by David Wiwchar
Ha-shilth-sa Newspaper
January 13, 2005
Environmentally problematic fish farms in the Alberni Inlet won't be moving anytime soon, as Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has discontinued its environmental review of a proposed site for the salmon farm in Bute Inlet, saying Heritage Aquaculture has withdrawn its application.
In 2001, the company proposed Bute Inlet as an alternate location for their salmon farms in Alberni Inlet and Barkley Sound, but the application met strong opposition from key stakeholders including the Xwemalhkwu (Homalco) First Nation, the Stuart Island Community Association, the commercial and sports fishing sectors, the eco-tourism industry and the Comox Strathcona Regional District, which denied zoning for the proposed site in August 2001.
"Salmon farming as currently practiced is not consistent with the Xwemalhkwu (Homalco) vision of Bute Inlet or the recommendations of the Johnstone-Bute Coastal Plan," said Xwemalhkwu Chief Darren Blaney. "We are pleased that the proponent has withdrawn their application as we can now focus on other pressing issues in our traditional territory."
Heritage's Penny Creek fish farm is located in Macktuch Bay 15 kms south of Port Alberni, and sits directly in front of Penny and Macktush creeks, two wild salmon and steelhead streams. Because the farm, which has been in operation since 1974, is located in a shallow bay with poor flushing currents, the company is experiencing serious die-offs caused by rotting feces and fish feed directly under their pens. Excessive amounts of rotting organic matter robs oxygen from the water, converting it to a stew of chemicals and gases such as hydrogen sulfide, and turns the bay floor into an anoxic area where only specialized bacteria and worms can live.
At any given time, the Penny Creek fish farm will have upwards of 700,000 Atlantic salmon on site, rivaling the famous Somass River wild sockeye run that passes by the fish farm on its migration home.
There is also a concern that many outmigrating wild smolts are being attracted into the fish farm pens by the smell of feed, and the large lights used on the site, and are being swallowed up by the larger Atlantics.
"If they're harming the environment, they should be forced to shut down," said Tseshaht Chief Councilor Les Sam. "We'd hate to see our wild fish that pass that site contaminated with disease," he said.
"What happens if our wild fish pick up a disease while passing a fish farm and take that disease up to their spawning grounds?" said Hupacasath fisheries Manager Tom Tatoosh. "Hupacasath owns the spawning grounds for the salmon capital of the world, and we have a zero tolerance for fish farms in our traditional territories and our traditional use territories," he said.
Last year, Heritage Salmon reached an out-of-court settlement in Maine for discharging pollutants into the ocean without a Clean Water Act discharge permit. Heritage Salmon agreed to pay $375,000 (US) towards wild salmon restoration projects, stop growing genetically engineered salmon strains, and implement programs to prevent fish and pollutant escapes.
Heritage
Salmon is a division of Canadian food conglomerate George Weston Ltd.,
which owns salmon farms in Canada, United States and Chile, including
16 salmon farms throughout BC, of which three are located in the Alberni
Inlet.
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Copyright Ha-Shilth-Sa Newspaper, published by the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council. Reproduction of this article or photographs, in whole or in part, is illegal without the written consent of Ha-Shilth-Sa Newspaper (hashilth@nuuchahnulth.org)
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