Feedlots of the Sea: Movement Frames and Activist Claims in the Protest over Salmon Farming in the Pacific Northwest

Abstract

In the face of declining oceanic fisheries throughout the world, industrial aquaculture and corporate fish farming have become the fastest growing sector of the global food industry, accounting for nearly half of all the fish and shellfish consumed by humans today. Despite its contribution to food production, however, the rapid growth of aquaculture has launched an anti-fish farming movement composed of scientists, environmental NGOs, fishers, native peoples, and coastal residents who oppose the industry's negative socio-environmental effects on marine habitats, indigenous fish stocks and cultures, as well as commercial and recreational fisheries. This article examines the growing environmental controversy over the collapse of wild salmon populations and the rise of salmon farming production in the Pacific Northwest, as well as the negative impacts of the aquaculture industry on the region. Drawing on movement literature and documents, as well as interviews with local stakeholder activists in Washington State and British Columbia, I provide a qualitative analysis of the collective action frames of the anti-salmon farming movement and the degree to which the diagnostic, prognostic, and motivational frames identified in movement discourse are aligned with the individual frames of movement activists. I conclude with some sociological implications of these findings for the usefulness of frame analysis research, the dynamics of the protest over salmon farming, and the future direction of ocean aquaculture and wild salmon.

Humanizing aquaculture development: Putting social and human concerns at the center of future aquaculture development

“…In Chile, where all salmon farming activities take place in the southern part of the country, including in indigenous territories of the Huilliche, Kawesqar, and Yagan communities, neither the state nor the companies have complied with the obligation to consult indigenous communities before implementing salmon farming projects that could adversely affect access to traditional fishing grounds and spiritual areas as well as ways of living and ancestral traditions (Riedemann Fuentes et al, 2021). In the Pacific Northwest, it is the combination of Atlantic salmon farms' negative impact on native fish migratory routes and populations, encroachment on indigenous peoples' land and rights, insufficient reciprocal recognition of the legitimacy of indigenous peoples and national governments and their policies (Chamberlin, 2012; Hersoug et al, 2017; Ladd, 2011), and communication and trust breakdown between private producing corporations, government authorities and indigenous peoples (Chamberlin, 2012; Christiansen, 2012) which has led to the strong opposition of some indigenous peoples to aquaculture in this part of the world. This undoubtedly echoes the breaches in human rights that were mentioned above (2009 case against a Norwegian company in Chile and Canada).…”

The Precarious Nature of Environmental Activism

“…Specifically, they look at the various dynamics that help or hinder decision-making processes in activist communities. As Ladd (2011), notes, life stories and narratives of individual activists are essential to understanding social movement dynamics.…”

“Turning Out the Grassroots”

“…In contrast to other new social movements, personal stories may play a comparably small role in environmental movements (Ladd 2011). Whether a group employs stories about identity as a tactic depends on several factors including the personal impacts of a political issue and the organizational structure of social movement groups, their protest arena, and their political context (presence of opposing movements; Bernstein 2008, Lievanos 2012).…”