When it comes to farmed salmon the federal and provincial levels of government in Canada, surprisingly, play two very separate roles. The federal government mandates jurisdiction of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, thus trying to protect and ensure the safety and sustainability of the wild salmon populations. However, being a federal level of regulation, the government also is looking to make the best political and economic move for Canada. The best economic move for the entire country is not necessarily what is best for the wild salmon ecosystems and this caused friction over the two sides within the department. The promotion of the aquaculture of farmed salmon is where the Canadian government has chosen to spend a large portion of …show more content…
One of the resulting policies of the federal government gaining control of the British Columbia farmed salmon industry is the new Pacific Aquaculture Regulations. These regulations included a new regulatory regime that would increase the cost of the program from 5.7 million dollars to a hefty 8.5 million dollars which is a taxpayer increase of 40% (Pacific Aquaculture Regulations). The government Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement is an eye opening statement that outlines the issue, cost-benefit, business and consumer impacts, and domestic and international coordination and cooperation. What makes the statement eye opening is that fact that is does not touch on the topic of the preservation of the wild salmon, it merely features a few sentences about the adding a few regulations in order to take “measures to minimize escapes, introductions and transfers, incidental catch, predator control, impacts to fish and fish habitat, fish health, sea lice, etc” (Pacific Aquaculture