After 35 years of battling for life in the pristine fjords of Vancouver Island in Canada, activists are finally seeing the fruits of their labor paying off. And now, there are promising signs of nature’s incredible ability to rebound in areas where salmon giants have been ousted. However, the fight is far from over, and new questions of the true scale of the destruction loom large.

For outdoor enthusiasts, indigenous peoples, and biologists, of the popular tourist destination of Vancouver Island, the extensive destruction caused by the once touted “sustainable” salmon farming industry came as a brutal surprise. Not only did the industry take a heavy toll on native wild salmon species, but also on land-based flora and fauna. Orcas, bears, eagles, old-growth forests, not to mention the local tourism industry, they all depend on the wild salmon.

The length and scope of the battle was also something unforeseen, and today activists look back with weariness and mixed feelings about the emotional scars it has left on their lives. And despite Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau’s promise in 2019 to phase out open pen-net farming by 2025, there are strong indications that the promise will not be kept, and that instead of changing practices, the industry is simply moving to new waters.

But while the struggle continues elsewhere, the excitement is also palpable in the Broughton Archipelago where, after nearly disappearing completely during the years of salmon farming, the wild salmon population has now rebounded with vigor.

‘Open net pen salmon farming violates natural laws’

For biologist Dr. Alexandra Morton, often referred to as “the Jane Goodall of the orcas,” the battle for the fjords began already in 1989, just a year after the first salmon farms appeared in the waters outside her window in the Broughton Archipelago on the east coast of Vancouver Island.

Alexandra Morton, who moved from California to Canada to study orcas, recalls how like many others in her community, she initially viewed the new industry positively. Jobs were promised, and farmed salmon was marketed as sustainable. However, her positive attitude took a sudden turn, and while Morton remains an enthusiastic expert on orcas, acquiring her current expertise on the aquaculture industry has been anything but pleasant:

“The first thing I noticed was how the orcas started avoiding the fjord where salmon were being farmed. After that came the sea lice, the disappearance of Pacific salmon, and the terrible algae blooms.”

“What we’ve had to learn the hard way is that open net salmon farming violates natural laws. It’s a fact. One that we’ve been able to accumulate overwhelming evidence of over the years. The industry brings nothing but disease, parasites, extreme waste, microplastics, and petrochemicals. It’s a production system that completely disrupts the balance in a previously perfectly functioning ecosystem.”

Unfortunately, it soon became evident that the destruction would also not be “compensated” with new jobs. Instead, Alexandra Morton describes how the new industry would go on to destroy existing local jobs, as both the local fishing and tourism industries rely on a rich supply of wild salmon.

“The whales, the humans, the forest, everything is connected to salmon. They set their clocks by them. Even the old-growth forest depends on them: Salmon carry the nutrient Nitrogen 15 up the rivers, and you can actually track the salmon runs with the rings on the trees.”

“Salmon farming kills both wildlife, the fishing industry, and tourism. You simply can’t run a fishing company without catching fish, or a whale-watching company without seeing whales.”

Nature tourism’s fate hangs in the balance

One who confirms Alexandra Morton’s statements is wilderness guide and photographer Rolf Hicker. With his camera as his most faithful companion on his daily trips in the Broughton Archipelago, Hicker has spent 40 years of documenting how climate change, logging, and the dramatic decline in wild salmon have created difficult conditions for wolves, birds of prey, orcas, and especially for bears.

“Twenty to twenty five years ago, the rivers here were practically black during spawning. They were just packed full of salmon. Today, there’s nothing. It’s no wonder the populations of bears and wolves are being affected.”

Born and raised in Germany, Rolf Hicker summarizes his encounters with Canadian nature as life-changing. And whilst careful to emphasize that his plan was never to become an “activist,” he also describes how it’s simply impossible to love nature, live off it, and not speak up when it is threatened with destruction.

“I was in Canada for the first time in the 80s. I hitchhiked to Alaska, borrowed a kayak, and went up Johnson Strait. After meeting a killer whale while in my kayak, I knew I had to come back. Now, this is my home.”

“In general, I believe humans need to move away from right and left extremism, that we need to find compromises and move towards the center. At the same time, I am against anything that hurts nature and wildlife, and the fish farms are clearly having a devastating impact.”

As a tour guide, Rolf Hicker expresses his commitment to providing education and accurate information to his tourists. As a photographer, he also has a unique tool to document change and his images of visibly starving bears gained significant attention when they were picked up by CNN in 2019.

“People are surprised about the impact of the farms, and there is a lack of information. They come on my tours being neutral and usually start by asking why the industry is farming Atlantic salmon in the Pacific. They see something is wrong right away. You don’t need to be a scientist.”

Indigenous peoples’ ultimate win

But reaching the political brass with this same message requires much more than a simple day trip in the fjord and encounters with starving bears. And after years of campaigning, Alexandra Morton and Rolf Hicker agree with the traditional and elected leader of the ‘Na̱mg̱is nation, K̓wak̓wabalas, also called Ernest Alfred, that civil disobedience was something of a last resort. This would culminate in the controversial action known as the “Swanson Occupation.”

“We opted for drastic action because the farms were causing severe harm. They were eroding the very bedrock of not only our livelihoods but also our cultural heritage,” says Ernest Alfred.

“Our people have lived here since time immemorial, in balance with nature and with wild salmon as our backbone. Now come these ‘farmers’ who are basically the only farmers on the planet who don’t shovel their own shit. I mean, we’re a welcoming bunch, but you don’t wanna mess with us.

But while the joy is great over the very positive results of the occupation, Ernest Alfred describes the 284 days as painful and emphasizes that it is only now, with the farms truly gone, that he has begun to feel the victory.

“It’s been a long fight, and it wasn’t until the other night at a screening of ‘Salmon Secrets,’ a film by the brilliant Jeremy Mathieu, that I felt like ‘oh, we won.”

“We were able to force the BC government to sit down and discuss. But we also came out of there with physical, mental, and spiritual scars.”

Wildlife makes a comeback

Just as the scale of the destruction caused by the salmon farming industry was unexpected, Mother Earth’s comeback since the open net pens disappeared has also been quite a surprise.

“We did not know what to expect once the farms were gone, perhaps we had passed the point of irreversible damage. It has been amazing to see life coming back,” says Ernest Alfred, before continuing:

“We have a river not too far from here, Hada river, and during the salmon farming in the past years, we have been counting about 200 salmon in the entire river. This year the number reached 17,000. It’s all very exciting”

And like Ernest Alfred, Rolf Hicker and Alexandra Morton are also witnessing and celebrating the hard-fought comeback:

“The bears are visibly fat now, we have received an overwhelming number of herring and we have been able to document a 96% decrease in sea lice,” says Alexandra Morton.

“The orcas have not come back fully yet, but we have great hope. Basically, I’m seeing life, not death – it’s a wonderful feeling,” adds Alexandra Morton.

The fight against salmon farming continues

According to Alexandra Morton, the data collected from the Canadian west coast over the years – by her and other biologists – is highly valuable. Salmon farming occurs in many places around the globe, but comprehensive documentation of what happens before and after the existence of a fish farm has so far been lacking. The massive return of wild salmon, and the dramatic decrease in sea lice, will therefore be crucial tools in the years ahead.

And on Vancouver Island, activists do not need to travel far to find other well-established farms. One of the world’s most breathtaking tourist destinations, Tofino, is home to majestic old-growth forests and kilometers of sandy beaches pounded by the surf from a wild Pacific Ocean. Its waters are also home to over 20 salmon farms.

And as an area where the environmental movement has already spent years fighting the visible threat of logging to the old-growth forests – of which 70% has already been lost on Vancouver Island – the hope of many locals is now that they will not also see their marine environment decimated in the pursuit of profit.

According to the local activist group Clayoquot Action, over 75% of BC residents are opposed to the industry, and the DFOs 2024 decision to consider renewing the industry’s licenses for 2-6 years came therefor as disappointing news. What ever happened to the 2019 government’s commitment to phasing out the industry by 2025 remains unclear.

People have the power to change global problems

Fortunately, Vancouver Island activists are not alone, and around the globe, there are small and large action groups fighting for wild salmon. There are also initiatives experimenting with a more sustainable industry, such as land-based farms where waste, instead of being dumped directly into the sea, is used to grow organic salad.

The message of the people trying to ensure the survival of wild salmon, is also relatively simple: Stop eating farmed salmon – seek knowledge and use your power.

“Inform yourself. We get so much false information – don’t just take the words of one or two people – find out for yourself,” says Rolf Hicker.

“Our nation has fought this monster – now we are asking everyone who loves nature to ‘join the salmon people,'” says Ernest Alfred.

“People often think they are powerless, but people are the ones who can stop this,” adds Alexandra Morton.

 

 

Lead Photo: Jérémy Mathieu