The Deputy Chief Councillor of the Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation is leading a campaign against the federal government’s plan to phase out open-net salmon farming in British Columbia, warning it poses a serious threat to his community’s economic future.
Isaiah Robinson, who also serves as CEO of the Nation’s Development Corporation, has launched a series of animated short films to challenge what he calls “politically motivated” misinformation surrounding aquaculture. The videos, published on YouTube, present a First Nations-led perspective and aim to counter the federal government’s justification for the ban.
“We cannot stand by while our way of life and our sovereign right to stewardship over our territory are undermined by a lack of consultation and shaky science,” said Robinson. “These videos are our way of bringing the facts to the public and showing that this is a humanitarian issue, not just an environmental one.”
According to a release, the Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation—home to approximately 540 members in Klemtu on B.C.’s Central Coast—relies heavily on aquaculture through its operation of Kitasoo Seafoods, a major local employer. The federal government’s June 2024 announcement to phase out open-net salmon farming in coastal waters places that business, and similar operations provincewide, in jeopardy. The Nation states the ban threatens more than $1.1 billion in annual economic activity.
Canada has set a firm deadline for the industry to transition out of coastal waters by mid-2029, as part of what the federal government describes as a broader effort to protect declining wild salmon populations. Wild Pacific salmon—central to the cultural identity of many First Nations and considered a key indicator of ecosystem health—continue to decline across much of the province. The Pacific Salmon Foundation estimates more than half of B.C.’s roughly 9,000 identified salmon populations are now in some stage of deterioration, a trend attributed to habitat loss, climate stress and disease pressures.
Open-net pen farms have long been a point of contention in the province. Conservation groups and some independent researchers argue the facilities can amplify sea-lice outbreaks and disease, potentially exposing juvenile wild salmon as they migrate through coastal waters.
Robinson argues the federal policy overlooks the role Indigenous communities play in managing aquaculture operations and violates their rights to self-determination and stewardship. He maintains the government failed to consult with First Nations that are full partners in B.C.’s farmed salmon industry.
He also disputes the scientific basis for the ban, pointing to peer-reviewed research that challenges claims linking farms to sea lice infestations. The Nation contends the decision reflects political pressures rather than scientific consensus.
In addition to concerns about sovereignty and evidence, Robinson says the closure of local farms will reduce Canada’s domestic supply of farmed fish, increasing reliance on imports and weakening national food security. He also emphasizes aquaculture provides the foundation for long-term cultural and social stability in remote communities like Klemtu, where economic alternatives are limited.
Robinson’s second animated film, released last week, addresses what he describes as a common misconception—that “Atlantic salmon” is a foreign species. The video explains the term refers to the domesticated breed commonly used in aquaculture worldwide, similar to Holstein Friesians in dairy farming.
The Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation is calling on the federal government to reverse the ban and engage in what it describes as meaningful consultation with all affected First Nations.