A rash of farmed salmon deaths at a collection of fish farms on Vancouver Island香蕉视频直播檚 west coast is being blamed on a naturally occuring algae bloom.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) confirmed today four Cermaq Canada salmon farms (Binns Island, Bawden Point, Ross Pass and Millar Channel) north of Tofino in the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Region are affected.
According to DFO, the farmed fish are non-infectious.
Cermaq first reported these mortalities on Nov. 7, as required by the conditions of licence for marine finfish aquaculture.
香蕉视频直播淎s a condition of licence, farms are required to report fish mortality events when they reach the threshold of two per cent of the farm香蕉视频直播檚 population in 24 hours, or four metric tonnes (about 800 fish of harvestable size). Updates must be provided every 10 days,香蕉视频直播� reads a statement from DFO.
A media release posted to the Cermaq Canada website on Nov. 15, initially pointed to three fish farms are being impacted 香蕉视频直播� Binns Island, Bawden Point and Ross Pass.
香蕉视频直播淲e are seeing two particular types of algae in these regions 香蕉视频直播� chaetoceros concavicornis and chaetoceros convolutes, which are both native to the Pacific Ocean,香蕉视频直播� said David Kiemele, Managing Director for Cermaq Canada, in the release.
香蕉视频直播淭hese particular algae have rigid 香蕉视频直播渟pines香蕉视频直播� that are harmful to fish when they come in contact with gills. Blooms are often associated with low dissolved oxygen events and warm ocean water temperatures and weather changes 香蕉视频直播� all of which we are, or have been experiencing.香蕉视频直播�
Cermaq did not disclose the approximate number of dead fish.
香蕉视频直播淲e don香蕉视频直播檛 release mortality numbers for commercial reasons, but we can confirm that we did have mortalities at three sites. No other farms were impacted by the naturally occurring algae bloom,香蕉视频直播� said Amy Jonsson, Cermaq香蕉视频直播檚 communications and engagement manager, in a Nov. 19, email to the Westerly. The firm has yet to respond to a follow-up inquiry about the Miller Channel site cited by DFO.
DFO said it is satisfied that the facility operators are managing these fish health events appropriately, consistent with their licence and fish health management plan. Departmental staff are scheduled to visit some of the sites during the week of Nov. 25 to 29 as part of its audit and monitoring program.
Cermaq noted that they also provided notice of the recent algae bloom and resulting mortalities to the Ahousaht First Nation, in whose territory these farms are operated.
香蕉视频直播淭he fish are improving and the water conditions are improving,香蕉视频直播� reads Cermaq香蕉视频直播檚 Nov. 15 media release.
Last week, a Clayoquot Action team found dive crews at work, and bio-waste trailers being loaded with dead fish, at Cermaq香蕉视频直播檚 Binns Island salmon farm near Ahousaht. Similar activity was observed at the adjacent Bawden Bay farm, according to a Nov. 18 press release issued by Clayoquot Action.
香蕉视频直播淭he algae blooms are made worse by the nutrient runoff from the farms. This has been exasperated by the climate crisis. We haven香蕉视频直播檛 had rain. The water is very warm. The additional nutrient loading from the 20 fish farms that we have in Clayoquot Sound are probably causing the situation to be worse,香蕉视频直播� said Clayoquot Action campaigner Bonny Glambeck.
香蕉视频直播淚f we香蕉视频直播檙e having a mass die-off on the fish farms, one has to wonder what is happening to the wild fish. There are marine creatures that live in the inlet where these farms are located. Young wild salmon that are rearing in the inlet as well as there are rockfish conservancies and there may still be salmon waiting to go up the river to spawn. All of these fish are going to be impacted negatively similarly to what is happening to the fish on the farms. They don香蕉视频直播檛 have the benefit of having oxygen pumped into their environment like the farmed fish do,香蕉视频直播� said Glambeck.
As part of its 2019 federal election campaign, the Liberal Party pledged to move all aquaculture in B.C. to closed containment by 2025.
香蕉视频直播淚n British Columbia, we will work with the province to develop a responsible plan to transition from open net pen salmon farming in coastal waters to closed containment systems by 2025,香蕉视频直播漵tates page 36 of the Liberal Party香蕉视频直播檚 campaign platform.
Courtenay-Alberni MP Gord Johns believes the Liberals need to advance that agenda.
香蕉视频直播淭hey need to stop putting fish into open net fish farms immediately. Why run another cycle, when you香蕉视频直播檝e got all these conditions and you haven香蕉视频直播檛 addressed the issue. The concerns related to sea lice, the PRV and now you香蕉视频直播檝e got an algae bloom. This is clear that they don香蕉视频直播檛 have a solution to remedy these issues,香蕉视频直播� Johns said.
香蕉视频直播淭he newly appointed minister [Bernadette Jordan] needs to get out to the West Coast immediately. This is an urgent situation. She needs to see it first hand. She doesn香蕉视频直播檛 want to see what happened to the Atlantic cod,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淪he needs to see for herself the crisis that our salmon are in.香蕉视频直播�
nora.omalley@westerlynews.ca
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