Tug of war between BC fish farms and goverment continues.
Last month, after a successful legal challenge, Mowi Canada West was given a short lived reprieve that it had more time grow out the salmon at two sites Hardwicke and Philips Arm in the Discovery Islands, BC, Canada.
About 14 months remain on Discovery Islands’ leases before the deadline for removal.
But Seawest News reports that Mowi Canada West has been told to reapply to transfer fish to its Phillips Arm site.
The issue is that Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan’s department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has also increased its service standard for such applications from the current 20 days to 40 days.
This means that any denial or approval for the transfer of salmon smolts to be grown to harvest size at Phillips Arm could only come in June.
Because of this, Mowi may be forced to cull a large number of fish.
“We are deeply alarmed that, despite clear knowledge of the extensive damage that her decisions are causing and in light of Justice Pamel’s decision, Minister Jordan continues to demonstrate a complete lack of respect and concern for the people who depend on salmon farming for their livelihood,” said Mowi Canada West spokesman Dean Dobrinsky told the publication.
Late last month, in his ruling Justice Peter Pamel said that Jordan “acted against science advice from her department and ignored her own commitments when she made a decision that would devastate the business of some fish farms”.
