listen to The Poison Detectives on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Last season we heard a lot about fish farms on the east side of Vancouver Island, the farms in the Discovery Islands and the Broughton Archipelago. The west side of the island has 20 fish farms, 14 of them operated by Cermaq, one of the big three Norwegian-based companies. It turns out Tofino has a small, dedicated group working hard to bring fish farm problems to everyone’s attention.

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The Fisheries and Oceans minister, following a recommendation from the Cohen Commission, orders fish farms in the Discovery Islands to close. By 2023, they will be gone. The industry — Mowi and Cermaq go to court to challenge the decision. The court rules in their favour. But it isn’t a done deal — it just means the minister has to make some changes before making the order. Meanwhile, First Nations are also moving to get rid of fish farms on their territories.

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New research connects disease to the fish farms and the threat to wild salmon. Some of that research was only possible because First Nations have access to Atlantic salmon on the fish farms in the Discovery Islands. There are now more than two dozen closed salmon farms.
Alex Morton reports on the difference that can be seen in wild salmon. Who wins this epic fight?
Fisheries and Oceans managers working with the fish farm industry? Or First Nations and a tenacious whale scientist?

We are crowdfunding to cover the cost of this podcast. If you'd like to contribute, as little as five dollars per month can help support this work: https://www.nationalobserver.com/donate/podcasts.

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