Northwest BC community leaders and members of the Friends of Wild Salmon coalition are sharply criticizing a new Alberta–federal agreement that would advance another oil pipeline and remove the long-standing North Coast oil tanker moratorium. The moratorium, in place in various forms for over 50 years, was designed to protect some of the world’s most sensitive marine ecosystems.
The coalition—which includes commercial and sport fishers, Indigenous leaders, businesses, and conservation groups—says the move disregards decades of unified regional opposition. They argue that lifting the ban would expose fragile salmon habitats and coastal waters to unacceptable risks, threatening food security, employment, and the long-term stability of local economies.
Leaders warn that a single tanker accident in the region’s narrow, storm-exposed channels could wipe out entire salmon runs. They add that the new deal resembles the failed Enbridge proposal by offering economic benefits to Alberta while leaving Northwest BC communities to shoulder the environmental and cultural consequences.
Coastal First Nations have long declared their territories off-limits to oil tankers, and coalition members say the new agreement undermines those declarations as well as federal commitments under UNDRIP. They emphasize that any spill—at sea or in rivers—would have lasting impacts on salmon-dependent communities, tourism, and local livelihoods.
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