National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The federal fisheries minister has denied an international aquaculture company the right to stock contentious fish farms in the Discovery Islands for a second time.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has rejected two recent applications by Cermaq Canada to transfer 1.5 million fish to the company’s Venture Point and Brent Island sites following a decision by Ottawa last year to phase out salmon farms in the region by July 2022.

Minister Bernadette Jordan also denied Cermaq’s request to extend its current licences to operate the sites to February 2023 — beyond the deadline set by DFO last December.