By Rochelle Baker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer Conservationists and many First Nations are celebrating a Federal Court of Appeal decision that upholds the closure of salmon farms in BC’s Discovery Islands. A battle over the ultimate fate of open-net pen salmon farms in the region’s waters, between the mainland and northeastern Vancouver Island, has spanned close to five years. After consulting with area First Nations, former fisheries minister Bernadette Jordan announced the phase-out of open-net pen fish farms in the region — a critical migration route for plummeting Fraser River salmon stocks. The appeal court’s ruling echoes an earlier decision by the Federal Court in June 2024 that found the Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) minister had a right to refuse aquaculture licenses in the region because of…
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