The Forty‑Year Fight: How First Nations Built a World‑Class Salmon Farming Legacy

The Who and Why of Dismantling It

Indigenous coastal communities spent decades mastering finfish aquaculture. Now political decisions threaten to erase one of Canada’s most successful Indigenous‑led industries.

Land-Based Salmon Farming: Latest Bankruptcy

Follows Repeated Land-based Failures

West Coast Salmon, a major proposed land-based salmon farming project in Nevada backed by prominent industry figures and planning for 50,000 tonnes of annual production, filed for bankruptcy on December 18, 2025—before the facility even advanced beyond initial planning stages.
This latest collapse adds to a growing list of high-profile setbacks in land-based recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) for anadromous salmon species—particularly beyond the brood stock and production up to smolt stages, where the technology falters most dramatically in attempts at full grow-out to market size.

A mega project to make Egypt the continent's largest fish producer

World aquaculture is expanding, except in Canada

 https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/how-this-mega-project-will-make-egypt-the-continent-s-largest-fish-producer/vi-AA1MBGbt?ocid=socialshare

State-of-the-Art On-Site Net Washing Vessels

Two more On-site Net Washing Vessels joined the Badinotti fleet on the waters off North Vancouver Island in 2018, "We ordered two more vessels to work out of Port Hardy and Port McNeill in the waters of the Broughton Archipelago," says Kevin Onclin, CEO at Badinotti Net Services Canada Ltd.. On occasion they will be found on west coast of Vancouver Island.

The new acquisitions are made based on the performance of BRAVO II earlier this year. "BRAVO III and BRAVO IV will be the same design as the first vessel with the exception of some mainly cosmetic tweeking in the overall design," he says.

These vessels are delivered fully equipped at a cost of over $2 million each. The first arrived April 1, and the second arrived May 1, 2018. "These boats are operated by 3-man crews, and will be put into service 7 days a week. Each of these vessels has two crews working 7 days on and 7 days off or 8 days on and 6 days off."Crewing these vessels will not be a problem. We have recruitment underway and it means some new jobs for people qualified to operate with tickets for Under 15 Tonnes SVOP." The company has hired the odd 60 tonne skipper.

The vessels are designed to meet new demands for net cleaning in the oceans surrounding Vancouver Island. "They go out and clean nets. There is a huge demand for the these units since the farms sites require regular cleaning of their nets. The companies want to keep nets clean, and keep the fish swimming in clean water.

BACKGROUND
Badinotti Net Services Canada Ltd. in Campbell River, B.C., took possession of the first 40' catamaran, in January 2017, designed specifically to clean nets on the open sea. The Bravo II was the result of two years of research and planning based at Badinotti Net Services years of on-site net washing operations. "We were looking to custom build a boat for on-site net washing that would maximize the efficiencies for the machinery, equipment and crews," says Onclin.

The fleet of BRAVOs came out of a two-year project with concentrated planning and preparation. "We are very satisfied with the performance of the vessel. We selected a catamaran design to create a stable safe working platform for the crews and machinery including a crane, since most of the hours of operation occur at the farm sites as opposed to travelling to and from sites."

The BRAVO II is a 'cat' built by Armstrong Marine, Inc., which designs and builds a variety of welded aluminum boats in Port Angeles, Washington. "Armstrong Marine were selected primarily due to their expertise in catamaran construction."

Beginning in 2011 in B.C., the fish farming operations have been moving away from the use of antifouling paints (copper based) to keep the nets clean on fish farms. By 2017 most farm companies have completely eliminated the use of antifouling coatings from their operations. The traditional business model for the net service business, which relied upon dipping or coating of nets, had to adapt and reinvent operations to keep pace.

Badinotti Net Services wanted to provide eco-friendly methods to clean aquaculture nets on the west coast, allowing fish farmers to deploy clean and repaired nets for longer periods with no anti-foulant. The BRAVO II crews do not use anti-foulant or chemical cleaning of nets when at sea.

To provide optimum service in this changing market, Badinotti'snon-site net washing vessels are driven by two 480 horsepower diesel engines, moving from site-to-site at about 10 knots.

Badinotti Net Services added the department of On-Site Net Washing (OSW) over three years ago, "in order to respond to our customers new service requirements. On-site net washing we believe is a long term sustainable business model and although some farm companies are washing their own nets internally, for us, the OSW is our core business and focus. Consequently we believe we can deliver a cost effective service for the farm companies."

First Nation Salmon Farmers in Clayoquot Sound

Moses Martin lives in one of the most beautiful places in Canada, Tla-o-qui-aht Indian Reserve, Long Beach, Tofino, B.C.. “I come from a family of artists and I’m the one who can’t draw a straight line,” he jokes. He works in the region as liaison with Creative Salmon, the net-pen fish farm company that grows Chinook salmon around giant Meares Island amid Clayoquot Sound.
      

Martin always worked hard at expanding the economic footprint of Tla-o-qui-aht in the region's economic activity. He recently acquired a 24’ Harbercraft aluminum boat to course the pristine waters of his home, “We do guiding, fishing charters, bear watching and whale watching tours, and tours of Creative Salmon fish farm sites. Farm sites are found on the east side of Meares Island about 20 km out of Tofino.”
     

Tla-o-qui-aht has a few members working for Creative Salmon, “We have a few community members working on sites. Creative Salmon’s workforce is about 25 percent First Nation and we are working toward 50 percent.” Expanding the number calls for training which is on the job training by and large, said Martin. 
     

“They are not bad paying jobs,” and he noted in summer the workforce increases as students hire on at $15 per hour. Farm sites employ people year-round and employees go in and out from Tofino daily since the locations are not as remote as many of the farm sites on the east site of Vancouver Island, whereas up in Klemtu sites owned by Marine Harvest Canada are distinctly remote.
     

Tla-o-qui-aht members find employment at Lions Gate Fisheries which operates a fish processing plant in Tofino. Jobs in all facets of the industry are year-round. Meanwhile the tourism industry is beginning to pick up in Tofino and  Martin has the 24’ aluminum touring boat moored at the government dock in Tofino. 
     

“The business of tourism is beginning to pick up and it’s busy in Tofino right now. It has had a bit of a slow start,” and experienced a decline over the winter in what is normally a year- round destination area.
     

Creative Salmon’s Tim Rundle said the company continues to grow Chinook salmon in the usual fashion to 15 lbs dressed and delivered fresh to market. Creative Salmon like others presently grow the fish in a relatively unsure regulatory market.
     

“It doesn’t matter to me whether it’s DFO that regulates the fish farm industry or the province, as long as it doesn’t set it back.” The general criticism of netpen fish farming regards escapes, disease, and conditions on the bottom beneath net-pens. Creative Salmon has learned over the years, “The big lesson is we do it low density because if you crowd the fish they don’t get the proper nutrition.”
     

Laurie Jensen is the Environmental, Licences and Community Relations Manager Mainstream Canada (A Division of Ewos Canada Ltd., which also grows fish in net-pens on the west side of Vancouver Island. “Fish farming is important for producing healthy food for a growing population of the world,” said Laurie. 
     

“Our aim is to produce food in a sustainable way so that our practices do not reduce the potential for future food production based on the same natural resources.” She noted that Mainstream Canada has achieved full certification in the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Standard for all their BC operations.