DFO

FILE - Recirculating Aquaculture Systems, which involve moving the fish farm to land as opposed to an open net fish farm, is one possible future for the aquaculture industry in British Columbia. This photo, of a boat and crane situated next to a collapsed “net pen” by Cooke Seafood off the coast of Cypress Island in Washington State in 2017, came when a net failure allowed tens of thousands of nonnative fish to escape. The incident resulted in a nearly $600,000 settlement to the Lummi Indian tribe over the net collapse and damage done to the native salmon population, and prompted the state government to end the practice of fish farming nonnative fish. regarding File Photo David Bergvall Washington State Dept. of Natural Resources via AP

B.C. aquaculture fishing for new answers as it faces its murky future in 2023

All eyes are focused on the DFO’s next move as industry looks at new systems

 

Salmon during the Invisible Migration in a tributary in B.C.’s northwest. (Photo: Tavish Campbell)

DFO inadequately rebuilding B.C. salmon stocks: Audit

Less than a 6th of B.C. salmon stocks have been assigned a health status per legislation

 

Mowi Canada West salmon farm. (Mowi photo)

Union of BC Indian Chiefs want more federal action on fish farm closure

Nanaimo-Ladysmith MP criticize federal plan UBCIC calls nothing but ‘another bait and switch’

  • Nov 24, 2022

 

An Atlantic salmon is seen during a Department of Fisheries and Oceans fish health audit at the Okisollo fish farm near Campbell River, B.C. Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018. The executive director of British Columbia’s salmon farmers association says a formalized consultation process for the future of the industry is welcome after several years of “ad hoc” discussions stemming from the Liberal government’s pledge in 2019 to end open-net pen salmon aquaculture off B.C.’s coast.��THE CANADIAN PRESS /Jonathan Hayward

Vancouver Island First Nations worry feds flip-flopping on B.C. fish farms transition

BC Salmon Farmers Association ‘heartened’ after its round of meetings with Fisheries minister

An Atlantic salmon is seen during a Department of Fisheries and Oceans fish health audit at the Okisollo fish farm near Campbell River, B.C. Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018. The executive director of British Columbia’s salmon farmers association says a formalized consultation process for the future of the industry is welcome after several years of “ad hoc” discussions stemming from the Liberal government’s pledge in 2019 to end open-net pen salmon aquaculture off B.C.’s coast.��THE CANADIAN PRESS /Jonathan Hayward
Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Marine Mammal Rescue team completed a humpback whale disentanglement mission on Oct. 14 near Texada Island. The whale on the left was entangled in 300 feet of marine rope and a buoy, used for prawn traps.

VIDEO: DFO team rescues entangled humpback whale in Georgia Strait

Distressed whale entangled in a large yellow buoy, was accompanied by two others

Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Marine Mammal Rescue team completed a humpback whale disentanglement mission on Oct. 14 near Texada Island. The whale on the left was entangled in 300 feet of marine rope and a buoy, used for prawn traps.
A once flowing stream with fish swimming through the Little Campbell River Hatchery is now dried up with no fish to be seen as rain refuses to fall this autumn season. (Sobia Moman photo)

Worry, uncertainty felt at Little Campbell Hatchery as lack of rain holds up fish returns

Little Campbell River Hatchery has not seen a single fish this fall season

A once flowing stream with fish swimming through the Little Campbell River Hatchery is now dried up with no fish to be seen as rain refuses to fall this autumn season. (Sobia Moman photo)
Sockeye salmon carcasses are shown discarded along the shores of the Fraser River in B.C. in this undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Rodney Hsu

Poaching fears as Fraser River salmon are dumped to rot, even as returns slump

DFO says it needs buyers to do their part to stop black-market sales

Sockeye salmon carcasses are shown discarded along the shores of the Fraser River in B.C. in this undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Rodney Hsu
B.C. Wildlife Federation emailed this photo of rotting sockeye salmon to news outlets on Thursday, Sept. 8. (Submitted photo)

Rotting sockeye salmon dumped along Fraser River signals ‘rampant’ illegal sales

B.C. Wildlife Federation says the dumping involves thousands, possibly tens of thousands of fish

B.C. Wildlife Federation emailed this photo of rotting sockeye salmon to news outlets on Thursday, Sept. 8. (Submitted photo)
Spawning sockeye salmon are seen making their way up the Adams River in Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park near Chase, B.C. on Oct. 14, 2014. Optimism over an expected bumper season for wild British Columbia sockeye salmon has turned to distress, after a regulatory body’s estimate of returns to the Fraser River dropped by nearly half this week. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Concern for B.C. sockeye salmon as Fraser River return estimates drop by millions

Pre-season estimate of 9.8 million returning fish down to 5.5 million

Spawning sockeye salmon are seen making their way up the Adams River in Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park near Chase, B.C. on Oct. 14, 2014. Optimism over an expected bumper season for wild British Columbia sockeye salmon has turned to distress, after a regulatory body’s estimate of returns to the Fraser River dropped by nearly half this week. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
Diver was charged $12,000 for getting too close to a pod of killer whales near Prince Rupert on July 22, 2022. An orca swims past a recreational boat sailing just offshore in the Salish Sea in the San Juan Islands. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)

Scuba diver fined $12K for getting too close to killer whales near Prince Rupert Harbour

It is the largest fine on-record for this type of offence

Diver was charged $12,000 for getting too close to a pod of killer whales near Prince Rupert on July 22, 2022. An orca swims past a recreational boat sailing just offshore in the Salish Sea in the San Juan Islands. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)
DFO were aware in November that Trans Mountain work in the Coquihalla River would permanently alter salmon and trout spawning grounds. (Submitted photo)

Trans Mountain construction was green-lit with permit, despite early salmon run near Hope

Advocacy group Protect the Planet discovered and raised the alarm about the dead salmon near Hope

DFO were aware in November that Trans Mountain work in the Coquihalla River would permanently alter salmon and trout spawning grounds. (Submitted photo)
Peter Krahn describes the scope of his selective fishing technology, FishTraps, at Island 22 boat launch in Chilliwack for DFO personnel, elected officials and fishing industry reps. (Jennifer Feinberg/ Chilliwack Progress)

B.C. man developing less harmful way to harvest salmon selectively

Elected officials, DFO, fishing reps met at Chilliwack boat launch to see demo of new technology

Peter Krahn describes the scope of his selective fishing technology, FishTraps, at Island 22 boat launch in Chilliwack for DFO personnel, elected officials and fishing industry reps. (Jennifer Feinberg/ Chilliwack Progress)
An Atlantic salmon is seen during a Department of Fisheries and Oceans fish health audit at the Okisollo fish farm near Campbell River, B.C. Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018. The executive director of British Columbia’s salmon farmers association says a formalized consultation process for the future of the industry is welcome after several years of “ad hoc” discussions stemming from the Liberal government’s pledge in 2019 to end open-net pen salmon aquaculture off B.C.’s coast. THE CANADIAN PRESS /Jonathan Hayward

B.C. salmon farming industry welcomes consultation after years of ‘ad hoc’ talks

Consultation to bring industry, First Nations and governments together to talk about transition

An Atlantic salmon is seen during a Department of Fisheries and Oceans fish health audit at the Okisollo fish farm near Campbell River, B.C. Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018. The executive director of British Columbia’s salmon farmers association says a formalized consultation process for the future of the industry is welcome after several years of “ad hoc” discussions stemming from the Liberal government’s pledge in 2019 to end open-net pen salmon aquaculture off B.C.’s coast. THE CANADIAN PRESS /Jonathan Hayward
Aquatic science biologist Shawn Stenhouse releases an Atlantic salmon back into its tank during a Department of Fisheries and Oceans fish health audit at the Okisollo fish farm near Campbell River, B.C. Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS /Jonathan Hayward

B.C. fish farm licences outside Discovery Islands renewed until at least spring 2023

Atlantic salmon facilities around Discovery Islands not being renewed, final decision in January

Aquatic science biologist Shawn Stenhouse releases an Atlantic salmon back into its tank during a Department of Fisheries and Oceans fish health audit at the Okisollo fish farm near Campbell River, B.C. Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS /Jonathan Hayward
Little Campbell River Hatchery volunteer Roy Thompson said gravel pushed downstream by last November’s flooding jammed the gates of the fish fence, damaging some of them in the process. (Brenda Anderson photo)

Higher ground: Little Campbell River hatchery rebuild planned following November floods

Semiahmoo Fish and Game Club looks to update its facility, move it off flood plain

Little Campbell River Hatchery volunteer Roy Thompson said gravel pushed downstream by last November’s flooding jammed the gates of the fish fence, damaging some of them in the process. (Brenda Anderson photo)
Three vehicles removed from the Chilliwack River on May 1, 2022. (DFO photo)

Helicopter used to remove vehicles from Chilliwack River bed

DFO project in co-operation with Soowahlie First Nation, ICBC and others

Three vehicles removed from the Chilliwack River on May 1, 2022. (DFO photo)
Mowi Canada West salmon farm in B.C. waters. (Photo supplied by Mowi Canada)

Judge quashes Fisheries Minister’s decision to phase out Discovery Islands fish farms

Decision was made in breach of industry’s rights to procedural fairness, Federal Court judge rules

Mowi Canada West salmon farm in B.C. waters. (Photo supplied by Mowi Canada)
Biologist Lori Schlechtleitner holds a crab native to the Surrey shoreline. (Contributed file photo)

‘Urgent need’ for volunteers to trap Boundary Bay invasive crabs

European green crab could decimate eelgrass beds in Blackie Spit and beyond: stewards

Biologist Lori Schlechtleitner holds a crab native to the Surrey shoreline. (Contributed file photo)
A view of some work already done on controversial 84 Avenue connector at southern end of Bear Creek Park. (Submitted photo)

Proposed bridge, culvert work at 84 Avenue in Surrey would destroy fish habitat, DFO finds

Surrey looking at redesigning bridge to minimize impact on environment, to submit another request to DFO ‘in the next week or two’

A view of some work already done on controversial 84 Avenue connector at southern end of Bear Creek Park. (Submitted photo)
Spawning sockeye salmon make their way up the Adams River in Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park near Chase, B.C. Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2014. A coalition of Canadian groups wants Alaska's governor to halt that state's harvest of Canadian-bound salmon, and the groups are also criticizing the international treaty that prevents overfishing of Pacific salmon stocks.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Groups criticize Pacific salmon treaty, urge Alaska to protect B.C.-bound salmon

Report says only 110,000 sockeye were commercially harvested in all of B.C. in 2021

Spawning sockeye salmon make their way up the Adams River in Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park near Chase, B.C. Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2014. A coalition of Canadian groups wants Alaska's governor to halt that state's harvest of Canadian-bound salmon, and the groups are also criticizing the international treaty that prevents overfishing of Pacific salmon stocks.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward