Canadian Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray announced on Twitter Tuesday she will not seek re-election.
The announcement comes as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce a a major reshuffling of his cabinet this week in advance of his re-election bid in October 2025.
Murray in her Twitter announcement did not say if she would stay on to election day or leave sooner.
Murray took over as Canada’s Fisheries Minister in October 2021, replacing Bernadette Jordan, at a time of massive upheaval in the country's west coast salmon farming industry, which the government is transitioning away from traditional netpen salmon farming.
At the time her appointment, Murray was welcomed by the industry.
Canada's salmon farming industry had been largely opposed to Jordan, who was leading the phaseout of netpen salmon farming in British Columbia's Discovery Islands by June 2022, a decision made in 2020.
A Canadian Federal Court found Jordan’s initial order lacked procedural fairness and the order had been set aside. As Jordan’s successor, Murray was forced to review the decision and held a round of consultations with the salmon farming industry, First Nations and other stakeholders.
After weeks of delays, in February Murray reaffirmed the decision and denied the renewal of salmon farming licenses located in British Columbia's Discovery Islands for nearly all companies operating in the area.
The 15 licenses that will not be renewed account for more than 24 percent of BC's farmed salmon production and belong to major companies, including Mowi, Grieg and Cermaq.
Mowi, which lost 12 salmon farming sites and was worst hit of the three by the decision, has lost 30 percent of its production in British Columbia.
“After much thought and reflection, I have decided not to run again in the next election after my current term,” Murray said on Twitter Tuesday.
“My work in politics and time serving my community both federally and provincially as an elected official has been the honor of my life,” she said.
