In April, Canada’s largest environmental law charity challenged a multimillion-dollar expansion citing that NL authorities acted “unlawfully”.
In April, SalmonBusiness reported that Ecojustice filed a lawsuit to stop the expansion of the Indian Head Hatchery near Stephenville, Newfoundland, Canada.
The Indian Head Hatchery provides smolt to sea cages of the Northern Harvest Sea Farms, which is now owned by Mowi – after it bought the company for USD 248m last year. The company came with its own broodstock, smolt hatchery, farming sites and processing operations.
Justice Daniel Boone of the Supreme Court today hearing case being argued by Ecojustice lawyers. Ecojustice wants salmon pens to face environmentalassessment because of additional smolt produced at Indian Head hatchery. 2 days of arguments. @TheBroadcastCBC pic.twitter.com/kUjwC9fyGq
— Todd O'Brien (@todd_obrien) November 6, 2019
Ecojustice lawyers are representing the Salmonid Association of Eastern Newfoundland, the Freshwater- Alexander Bays Ecosystem Corporation, the Port au Port Bay Fishery Committee, Alan Pickersgill, John Baird and Wayne Holloway.
On its site, Ecojustice wrote: “If appropriate measures had been put in place following environmental assessment, it is possible that this disaster could have been avoided”.
Ecojustice has been reviewing the facts of the case spread over two days at Newfoundland’s Supreme Court.
VOCM reports that NDP MHA, Jim Dinn brought the case up in the House of Assembly on Tuesday. Dinn has previously called on the Minister to immediately launch an independent investigation into the massive salmon die-off at the MOWI/Northern Harvest sea pens on the South Coast.
Could have been avoided and saved the province the cost of a court case if government had simply done its job and completed an environmental assessment of the whole project. @NLNDPCaucus asked; @GovNL passed on the opportunity. @TheBroadcastCBC https://t.co/WJPP0keTix
— James Dinn (@JimDinn) November 7, 2019
Dinn said if an environmental assessment is carried out authorities may be able to avoid the expense of a court case.
