The latest consultations between the federal government and First Nations regarding the closure of 79 fish farms in the Discovery Islands began in Campbell River on Wednesday.
Aquaculture operators from around the Discovery islands had started the work of scaling back operations after the previous fisheries minister, Bernadette Jordan, made the announcement in late 2020 that 19 salmon farms would be phased out by the end of this past June.
However, a federal judge threw that order out in April when companies such as Mowi Canada West, Cermaq Canada and Grieg Seafood applied for a judicial review of the order, arguing the order didnB次元官网网址檛 show B次元官网网址渁n appreciation of the facts.B次元官网网址� Federal Court Judge Elizabeth Heneghan overturned the previous ministerB次元官网网址檚 order, suggesting the order breached the fish companiesB次元官网网址� right to procedural fairness. This set the stage for Wednesday.
Anti-fish farm protesters gathered around the entrance to Campbell RiverB次元官网网址檚 Maritime Heritage Centre Wednesday, aiming to cut off current federal Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray in her tracks.
Murray has remained steadfast in her current mandate, that the fish farms are to be out of the Discovery Islands waters by 2025.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 committed to this transition, to being away from open net fish farms,B次元官网网址� Murray said in a brief statement, citing the need for public consultation and encouraging the demonstrators to have their voices heard via the governmentB次元官网网址檚 website concerning the current practice of open-net pen aquaculture.
However, some protesters are still skeptical, suggesting that the ongoing situation might never see a formal conclusion.
B次元官网网址淲hat we donB次元官网网址檛 want is closed containment,B次元官网网址� demonstrator Joel Ulmer commented. B次元官网网址淪emi-closed containment does not work. It is very prone to diseases. There is not any benefit to semi-closed. We want them out.B次元官网网址�
However, some protesters do remain optimistic and confident that Canada can follow the lead of other nations in a move away from open net fish farming.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e seen Scotland, itB次元官网网址檚 a huge issue there. WeB次元官网网址檝e seen Norway completely shut down (open net pen fish farming) there. Chile, same story,B次元官网网址� Mark De Bruijn said.
But he is in agreement on the issue of semi-closed containment, calling it a B次元官网网址渏oke.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚n 2010, there was something called the Cohen Commission,B次元官网网址� said Bruijin, the former Green Party candidate in the riding of North Island-Powell River. B次元官网网址淭hese consultations went on for months, I attended a couple of the hearings. It was painful to sit there and listen to the tedious arguments, especially from industry. I think the date for removal that was given then was 2022. The Liberal government had now made a commitment to doing it by 2025. It may be far too late considering the impacts that are already being experienced on the ecosystem by these farms. They need to be dealt with now.B次元官网网址�
And despite what it may look like on the surface, protester Brian Wadhams, himself a member of a First Nation, doesnB次元官网网址檛 want the fish farming industry completely closed.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e looking at shellfish and sustainability,B次元官网网址� Wadhams says. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not about the farm fishing industry, itB次元官网网址檚 about the impact itB次元官网网址檚 having on throughout our territories without our say.B次元官网网址�
Talks continued Thursday.
