The Strathcona Regional District Board (SRD) expressed its frustrations with the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) consultation process at the Aug 17 SRD Board meeting.
Although they were among the parties invited to a series of meetings about the transition of open net pen fish farms out of the ocean, there have been last minute scheduling changes.
Mayor Andy Adams of Campbell River said, “It’s extremely disappointing that the dates for these important discussions are constantly changing at the last minute with no consultation. I can’t help but think that this is to limit the engagement for these sessions, which are extremely important.”
SRD Chair Brad Unger, the Mayor of Gold River, responded, “I agree, 100%.”
Mayor Mark Baker of Sayward added, “I found this process to be, almost as director Adams has pointed out, deliberate. The dates in the emails that were sent – especially to us North Island Mayors – the dates have been off and on and changed and a bit confusing. There were a couple of North Island Mayors waiting for the meeting today because of the confusion.”
Regional Director Jim Abram, of the Discovery Islands and Mainland Inlets, disagreed, “I think you’re giving DFO too much credit in saying that they have purposefully changed these dates. I’m not defending them, I would say it’s ineptness, rather than intentional, and I’ve witnessed it over and over and over again. All of the leads are set up, everybody gets all lined up, and then nothing happens. We get a notice, ‘Oh, by the way, we changed it to another date.’ Then we get another notice and blah, blah, blah.”
Aquaculture is one of the principal industries within the SRD. While there are no fish farms in Campbell River, Cermaq Canada, Mowi Canada West and Grieg Seafood all have local headquarters in the city. A number of support industries are also in Campbell River. There are fish hatcheries in Gold River and Sayward. Fish farm sites are in the Okisollo Channel, which runs between Quadra and Sonora Islands, on Raza Island, off the northern tip of Cortes, and in numerous other locations throughout the Discovery Islands.
Campbell River Director Charlie Cornfield said, “This has a huge economic impact to our entire regional district and to the entire North Island. I appreciate the work that the chair has done in the past in conjunction with the other Mayors from the North Island. I think we need to be there in person, included with staff, as well to make sure that we hear the presentations. We can question it, we can then respond back. I think what we’ve got is a pseudo attempted engaging, and I know Director Abram and myself, at various marine planning processes on the coast, have been pushing and including at the ocean’s protection plan. We made it quite clear that there had been no consultation with local governments and it is unacceptable. We need to continue making and carrying that message forward.”
Director Abram registered for the August 19 meeting.
“This is going to be mostly information out. The minister will be there. I’ve been told along with all of these other dignitaries and then there will be some discussion,” he said.
In addition to the advertised sessions, there will also be opportunities to post whatever and however much they desire online.
Abram said there will be four more opportunities for the SRD to make its views known.
The SRD Board passed a motion to ‘formally participate in the transitional planning process from open net pen salmon farming in British Columbia.’
Top photo credit: The SRD Boardroom – Courtesy SRD website
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