B.C. salmon farm closure decision was necessary, says DFO amid court challenges
The federal government is standing by its decision not to renew licences for 15 open-net Atlantic salmon farms in British Columbia's Discovery Islands, despite recent court challenges.
A statement from the office of Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray says her decision last month against renewing the licences for the farms off Vancouver Island near Campbell River was difficult but necessary.
The statement says recent science suggests uncertainty about risks posed to wild salmon by the area's farms and the federal government is taking a precautionary approach to help ensure the well-being of threatened species.
Mowi Canada West, one of several companies operating farms in the Discovery Islands, is seeking a judicial review of Murray's decision.
Mowi's application filed this week in Federal Court in Vancouver seeks an order quashing or setting aside the decision and a declaration that Murray's determination was “unreasonable, invalid and unlawful.”
It says the company has been operating in the Campbell River area for 30 years and is highly involved in the coastal communities and has business agreements with 10 First Nations and 10 Indigenous-owned companies.
The application says the company's workforce has been reduced from 645 employees to 312 and the “decision only deepens the harms to Mowi's business, Indigenous self-governance and the economy of coastal B.C.”
The farms off B.C.'s coast have been a major flashpoint, with environmental groups and some Indigenous nations saying the farms are linked to disease that transfers to wild salmon, while the industry, local politicians and other First Nations say they are safe and the closures threaten thousands of jobs.
A Campbell River-area First Nation issued an open letter to its membership this week explaining its decision to also challenge Murray's decision in Federal Court.
“To be clear, this challenge is not about our support or opposition to fish farming,” Chief Councillor Chickite said. “Our challenge makes it clear that we have not defined our position on salmon farming in our waters. This is about our right as titleholders to make decisions about how our territory is used.”
The Fisheries Ministry statement says it will not comment further now that the matter is before the courts.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 23, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.