It’s Messi out here: the MLS’ costly conundrum
By: Kaja Antic, Sports Writer
“DON’T BE PLASTIC! SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL CLUB!” a banner read, draped over a supporter’s section in Yankee Stadium. It was September 21, 2024, and New York City FC was playing host to Inter Miami, the star-studded team captained by soccer legend Lionel Messi.
Messi joined Inter Miami in July 2023, skyrocketing the club’s popularity in Major League Soccer (MLS) and worldwide. Many of his superstar former teammates joined in the week following his announcement, including Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. Luis Suárez joined for the 2024 season later on. Messi’s former manager at both FC Barcelona and the Argentinian national team, Gerardo “Tata” Martino, also joined Inter Miami shortly before the star’s pen hit Miami’s paper.
Since Messi and his star-studded entourage strutted onto the eastern Florida panhandle, the profile of Inter Miami and MLS as a whole has risen — arguably to the detriment of everyday fans. Miami’s ticket prices for the 2023 season rose by five times the previous amount to $161 (USD) each after the Messi announcement — a price that is 64% above the league average for gameday prices.
When Inter Miami plays away games, stands are packed not just with the home team’s supporters, but also with Miami’s pink and black, with a smattering of Argentinian kits — typically bearing Messi’s number ten on the back. The prices to be in these stands have also risen substantially, as many saw this past May when Miami visited BC Place for their first matchup against the Vancouver Whitecaps on the 25th. When news broke that Messi, Busquets, and Suárez would be completely absent from the Saturday match, all hell broke loose.
This wasn’t the only match where a Messi no-show caused an uproar. Inter Miami had a planned international tour during the 2024 preseason, with two matches each in Saudi Arabia and the US, and one match each in El Salvador, Hong Kong, and Japan. While Messi physically attended the match in Hong Kong, he did not play, as he instead sat on the substitute bench after gaining an injury during his previous matches. Outrage struck as a result, from fans destroying Messi cardboard cutouts, to the booing of Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham after the match had concluded. Messi reappeared in Tokyo just days later, playing 30 minutes in the match there, sparking theories that his Hong Kong no-show was “politically motivated.”
The World Cup-winning Argentinian national team had two scheduled “friendly” matches that were supposed to take place on mainland China in March, though both the match against Nigeria in Hangzhou and against Ivory Coast in Beijing were cancelled following Messi’s no-show in Hong Kong. The Chinese Football Association also cancelled its partnership with the Argentine Football Association in the wake of this controversy.
The 2024 regular season was a record-breaking one for Inter Miami, as they won the MLS regular season championship with the Supporters’ Shield — and set a points-scoring record in the process. Despite this, the team were eliminated from the MLS Cup Playoffs in a major upset against eighth-seed Atlanta United.
“Lionel Messi is one of the best, arguably if not the best, soccer player of all time. Still, the star is slowly fading as injuries pile up after a lifetime on the pitch.”
Messi is one of the best, arguably if not the best, soccer player of all time. Still, the star is slowly fading as injuries pile up after a lifetime on the pitch.
Much of the MLS marketing tactics since the 37-year-old’s arrival have centered around him. I cannot begin to estimate the amount of times I’ve seen the ad of a dyed pink goat while watching the MLS Season Pass. Nearly half of the first page of jerseys on the MLS Store website are Messi- or Miami-related. Even the MLS email newsletter touts itself as “the Messi insider.”
The league is banking on a player bringing them into a new era, when the player himself won’t even be there.
The MLS is facing an era where they are “the Messi league” — despite the fact that Messi only played 19 games of Miami’s 34-game MLS season. His current contract runs to the end of the upcoming 2025 MLS season, and the prolific forward has stated that Miami will be the last club he plays for in his storied career.
Inter Miami have also gained a spot in FIFA’s upcoming Club World Cup — despite not technically winning their league after being eliminated in the playoffs. This has also caused controversy, as some have claimed that the club’s inclusion is only due to their captain’s starpower, and the cashflow his appearance can generate.
I’m not saying that high ticket prices and tricky geopolitical situations are Lionel Messi’s personal fault, as I personally think he deserves the “GOAT” moniker — in men’s soccer, that is. The MLS has just walked itself into an impossible scenario with no foresight. With the high likelihood of the league losing their highest moneymaker within the next few years, they seem to lack a contingency plan in carrying on this attention past the final whistle of the 2025 season.
With the next season starting late next February, only time will tell what Messi’s potential last club season will look like — along with how the MLS will recover from his impending departure. Until then, I guess MLS fans across North America should buckle up for another year of fighting for a place in their home stadiums whenever soccer’s golden boy touches the pitch (or doesn’t).
Professor’s feedback on “responsible investments”
By: Professor No Nonsense
Dear Simon,
Thank you for submitting your assignment about your investment approach. In my most recent therapy session, my therapist encouraged me to start practicing radical honesty. So, I’m starting right now. Your submission is bad . . . no, terrible. At multiple points while reading it, I took a break to mourn the time I was losing. For an assignment you avoided since last fall, you’re lucky to be getting feedback. Here is an in-depth breakdown of everything wrong with it. Regardless of whether or not you read this (I know you won’t), it was incredibly cathartic to write.
You claim that divesting from fossil fuels has yielded “mixed results.” What led you to this asinine conclusion? To continue, you write “divestment can have financial implications” blablabla . . . At the university level, I expect much more sophisticated and thoughtful work. What made you believe that making a deeply obvious statement that could only be outdone by announcing that the sky is blue and the earth is round could possibly lead to a passing grade?
And then, (I know this section is long, it’s just that you submitted incredibly subpar work) you say, “divestment from specific causes may conflict with our responsibility under the University Act to remain ‘non-sectarian and non-political in principle.’” This isn’t a starving artist’s screenplay, it doesn’t need a plot twist. Why after hundreds of words of you rambling about your values would you then reveal that you’re not allowed to have any?
3. If you weren’t going to give me clarity, you could’ve at least given me concision
I saw online that it’s hip now to write tl;drs because the youth “ain’t reading all that” and I truly believe this is a phenomenal tool you should incorporate in your future work. In order to clarify what I mean, an example of a good tl;dr for this submission would be: “I want to continue to virtue signalling and calling myself a leader in yet another made-up sector while making unethical investment decisions because it is profitable without anyone calling me out on it because it is deeply annoying to me.”
Normally, this would be the point where I would encourage you to come to my office hours, but I fear you may be too far gone. When the environment and people’s lives are on the line, taking your sweet time to schedule community consultations is irresponsible.
Don’t ask me to regrade your work.
Professor No Nonsense
Food for thought: Momos
By: Zamling Sherpa, Peak Associate
Dumplings, potstickers, perogies, gyozas, mandu . . . there are many variations of a filling stuffed in a dough wrapper. Each culture has its own spin on this type of dish, and the Nepali dish, momos, are no exception.
A staple in Nepali households, momos are best enjoyed in the winter months. The filling of these delicious delicacies differs for each person. However, its base is usually some type of ground meat with onions, ginger, vegetable oil, salt, garlic, and Nepali seasonings all wrapped in a flour dough wrapper. What differentiates this from other dumplings around the world is the chutney it is paired with. Once again varying per person, the chutney is usually tomato based, filled with red chillies, salt, sugar, and garlic. The spice from the sauce adds a kick to the taste of the momo, creating the perfect balance of savoury, spicy, and sweet goodness in your mouth.
There are multiple stories as to how momos emerged. One consistent component is the involvement of Tibetan people. Some say Newari merchants brought the dish to Nepal while travelling from Tibet; however, others believe that a “Nepalese princess, who was married to a Tibetan king,” brought the dish from her country to his.
Though its origin is up in the air, the feelings momos create for Nepali people are straightforward. Momos foster nostalgia, familiarity, and love. Since they take so much work to make, families usually gather around a table, with everyone participating in its production. Gossip is shared, funny stories are narrated, and memories are created. What makes this so special is that the momos are usually made and eaten simultaneously. You finish making one batch, eat it, then repeat. I can’t tell you why or how, but for some reason this process makes the momos taste so much better than if they were prepared all at once. Perhaps it’s the time being spent with your family that enhances the flavour, or the distance in time between eating so your stomach has time to digest the food. Either way, this process makes the momos taste that much better!
Momos are greatly loved in Nepal for reasons beyond their taste and the feelings they create. These flavorful, bite-sized delights are extremely versatile. They can be steamed, pan-fried, deep-fried, served in soup, and more. A reason for its versatility is how they’re stored. Because they take so much work to make, momos are made in big batches, and then stored in the freezer for the future. This prevents them from going bad and gives people time to decide how they want this dish to be prepared.
The idea of momos relates to a feeling of nostalgia for me. As a kid coming home from my after-school programs on a dreadful rainy day, I would be hit in the face with the fog from the steamers cooking the momos, wafting in the garlic-filled air. My mom would always make these delicacies on days that were cold and gloomy, almost like she was trying to lift up our spirits through these flavour-filled goodies.
I think it’s beautiful how different cultures have their own take on a dish, and how they can differ so drastically both aesthetically and tastewise! It’s through food that we realize how much more similar we are than we originally thought.
Trickle down Clarkonomics: Translating WNBA success to women’s sports overall
By: Kaja Antic, Sports Writer
The 2024 WNBA season saw record-breaking numbers, both in viewership and attendance. This has been chalked up to what some have called the “Caitlin Clark effect” — regarding the impact the 22-year-old star has had on women’s basketball during her short career.
Clark was an icon in college, leading the University of Iowa Hawkeyes to consecutive NCAA championship finals appearances in 2023 and 2024. Both had record-breaking television viewership records: the 2023 final featuring Clark and the Hawkeyes losing to fellow 2024 WNBA rookie Angel Reese and the Louisiana State University Tigers peaked at 12.6 million viewers in the US; and the 2024 finals, where Iowa lost to South Carolina, peaked at 18.87 million viewers. The latter also had four million more viewers than the men’s NCAA basketball final. Clark is also estimated to have increased the state of Iowa’s gross domestic product by $14.4 to $52.3 million during her NCAA career, and generated $82.5 million in consumer spending.
Clark declared for the WNBA draft after her senior NCAA season in 2024, and was drafted first overall by the Indiana Fever in the most-watched WNBA draft in history. Clark’s WNBA debut against the Connecticut Sun on May 14, 2024, was the most-watched WNBA game since 2001. Only a month into the season, six television networks had record-breaking viewership numbers, with all but one of those games featuring Clark and the Fever. The 2024 regular season finale on September 19 had a WNBA attendance record of 20,711, as the Fever played the Washington Mystics at Capital One Arena — a venue five times the size of the Mystics’ usual home arena.
Clark helped the Fever reach the postseason for the first time in seven seasons, though they fell to the Connecticut Sun in the best-of-three first round. She was also near-unanimously named the WNBA Rookie of the Year, earning 66 of 67 votes. The lone vote against went to her college rival Reese, now with the Chicago Sky.
Overall, the 2024 WNBA regular season was the most viewed ever, while the finals between the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty were the most-watched in 25 years. The Liberty won the 2024 WNBA championship — their first in franchise history — by defeating the Lynx in overtime of game five in the best-of-five finals series on October 20.
Though the WNBA season is now over, there are still professional women’s sports leagues across the world that deserve the same level of support the WNBA gained this past year.
Next year will mark a new beginning for professional women’s soccer in Canada, as the Northern Super League (NSL) will begin playing. Vancouver Rise FC is one of the six teams debuting across Canada in 2025, a club that Sinclair has a play in as co-owner.
Overseas women’s soccer leagues have already started their winter seasons, such as the Women’s Super League in England, Liga F in Spain, and the Première Ligue in France, along with the UEFA Women’s Champion League running until May 2025.
“Though the WNBA season is now over, there are still professional women’s sports leagues across the world that deserve the same level of support the WNBA gained this past year.”
The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) begins its second season on November 30, now complete with brand new team names and logos. The inaugural PWHL season began on January 1, 2024, with 2.9 million viewers across Canada tuning in to watch Toronto host New York. Toronto later took part in an April 20 game against Montréal at the famed Bell Centre, where a crowd of 21,105 smashed the record attendance for any women’s hockey game.
The Boston Fleet, Toronto Sceptres, Ottawa Charge, Montréal Victoire, New York Sirens, and Minnesota Frost look to continue these successes in the 2024–25 season. There are nine neutral-site games planned for this season, the first being a January 19 Victoire–Charge matchup to be played in Quebec City. There are also a number of tournaments to follow, such as the ongoing Rivalry Series between the Canadian and American women’s hockey teams, and the 2025 Women’s World Championships hosted by Czechia in April.
A professional women’s baseball league is slated to begin playing in the United States in 2026, with six teams partaking in the inaugural season. This will be the first professional women’s baseball league in the US since the All American Girls Professional Baseball League folded in 1954.
Last but certainly not least, support your SFU Red Leafs! From team sports like softball, volleyball, soccer, and basketball, to individual sports like golf, wresting, swimming, and track and field, there’s something for everyone. Support women’s sports now, and the support will continue to grow in the future.
Paranoia that LinkedIn is watching
By: Sarah Sorochuk, Peak Associate and C Icart, Humour Editor
Do you know the feeling right after you post something online? The doubt and fear that seeps in, and feels like darkness clutching your gut? The thought that something you had posted, whether you actually believe in it or were joking, will exist on the Internet forever. The idea that someone could dredge up every and any little thing you’ve ever launched into cyberspace, even before your brain was done baking, haunts you.
We all have those moments when we are tired and spell something embarrassingly wrong on Instagram, or write something completely absurd on Twitter, or ever write a completely wild question on Quora. And we all have that recurring nightmare that we end up in a job interview and the interviewer has prepared a slideshow that contains everything we have ever posted and we’re asked to answer for all of it: the absurdist memes, the copypastas, the middle school video projects we forgot are still public on YouTube.
But I know it’s time to fight back against this hyperspecific scenario my anxiety has convinced me is possible. Everyone deserves the freedom to post and not be ridiculed by future employers on LinkedIn!
This is not a fight to allow terrible people to post terrible stuff. This is for the people scared to post anything online because it might taint their carefully curated brand image. LinkedIn people, quit judging!
Let us live our lives when we are still young. Let us believe that we can post our adventures and livelihoods, without living in fear of reprimand. We all have hobbies, loves, and interests that we want to share with the world like a 25-chapter crossover fanfic where Linda Belcher and Hannah Montana join forces with the entire cast of every season of Degrassi to ever exist to properly save Riverdale because let’s be for real Archie is really bad at it. Don’t judge our digital footprint and we won’t judge the fact that you’re not paying a living wage! Deal? Deal. OK, I admit my fingers were crossed behind my back and I’m totally judging. No takesies backsies!
The West Coast rules with Triton
By: Yasmin Hassan, Staff Writer
While Vancouver is home to many amazing artists, I never thought that I’d find one right in my classroom! As a former classmate of independent alternative artist Triton Smith, it has always been fascinating hearing his bedroom-pop sound transition into something new in real time. His constant involvement in music, whether it be at school or on his own, was always fun to hear. He brought a nuanced sense of musicality that was different from much of the local sounds I’d heard; fresh beats from well-known alternative genres, all fused in a stylistic medley.
Smith started releasing music under the name Triton when he was 13 and later developed a different sound of music, forming his new moniker Samo T. He has put out two LP’s and various singles amid multiple live performances in Vancouver and Toronto. The Peak spoke with Smith to find out more about his person and his work.
Smith has been involved with music his whole young life, noting that his father and grandfather were both musicians, keeping music in the family. Taking music classes as a youth resulted in his first release of music in 2020, noting how self-isolating at the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic “was a great outlet” for him “during that time.” Immersing himself in Vancouver’s underground indie scene was a turning point for him.
“I started meeting other musicians who were around my area playing shows with them, meeting people working together, and that completely changed my perception on what I could accomplish,” he said.
“I stopped making rock music and it felt right to go under a different name, but I didn’t want it to be completely different.” — Triton Smith, AKA Samo T
Smith takes inspiration from Kendrick Lamar and Frank Ocean, among other artists like Beabadoobee, King Krule, Jeff Buckley, and Mazzy Star. He stated plainly his style is “alt rock,” but that’s far from all he has to offer. He fuses elements from shoegaze, alt pop, ambient music, electronic music, and more. Though it’s clear his style is grounded in the alternative fashion, none of his songs sound alike to each other. Raspy guitar, a stylistically dynamic voice, and clever allusions are what make Smith’s music stand out. Triton’s songs craft vivid moods within the brain — grainy pictures, bus rides home at night pretending you’re a character in a film, speedwalking across campus, or overthinking in your bedroom. Regardless of the image, Smith has something for you.
“Smiles, There’s Cameras” and “Swollen Ankles” both have mesmerizing instrumental breaks near the ends of the songs. “Got My Neck” is hypnotizingly raspy with the sound of the electric guitar, upbeat drums, catchy lyrics, and its alluring alt-rock inspired melody. However, my personal favourite is probably “Saltwater,” which reminds me so much of something off of Frank Ocean’s Blonde because of its dreamy repetitive melody, synth strings, and soft vocals.
Smith’s first show at one of Vancouver’s “quintessential underground venues,” the Red Gate, was a gateway into the scene’s culture. Smith claims the indie scene in Toronto and Vancouver are more alike than not, as he says “it’s just people celebrating music together; the bands get drunk and play shitty, fuck up their equipment after.” The consistency of indie music is something I’ve always appreciated; “the culture is the same around the world,” Smith noted on the binding nature of indie and underground scenes.
When he switched to Samo T, immediately, I noticed the reference to expressionist artist Jean Michel Basquiat’s graffiti tag “SAMO.”
“I stopped making rock music and it felt right to go under a different name, but I didn’t want it to be completely different,” he explained, as it’s the “same old Triton” (but with new music). He also explained the name of his last album So Far, So Good as a reference to the 1995 crime/thriller film La Haine. The song “Hate Monologue” from his album contained the speech from a prominent scene in the film, which made me appreciate the commitment to the motif even more.
Triton Smith and his band are playing on December 21 in Vancouver at Green Auto. Tickets can be purchased at samotee.com
The importance of vegetarianism and veganism
By: Hailey Miller, Staff Writer
Content warning: mentions of animal slaughter.
I’ve been a vegetarian since I was seven years old. I love animals too much to harm them, and that was my main reason for becoming a vegetarian in the first place. My parents are also both vegetarians, but they allowed me to make my own decision when I was young. It wasn’t until one day when my grandfather asked if I wanted a ham sandwich for lunch, that I responded with, “I’ll have the sandwich, but without the ham.”
Since then, I’ve also considered myself a bit of a veganetarian — someone who is predominantly vegetarian but sometimes practices vegan, and eats many vegan meals, as well. In my teen years, I avoided a lot of dairy for personal reasons, and I still limit my dairy intake to this day. I go through phases of eating eggs, but I could take or leave them. I was one of the only vegetarian kids in school growing up, but that never stopped me from sticking to my morals and having a love for delicious, healthy food.
Practicing vegetarianism and veganism — meaning reducing our meat intake — is not only better for the sake of animals and their livelihoods, but also the environment and our overall health. From saving animals and animal advocacy to reducing our carbon footprint and creating healthier lives for ourselves, there are countless reasons why you should consider going vegan or vegetarian, if you haven’t already.
A lot of people assume that it’s difficult to go vegetarian or vegan and still get an adequate amount of protein, feel satiated, or be satisfied with meal choices. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. There are countless ways to get protein, from everything like nuts and seeds to tofu and beans, just to name a few. There’s a plethora of vegan and vegetarian recipes in cookbooks, food blogs, and websites to curb your appetite and appeal to vegans and vegetarians, whether you’re new to the practice, or you’re a seasoned pro. Plant-based substitutes can be healthier than animal products and do the trick just as well, whether you’re looking for a certain taste, texture, or consistency in a recipe. That said, be careful when looking for certain substitutes, as some may be higher in sugar or full of unnecessary fillers.
“Practicing vegetarianism and veganism is not only better for the sake of animals and their livelihoods, but it’s also better for the environment and our overall health”
There are many different types of vegetarianism and veganism. A lacto-ovo-vegetarian is someone who practices vegetarianism and still consumes eggs and dairy in their diet while completely abstaining from meat, seafood, and any by-products that involve the death of animals. Predominantly, this is where I fall in the vegetarianism categories. Some vegetarians only consume eggs (ovo-vegetarian) while others only consume dairy (lacto-vegetarian) as the only animal products. A pescetarian is someone who still consumes seafood — alongside eggs and dairy — but doesn’t eat meat. Veganism — the most stringent type of vegetarianism, in a good way — involves abstaining from all animal products and by-products. This includes the abstinence of meat, seafood, dairy, and eggs.
Many people who partake in veganism or vegetarianism also don’t buy leather or other products involving harm to the animal — myself included. Instead, I make sure to only use fake leather, and preferably, my favourite type is made from recycled materials. I also avoid leather couches and clothing. I don’t eat foods with rennet — a type of enzyme produced from animal stomachs, often cows. Rennet is often present in some cheese products, so I always make sure to check the ingredients and make sure the cheese is vegetarian-friendly, or vegan.
With numerous benefits to going vegan or vegetarian, why not try it today? Start small and ease into it. For instance, you can start by incorporating more vegan and vegetarian meals into your diet, and avoiding consumption of animal products — whether food or materials. Not only will you be saving animals and reducing harm, but you’ll also be reducing carbon footprints and greenhouse gas emission. The earth and the animals will thank you!
Stop supporting the Greater Vancouver Zoo
By: Yulissa Huamani, SFU student
Content warning: mentions of animal abuse and death.
Zoos tend to incite imagery of children being excited to see animals. However, animals in zoos are held in enclosures that are often way too small and just can’t compare to their natural habitats. Children tend to find the experience thrilling, but as adults, we should realize that the conditions these animals live in are often depressing and unethical. While there are some sanctuaries that do genuine conservation and rehabilitation work, the way most zoos cage animals for viewing purposes is far from humane. Reports of animal abuse in zoos showcase how caging causes physical and mental damage, and we should keep this in mind the next time we’re invited on an outing to the local zoo.
Being confined to zoo enclosures can lead to learned helplessness. This is a condition that affects animals’ brains due to the inability to escape when constantly exposed to stimuli that triggers their survival instincts. As a result, even if an animal is released after years of trauma, they’re unable to survive because they lost the ability to do so on their own. Living like that is not living. The damage that zoos cause outweighs any benefits for us as humans.
Profiting off someone’s pain is wrong, regardless of the species, and shouldn’t be accepted in our society. One controversial local zoo is the Greater Vancouver Zoo, where it’s been reported multiple times that animals are living in poor conditions. And their “diversity” of animals means animals that aren’t adapted to live under BC’s weather conditions are forced to do so. This October, Jenga the giraffe died at the age of eight. This is concerning due to the 25-year lifespan that giraffes usually have in the wild, and the population of giraffes in their natural habitat is decreasing. In the past, the Greater Vancouver Zoo faced animal cruelty charges for “inadequate housing arrangements” for a baby hippo they adopted. The hippo previously starred in a Telus commercial before being transferred to the zoo, where it was kept indoors with nothing but a “small shallow pool to wade in.” The charges were later dropped “when the zoo agreed to construct better hippo accommodation.” These are just a few of many examples of mistreatment or death of animals under the care of the Greater Vancouver Zoo. While the zoo did improve the housing conditions of certain animals, how much damage were they hoping to get away with before they started taking action?
Furnishing cages with branches or stumps can be compared to decorating a prison cell like a forest. It might look natural, but it’s not free. The Vancouver Humane Society reports that “enclosure space should be outfitted to meet species-specific needs.” However, the zoo has been known to not satisfy these conditions. Additionally, visitors’ reviews highlight that the animals seem to be stressed and that their overall experience was more sad than satisfactory. Seeing animals under poor conditions and showing signs of anxiety could also negatively impact children, since kids are likely to be curious about the conditions an animal is being held in. It is certainly known that zoos in general aren’t able to replicate the complexities of natural habitats, and this ends up psychologically and physically harming animals. What are we teaching children by showing them that this is OK?
It seems to be that the Greater Vancouver Zoo’s main focus is on entertainment instead of preserving species and advancing animal rights. Putting profit before animals’ well-being is unethical, and zoos that do so shouldn’t be considered a form of entertainment. These enclosures display living beings that aren’t able to escape, and are suffering as a result. This should make us reflect on what zoos suggest about our morals as a society. It is not a necessity to see an animal that is submitted to stress and frustration just for entertainment.
Zoos are unnecessary, especially in the 21st century. There are other ethical options that allow children to learn about an animal if they are curious, such as virtual zoos. The sadness that animals experience in these spaces is evident, and there isn’t an educational purpose that justifies the suffering. Zoos should only exist as wildlife sanctuaries for rehabilitation purposes, and be held to strict standards. Animals should be released once they receive the proper treatment they need and are certified to be able to live in the wild. There have to be regulations that force zoos to do so. It’s understandable that some animals can’t be released due to domestication or severe injury. However, the purpose of zoos should be to help animals and protect species first and foremost. There is no reason why animals like giraffes and hippos should be living in BC rather than wildlife sanctuaries in their countries of origin.
Federal government announces ban on open net-pen salmon farms
By: Mason Mattu, Peak Associate
On June 19, the federal government announced a ban on “open net-pen salmon aquaculture in BC coastal waters by June 30, 2029.” This comes after many Indigenous communities and environmental groups have called for its end due to environmental concerns and a decline in wild salmon. Licences for open net-pen salmon farming have also been renewed for five years for an industry transition.
Open net-pen salmon farms are “large cages and nets placed in coastal waters” by fish farm technicians holding “hundreds of thousands of fish,” which hatch from eggs within the pen. Over 90% of open net-pen salmon farms are owned by three Norwegian companies. According to the sustainable seafood partnership SeaChoice, open net-pen farms are a high-risk method of salmon farming as they do not filter what comes in or out of the farm, allowing a “free exchange of waste, chemicals, parasites, and disease.” SeaChoice “is a partnership among the David Suzuki Foundation, Ecology Action Centre, and Living Oceans Society.” This combined with the “high density of foreign fish packed into a farm pen” increases the risk of infection and contagious viruses in the water for local marine life. The farming infrastructure itself ruins sensitive coastal ecosystems, producing “the same amount of waste as a city of half a million people” and trapping wild fish in the nets.
In a draft transition plan by the federal government, they describe plans to make Canada “a world leader in innovative and clean aquaculture technology.” The transition plan aims to retrain workers currently employed by the industry, support the construction of land-based closed containment salmon farms, and work with Indigenous communities to “develop new economic opportunities that align with each community’s particular needs and values.” Land-based closed containment salmon farms help keep aquatic environments safe without causing risks to “the surrounding aquatic environment.” The estimated cost to replace BC’s current open net-pen farms “could be as high as $1.8 billion” and quite a bit of extra electric power, making some believe that the plan is unrealistic in a five-year window.
“Because of the work and dignity that comes with the salmon farming industry, we have had no suicides in my community of Klemtu for the past 18 years.” — Isaiah Robinson, deputy Chief councillor, Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation
“Our wild salmon are already facing so many risks. This is a precautionary measure, and by isolating the threats [in closed containment pens], we are taking away some of that risk to our wild salmon,” said Johnathon Wilkinson, minister of energy and natural resources, in a speech.
Fishing is “part of the culture and identity that sustains First Nations peoples.” The First Nations Fisheries Council of BC stated, “Fisheries have formed the basis of economies for many Nations, first through trade with other Nations and early settlers, and later through commercial activities.” The move to ban open-net farms is supported by the BC Assembly of First Nations, the First Nations Wild Salmon Alliance, and other environmental advocates. Over 123 First Nations in BC supported the ban in a letter to the Prime Minister citing the farming method’s “impact on their cultural, economic and spiritual way of life.” Salmon have not only long been a source of food, but an important figure in spiritual and cultural traditions.
Some Indigenous communities have raised concerns about the impact this transition will have on their livelihoods.
For one, the Klemtu community of the Kitasoo Xai’Xais Nation has a “99% employment rate with 51% of those being tied up in aquaculture.” Isaiah Robinson, deputy Chief councillor of the Kitasoo Xai’Xais Nation, requested to extend the open net-pen salmon farming practice by at least six years. “Because of the work and dignity that comes with the salmon farming industry, we have had no suicides in my community of Klemtu for the past 18 years,” he wrote in an open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “It makes no sense to shut it down. There is no industry that can fill that space.”
The Coalition of First Nations for Finfish Stewardship, representing 17 Indigenous communities in the province, stated that “due to the impact of colonization on wild salmon stocks, we have had to include salmon farming alongside salmon stewardship to fill the economic gap caused by the decline of wild salmon.” During British and French colonial rule in Canada, natural resources such as salmon were exploited en masse. The group claimed that around “700 Indigenous people provincially work in salmon farming, which is a sector that brings in $133 million per year” for Indigenous communities.
The federal government has yet to put out a final transition plan for Indigenous communities.
