Expansion of salmon farming bad news

September 12, 2002 - VANCOUVER - British Columbia’s announcement that new waste management regulations will result in a sustainable aquaculture industry in the province is nonsense because open net cages, which allow waste to flow directly into the ocean, will continue to be used, the David Suzuki Foundation said today.

Of equal concern is the fact that federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) scientists oppose the province’s lifting of the ban on new salmon farms, the Suzuki Foundation has learned.

“Not only were DFO scientists not notified about today’s announcement, which is incredible given their responsibility for our oceans, but a senior DFO scientist told me today that he and his colleagues oppose this move by the province because the waste management regulations are not adequate,” said Otto Langer, the Suzuki Foundation’s director of marine conservation.

“Our understanding since the province announced in April that they intended to lift the moratorium on new farms was that DFO and provincial staff were working together to establish regulations that would not contravene the Fisheries Act and the Navigable Waters Protection Act. Clearly this has not happened,” he added.

Just this week, a salmon farm on the west coast of Vancouver Island was dumping tonnes of salmon into the ocean that died because of a toxic algae bloom, and until last week, another farm north of Port Hardy was operating illegally with no permits. The fish were moved after the Suzuki Foundation ran advertisements in the Vancouver Sun and Province newspapers alerting the public to this illegal activity.

“Today I wrote to Prime Minister Chretien urging him to intervene in order to protect our ocean environment, the rights of First Nations and the livelihoods of British Columbians – tourism operators, sports and commercial fishermen – who will be affected by this decision,” said Foundation executive director Jim Fulton.

The Heiltsuk First Nation of Bella Bella are suing the province because salmon farm licenses have been issued in their traditional territories without proper consultation as required by Canadian law. The Heiltsuk filed a petition in BC Supreme Court on Monday, September 9.

“Failure to act by Canada will bring the administration of justice and the role of Parliament into disrepute,” Mr. Fulton wrote to the prime minister.


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