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British Columbia’s First Nation eyes obsolete paper mill for land-based aquaculture

The Tla’amin Nation in British Columbia, Canada is asking that an obsolete paper mill be used for land-based aquaculture.

The Catalyst Paper Tiskwat, owned by Paper Excellence, is located in B.C. and was shut down in November 2021. The mill remained unused until the company decided in August 2023 to sell the property.

In response, The Tla’amin Nation released a joint statement with the qathet Regional District, the local government authority overseeing the region where the mill is located. They’re requesting that the tribe’s historic rights to the land be recognized, and future uses of the site align with the government’s vision for the region. 

“The two governments are unified in their opposition to the sale of the property to any party that does not have the support of the Tla’amin Nation and the qathet Regional District,” the statement reads.

According to a report by SeafoodSource, a land-based aquaculture facility could replace some of the recently closed Discovery Islands’ salmon farms.

In early 2023, Joyce Murray, former fisheries minister denied license renewals for Mowi, Cermaq, and Grieg’s salmon farms operating in the Discovery Islands.