Short-term reprieve as salmon farmer gets more time.
A successful legal challenge now means that Mowi Canada West can grow out the salmon at the two sites Hardwicke and Philips Arm in the Discovery Islands, BC, Canada, reports BIV.
The salmon farmer had requested to be allowed to transfer fish into the Discovery Island fish farms’ open-net pens between now and when their permits expire in June 2022. On March 9th, Mowi filed an application in Federal Court of Canada for an injunction against federal government actions, arguing that 12 million fish have no place to grow out to market size.
“While aquaculture in the Discovery Islands may pose a risk to wild salmon populations generally, it has not been established that the risk from allowing the transfer of fish into three sites is great enough to weigh against granting the injunction,” Justice Peter George Pamel said in his decision.
“The harm to Mowi and Saltstream, as well as their employees, their families and other businesses in the community, in particular, First Nations businesses, will be real and substantial if the injunction is not granted,” he added.
“This is a great relief to our employees and communities as it should allow us – in the short term – to continue growing these fish and operating these two sites,” said Mowi Canada West HR and Comms Director Dean Dobrinsky.
