Whole in the Water
Well-Known Member
Pretty damn poor performance of the fish farm industry. No wonder why an ever increasing number of the public are against these net pen farms. Gotta move these things on to the land where their negative impacts can be better managed
VANCOUVER—The B.C. government is promising stronger regulations for fish processing plants following an audit of 30 facilities that revealed more than 70 per cent of them had broken rules meant to protect the environment.
While the Ministry of Environment said in a release Wednesday that most infractions were administrative issues such as failing to post proper signage, some were far more serious.
A video filmed by B.C. photographer Tavish Campbell shows clouds of red liquid, believed to be bloodwater from a fish farm, billowing out of a pipe in Brown’s Bay, off the coast of Vancouver Island about 24 kilometres northwest of Campbell River, B.C. (Contributed/Tavish Campbell)
The audit, which investigated facilities that process both farmed and wild salmon, found some fish facilities have released either too much wastewater or wastewater that was too heavily contaminated into the environment, the report notes.
Marine Harvest’s processing plant, for instance, released more wastewater than its permit allowed 75 times between June 2017 and January 2018, the investigation found.
Also concerning, was that most of the permits don’t limit the volume of wastewater that can be released or how polluted it is. These are “foundational environmental protection provisions,” according to the report.
To Stan Proboszcz, Watershed Watch’s science and campaign adviser, the findings aren’t surprising.
“When an industry doesn’t face any sorts of penalties, why would they be in a high level of compliance?” he said.
“When we’re looking at the volume and the toxicity of some of this discharge, I think that’s a concern because it’s on such a massive scale,” he said.
Even the lack of proper signage can be an issue if wastewater outfalls aren’t properly marked, Proboszcz said. “That’s kind of a concern for anyone who uses our oceans whether it’s for swimming or snorkeling or fishing,” he said.
Chris Sporer, the executive director of the Seafood Producers Association of British Columbia, said it’s important to keep the results of the audit in perspective. There are over 200 fish processing plants operating in B.C. and only 30 require these permits because most of the others are connected to municipal wastewater systems, he said.
Shawn Hall, a spokesperson for the B.C. Salmon Farmers Association, said “the current wastewater treatment permitting structure is outdated and we’re happy that the government is setting a course to address that.”
Marine Harvest, he added, has made process changes and is making investments to make sure its meeting the requirements of its permit.
Article Continued Below
The government’s audit followed the release of a shocking video captured by videographer Tavish Campbell which showed a farmed salmon processing facility releasing bloody effluent in the water.
The ministry report recommends that existing fish processing facility permits be amended so that they set limits on effluent toxicity to prevent “serious harm to fish,” that the discharge is monitored for quality and toxicity, and that the impacts to the receiving environment are monitored.
In its release, the government said Ministry of Environment staff are working to implement recommendations.
Sporer said it’s a concern if the government doesn’t engage the industry, and so far, it hasn’t.
“The operations in B.C.’s coastal communities are the ones that could be most impacted so that could affect jobs and incomes, it could affect families,” he said.
Proboszcz though, is concerned the recommendations don’t go far enough. There still aren’t any penalties for infractions and that’s the only thing that will force change, he said.
Ainslie Cruickshank is a Vancouver-based reporter covering the environment. Follow her on Twitter: @ainscruickshank
VANCOUVER—The B.C. government is promising stronger regulations for fish processing plants following an audit of 30 facilities that revealed more than 70 per cent of them had broken rules meant to protect the environment.
While the Ministry of Environment said in a release Wednesday that most infractions were administrative issues such as failing to post proper signage, some were far more serious.
A video filmed by B.C. photographer Tavish Campbell shows clouds of red liquid, believed to be bloodwater from a fish farm, billowing out of a pipe in Brown’s Bay, off the coast of Vancouver Island about 24 kilometres northwest of Campbell River, B.C. (Contributed/Tavish Campbell)
The audit, which investigated facilities that process both farmed and wild salmon, found some fish facilities have released either too much wastewater or wastewater that was too heavily contaminated into the environment, the report notes.
Marine Harvest’s processing plant, for instance, released more wastewater than its permit allowed 75 times between June 2017 and January 2018, the investigation found.
Also concerning, was that most of the permits don’t limit the volume of wastewater that can be released or how polluted it is. These are “foundational environmental protection provisions,” according to the report.
To Stan Proboszcz, Watershed Watch’s science and campaign adviser, the findings aren’t surprising.
“When an industry doesn’t face any sorts of penalties, why would they be in a high level of compliance?” he said.
“When we’re looking at the volume and the toxicity of some of this discharge, I think that’s a concern because it’s on such a massive scale,” he said.
Even the lack of proper signage can be an issue if wastewater outfalls aren’t properly marked, Proboszcz said. “That’s kind of a concern for anyone who uses our oceans whether it’s for swimming or snorkeling or fishing,” he said.
Chris Sporer, the executive director of the Seafood Producers Association of British Columbia, said it’s important to keep the results of the audit in perspective. There are over 200 fish processing plants operating in B.C. and only 30 require these permits because most of the others are connected to municipal wastewater systems, he said.
Shawn Hall, a spokesperson for the B.C. Salmon Farmers Association, said “the current wastewater treatment permitting structure is outdated and we’re happy that the government is setting a course to address that.”
Marine Harvest, he added, has made process changes and is making investments to make sure its meeting the requirements of its permit.
Article Continued Below
The government’s audit followed the release of a shocking video captured by videographer Tavish Campbell which showed a farmed salmon processing facility releasing bloody effluent in the water.
The ministry report recommends that existing fish processing facility permits be amended so that they set limits on effluent toxicity to prevent “serious harm to fish,” that the discharge is monitored for quality and toxicity, and that the impacts to the receiving environment are monitored.
In its release, the government said Ministry of Environment staff are working to implement recommendations.
Sporer said it’s a concern if the government doesn’t engage the industry, and so far, it hasn’t.
“The operations in B.C.’s coastal communities are the ones that could be most impacted so that could affect jobs and incomes, it could affect families,” he said.
Proboszcz though, is concerned the recommendations don’t go far enough. There still aren’t any penalties for infractions and that’s the only thing that will force change, he said.
Ainslie Cruickshank is a Vancouver-based reporter covering the environment. Follow her on Twitter: @ainscruickshank
