VANCOUVER ISLAND

First Nations occupying fish farms off Vancouver Island served with injunctions

The Canadian Press Published Tuesday, October 17, 2017 1:50PM PDT Last Updated Tuesday, October 17, 2017 1:53PM PDT

File photo: Fish Farm protesters gathered for a sit-in outside the office of agriculture minister Lana Popham in Saanich last month.

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First Nations occupying several fish farms off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island say tensions are rising after protesters were served with injunctions yesterday.

A news release from the protesters says RCMP and representatives from Fisheries and Oceans Canada and fish farm company Marine Harvest have arrived near Alert Bay in the Broughton Archipelago.

Members of six First Nations have been occupying fish farms in their territorial waters for nearly two months and met last week with Premier John Horgan to discuss the issue.

They say the injunction applications are due to be heard in court tomorrow but add police have no jurisdiction to remove them and protesters are concerned about the escalation of what they describe as tactical teams in advance of the court hearing.