Aquaculture Licensing in the Pacific Region

As the regulator of the aquaculture industry in B.C., Fisheries and Oceans Canada is responsible for licensing all aquaculture facilities. In addition to clearly defining the responsibilities of facility operators, these licences allow processors and consumers to be assured that they are buying seafood from a licensed, regulated facility. Licences are issued for the operation of a specific aquaculture site, and licence holders must apply for a renewal at the frequency specified in the Conditions of Licence. Companies and organizations with multiple sites need to obtain a separate licence for each one. Depending on their Conditions of Licence, farms may cultivate a number of different species at one site at various times, and may be licensed for species not currently being grown.

Additional licences are required for specific activities that may be required to conduct aquaculture operations, such as the importation of eggs and the transfer of fish within certain geographic areas.

When DFO licensed aquaculture facilities in B.C. in December 2010, the duration of validity was staggered to avoid a backlog in processing applications for licence renewals.

• Finfish – 12 months
• Shellfish –  13 to 15 months
• Freshwater – 16 to 20 months
• DFO-run Enhancement facilities – 18 months

Specific Conditions of Licence have been developed for marine finfish sites, shellfish sites, freshwater commercial hatcheries, and other freshwater facilities to ensure each type of operation is well regulated. Site-specific Conditions of Licence may also be applied based on geographic location, the species being cultivated and the facility type. Each operation’s compliance with its licence conditions will be monitored by DFO and enforced under the Fisheries Act.

Licence conditions for marine finfish include:

• Specific requirements to protect fish health including specific directions on fish handling, fish densities, the use of chemicals, feeding and nutrition. These requirements will be incorporated into the Fish Health Management Plans required for each aquaculture facility.
• Requirements for the monitoring of, treatment for and reporting on sea lice at all marine finfish facilities.
• Direction on how to manage aquaculture activities to protect benthic habitats, particularly sensitive or important fish habitat.  Specific requirements include appropriate stocking and feeding levels, regular fallowing of sites, and the development of response plans if monitoring shows criteria are approaching specific thresholds.
• Measures to guide the transport and handling of fish to prevent escapes from facilities and disease transmission. Licencees are required to prepare response plans and to report any escapes.
• Operational measures to deter predators such as seals from frequenting facilities and guidance on appropriate responses to remove specific predators.
• Standards to ensure ongoing accountability for facility maintenance.
• Detailed monitoring, record keeping and reporting requirements on licence conditions.

Pacific aquaculture facilities must be operated in compliance with key environmental and health legislation such as the Health of Animals Act, Food and Drugs Act, Pest Control Products Act, Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, and Species at Risk Act. To ensure the B.C. Aquaculture Regulatory Program is efficient, effective and streamlined, many Fisheries Act regulatory requirements are now satisfied with a single aquaculture licence.

Licensing decisions during the Cohen Commission

Until the results of the Cohen Commission are known, eligible businesses may still apply for licences and amendments. However, decisions on applications for new marine salmon aquaculture sites and for substantial amendments to existing marine salmon aquaculture licences, where there is potential for a significant increase in the environmental footprint, will be postponed until DFO has time to consider the recommendations of the Commission. Decisions will continue to be made on aquaculture applications such as:

• all categories of applications related to shellfish, freshwater, enhancement and non-salmonid marine aquaculture; 
• applications for administrative, name change or technical amendments to marine salmon licences;
• applications for existing marine salmon farms which have been previously licensed by the Province but which do not yet have a federal licence; and
• applications for new sites that would replace an existing site, in the same area, where the new site may have a lower environmental impact at the equivalent production level.

Licensing by sector:

• Enhancement Facilities (hatcheries)
• Freshwater Aquaculture
• Marine Finfish Aquaculture
• Shellfish Aquaculture

DFO Contact

For general information about shellfish aquaculture licences please contact:
Shellfish.Aquaculture@dfo-mpo.gc.ca  

For general information about freshwater aquaculture licences please contact:
Freshwater.Aquaculture@dfo-mpo.gc.ca  

For general information about marine finfish aquaculture licences please contact:
Marine.Finfish.Aquaculture@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

For general information about enhancement facility licences please contact:
aquaculture.licensing@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Reference Notes:

• Landfile Number: Although DFO is now the primary regulator of the aquaculture industry in B.C., the provincial government will continue to issue tenures under the Land Act. A Landfile Number is assigned to each tenure issued. Facilities operating on private property are not required to apply for tenure.
• Site Common Name: Each aquaculture facility is assigned a Site Common Name. These are usually based on a description of the area where the facility operates. In the case of freshwater facilities, these Names may contain the address of the facility. For this list, the Site Common Name column has been replaced with a broader Region column in order to protect personal/proprietary information.