The image of a quintessential Canadian fisherman is a rugged, "salt-of-the-earth" man who braves the elements to bring home his catch. But traditional capture fisheries can’t meet growing demand for seafood, and aquaculture has emerged in Canada to provide both domestic and international markets with a sustainable supply of seafood...

For years, environmental activists have done their best to scare Canadians into thinking fish farms would “decimate” wild salmon stocks. Savvy campaigns have employed a range of media stunts, such as dumping farmed fish at the door of an aquaculture company, marching to the legislature en-masse, hassling customers in front of retailers wearing salmon costumes… you get the picture...

There's a national science battle underway over salmon. It is a battle over the fate of one part of the salmon industry, salmon farms, and the work of activists who claim to have scientific evidence that fish farms are killing wild salmon and are a threat to the very existence of wild salmon, ocean fisheries and ecosystems...

Last month, 1,000 British Columbians showed up on Government Street in Victoria for a protest against salmon farms. Their signs read “ban fish farms.” They called them dangerous. Said they spread disease to wild salmon stocks. They’re messing with ecosystems. The fish is bad for you. They violate traditions of coastal First Nations. Their messages seemed heartfelt; their victory felt imminent...