How climate change will impact your seafood options

THE#BCBIZDAILY
Plus, the future of mining and Site C

Smoke on the water
As shrouds of smoke continue to settle over B.C. cities from a flurry of forest fires across the province, B.C.ers are getting a feel for how climate change could shape the land around them. Turns out, it will also shape the ocean—not just sea levels but sea species—and thus B.C.’s seafood industry. A new report from Vancity, authored by two UBC researchers, says ocean chemistry will be altered in the coming decades to such a degree that staple seafood species such as Pacific salmon will be impacted drastically. By 2050, the report estimates a 21 per cent decline in sockeye, a 10 per cent decline in chum and a 15 per cent decline in sablefish. “For the 10 stable seafood species in British Columbia, the net change in price attributable to climate change could cost British Columbians up to $110 million a year in 2015 dollars,” the report concludes. Read the full thing here (PDF).

Another green light
B.C.’s $8.8-billion dam project, Site C, has been issued 24 permits that clear the way for construction to begin near Fort St. John, the B.C. Ministry of Forests announced Tuesday. Further permits will be granted as the project continues, though a handful of First Nation-led lawsuits remain. Those court battles will not pause progress, however. (via Vancouver Sun)

Retirement woes
A new report from EY on Canada’s mining sector (much of which is centred in Vancouver) points out one particularly interesting problem facing the industry: age. A full 40 per cent of the workforce is over 50, and of those, 30 per cent are expected to retire by 2022. “These retirements will impact operational continuity and lead to a great loss of organizational know-how and operational experience for mining companies,” Bruce Sprague, EY’s Canadian mining and metals leader, said in a release. “It’s a big issue that companies must address.” What other hurdles does the industry face? Read the report here.