BELLA BELLA, B.C. - British Columbia's opposition party is calling a diesel fuel spill from a sunken tugboat off the remote central coast a tragedy.
NDP leader John Horgan says the spill compromises wildlife in the area which is the food basket for the local Heiltsuk First Nation.
The Nathan E. Stewart tug ran aground in the Seaforth Channel, about 20 kilometres west of Bella Bella, on October 13th.
Heiltsuk Chief Marilyn Slett says rough weather conditions hindered efforts on Friday to deploy a larger boom to contain spilled fuel.
A boom that was already in place got caught on a rock, allowing an unknown amount of fuel to seep into open waters.
Salvage crews have so far recovered more than 40 per cent of the 200,000 litres of fuel estimated to be in the vessel.
