Federal decision on fish farms prompts closure of B.C. processing plant: company
One of the largest farmed salmon producers operating in B.C. says it's permanently closing its processing plant in Surrey, B.C., because of a federal government decision to phase out some fish farms.
Mowi Canada West says in a news release the plant closure is due to the government's cancellation of salmon farming licences in the Discovery Island between northern Vancouver Island and the mainland.
The plant employed 80 people and was operational for four years.
Mowi says it will continue the primary process of all salmon grown in B.C. at its plant in Port Hardy, but will supply its customers' orders for value-added seafoods through its U.S. facilities.
Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray could not immediately be reached for comment but said last month she plans to ensure the decision to phase out 19 open-net pen farms from the Discovery Islands is carried on to completion.
In December 2020, then-minister Bernadette Jordan announced the licences would only be renewed until the summer of 2022.
“The sustainable and responsible management of our ocean ecosystems is a priority for me as minister, and our government is committed to protecting and regenerating wild salmon stocks,” Murray says in the statement.
Mowi says the decision to phase out the farms off the Discovery Islands removes 30 per cent of the company's production volume, creating significant business uncertainty.
“This is devastating news to the employees and families who have relied on this operation for their livelihood,” Dean Dobrinsky, Mowi Canada West spokesman, says in a statement shared by the Surrey Board of Trade.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 17, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.