FISH FIGHT — The outdoor advertising that dots Sparks Street often blends into the background, though 4-foot posters offer occasional hints of the burbling battle over salmon farming on British Columbia's coastline. — The players: The conflict over fish farmers and everybody who opposes them has intensified in recent years, spawning and exacerbating uncomfortable divides. Liberals are split in caucus and Cabinet. First Nations that farm salmon disagree with nations that fear for wild salmon. Multinationals and environmentalists accuse each other of peddling misleading data and jeopardizing economic prosperity. Fisheries and Oceans Canada is caught in the middle, dismissed as a "captured regulator" by the anti-farmers. Indigenous reconciliation is at the heart of almost every argument. A federal decision on the short-term future of dozens of fish farms is expected this spring, with a longer-term plan for the industry not too far behind. Oh, and almost everybody involved has a lobbyist on the Hill. — The Coles Notes: Environmentalists have long campaigned to end open-net salmon farming on B.C.'s coast. They cite science that farms spread sea lice and disease that harm wild salmon stocks. Fish farm operators deny those impacts, arguing their stewardship has improved and now has minimal impact on wild stocks. — The scale: The Canadian Aquaculture Industrial Alliance says only three countries in the world — Norway, Chile and the U.K. — produce more farmed salmon than Canada. The B.C. Salmon Farmers Association says the industry "supports 7,000 jobs in coastal communities" and "contributes about C$1.5 billion to the provincial economy annually." — The promise: In 2019, the Liberal platform promised to "develop a responsible plan to transition from open net pen salmon farming in coastal waters to closed containment systems by 2025." Closed systems can involve tanks on land that don't interact with wild stocks. As the deadline year edges nearer, the government still hasn't presented a final plan. → Wait, there's more: The operating licences for dozens of fish farms managed by First Nations communities expire at the end of June. The clock is ticking on renewal. — Liberal vs. Liberal: Former Fisheries Minister JOYCE MURRAY sat firmly in the anti-farm camp. The pro-farmers say Murray's successor from the other coast, Quebec's DIANE LEBOUTHILLIER, is more sympathetic to their cause. The B.C. Liberal caucus backs the closure of open-net farms. Atlantic Canadian MPs often take the other side of the debate. Exhibit A: New Brunswick MP WAYNE LONG, advocating for Pacific fish farms in the House this month. It's an ironic divide, says DALLAS SMITH, a spokesperson for the pro-farming Coalition of First Nations for Finfish Stewardship. "Being a West Coast guy, I've had to start this journey on the East Coast. That's where I got my traction," he tells Playbook. — Not a monolith: First Nations that operate farms celebrate the local economic impact. ISAIAH ROBINSON, the deputy chief councilor of Kitasoo Xai'xais Nation, boasts 99 percent employment thanks to the pens. Robinson says the farms have allowed a scale of prosperity that would take years to replace — and that Indigenous communities have a right to operate on their own territory. On the other side of the debate sit more than 120 First Nations. BOB CHAMBERLIN, the chair of the First Nation Wild Salmon Alliance, tells Playbook those nations in B.C. are aligned with an uncommon coalition of environmentalists, commercial and sport fishermen, as well as wilderness tourism operators. — The money man: Everybody in the debate has something to say about TONY ALLARD, the president of Hearthstone Investments and chair of the Wild First advocacy group. Over the phone with Playbook, Allard downplays his role. But his critics say he's helped to marshal massive funding for the anti-farm push — including tens of thousands of ad dollars on Meta in recent months. Allard's opponents also point to his record of donating to Liberals. — A lobbying bonanza: Bluesky Strategy, Sandstone Group, Earnscliffe Strategies, Maple Leaf Strategies and Metcalfe & Associates all have clients in the space. — What the polls say: Depends who's asking. Wild First commissioned BRUCE ANDERSON's Spark Advocacy in January. "By a 3:1 margin people think it would be better to transition to closed pen farming," Anderson reported back. Abacus Data, tasked by the other side to poll residents of Liberal-held ridings in B.C. earlier this month, concluded salmon farming "is not a strong driver" of votes. Conservatives are projected to win those ridings no matter what Ottawa does about the farms. Lebouthillier's office put on a poker face, pledging "meaningful conversations with all stakeholders involved" in a statement. — What's next: More lobbying, more caucus talks, more Cabinet deliberation. | 
