琉璃神社

Cultivating local produce and farming salmon are some of the ways First Nations can combat food insecurity in B.C., said panellists at last week's Indigenous Resource Opportunities Conference in Nanaimo.

The conference was held Wednesday through Friday, June 18-20, at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre.

Kim Burden, Nanoose Economic Development Corporation CEO, Isaiah Robinson, deputy chief councillor for Kitasoo Xai'xais Nation, and Lana Popham, B.C. Minister of Agriculture and Food were among the panellists at an Indigenous food security and sovereignty discussion on the second day of the conference, and talked about a Snaw-Naw-As community garden and the Kitasoo Xai'xais' fish farming.

Robinson, also Kitasoo Xai'xais Economic Development Corporation CEO, said his nation has operated salmon farms in its territory, situated between Port Hardy and Prince Rupert, for 35 years and is well-versed in the business. Kitasoo suffered after the collapse of the commercial fish industry in the mid 1960s, he said, but eventually decided to "grow fish."

A partnership with Mowi, described by Robinson as the "largest salmon-farming company in the world," was a game-changer 鈥� employment climbed to 99 per cent. 

"Atlantic salmon is one of the top foods [sold] in B.C. and no one knows about it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t's such a critical thing to be educated, it's such an important pillar within my community, that if it was to collapse, 51 per cent of my economy would disappear. I would deal with social assistance issues 鈥� so it's critical to understand the issue of overall salmon farming."

The Government of Canada has stated it will ban open net-pen salmon aquaculture in B.C. coastal waters by 2029 as local salmon faces threats. Robinson has issues with this, stating that declines in wild salmon pre-date Atlantic salmon farming.

Food security is critical to Snaw-Naw-As First Nation, as witnessed by its aquaculture program which harvests an estimated 300,000 pounds of clams from Nanoose Bay a year, according to Burden, and Snaw-Naw-As would also like to build on agriculture, not only with providing food, but food experiences.

"We're looking to our community to up their game in terms of the community garden and there's currently a community garden on reserve, but we want to blow that up 鈥� make it an acre, or maybe two acres," he said. "We're looking at providing some agri-tourism opportunities so we can introduce people to concepts of growing food, and in particular the Indigenous participation in those activities."

Burden also mentioned that Snaw-Naw-As is about to close on a deal for farmland in downtown Lantzville.

Prior to the panel discussion, Popham gave a keynote speech and talked about growing in controlled settings. Growing in greenhouses, particularly for northern communities, is becoming more important, she said.

"We're also starting to see more conversations around vertical farming and growing in a contained environment,鈥� the minister said. "Greenhouses are great, but they're great for a certain number of months around the province. But vertical farming, where there's a production of lettuces, greens, herbs, that kind of thing, that's something that can happen all year long and I think there's a lot of interest in that, especially in communities that have to bring in food from far away." 

Leslie MacDonald, B.C. Agriculture Council emergency management advisor, and moderator Brian Kingzett, B.C. Salmon Farmers Association executive director, rounded out the panel.