Tag Archives: Discovery Island fish farms

Rivers & Oceans

Pink Salmon Run Looks Good for 2022  

Large numbers of pink salmon are returning to our area this summer. 

“I am seeing these pink salmon return – their numbers appear huge, they are leaping everywhere, finning along the surface for hundreds of kilometers,” emailed independant biologist Alexandra Morton.

Lara Sloan, a communications advisor with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), wrote they are expecting a strong return to the Campbell River, based on the strong outmigration from the 2020 brood, cooler ocean temperatures and better food. 

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Rivers & Oceans

Two year renewal of fish farm licenses

Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced a two-year renewal of licences for marine finfish aquaculture facilities outside of the Discovery Islands. 

“I have mixed opinions about the announcement. I think there’s some good things and there are some not so good things,” said Stan Proboszcz, senior scientist with the Watershed Watch Salmon Society. “They received a license for two years based on these conditions and those conditions are rules that the salmon farms need to follow. Part of the problem is, we actually don’t have a copy of those rules yet.”

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Politics

What to discuss with the Premier and Minister of Municipal Affairs

The Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) will be holding its 2022 convention in Whistler on September 12 -16. Local governments traditionally seek interviews with high level provincial officials. The interviews can be up to 15 minutes long and cover up to 3 topics. The SRD chose their topics at the Wednesday June 15 Board meeting.

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Rivers & Oceans

Waiting for DFO to decide the fate of open-net pen fish farms

Sometime in the next three weeks, Canada’s Minister of Fisheries, Joyce Murray, will decide whether the licenses for 79 fish farms will be renewed. 

“I heard a rumour that the minister laid out her options or her ideas to cabinet and cabinet has the plans right now. They’re  figuring out what to do. We can expect an announcement quite shortly on the plan around the transition of farms out of British Columbia and also the licensing decision,” said Stan Proboszcz, senior scientist with the Watershed Watch Salmon Society.

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Rivers & Oceans

Powell River’s Big 3 fish debates

qathet Living, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Sitting outside Powell River Outdoors, owner Sam Sansalone fiddles with a fish hook on the picnic table.

“Look out on the water, and tell me how many boats you see,” Sam says. 

On a bright sunny day with calm water, there was a single sailboat that could be seen on the Salish Sea. 

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