New farm site criticized

By Grant Warkentin - Campbell River Mirror

Salmon farming critics are unhappy with the Strathcona Regional District’s decision last week to support one new farm near Sayward.

The board has not yet made its final decision, but indicated last week it would be willing to support Grieg Seafood’s application to farm in the Sunderland Channel.

However, the board’s approval came with conditions – that Grieg agree to convert the site to closed-containment as soon as the technology becomes “commercially available,” and that Grieg only build one farm in the channel, at Gunner Point. Grieg had originally applied to build two farms, one at Gunner Point and one at Yorke Island.

Wild salmon researcher and aquaculture critic Alexandra Morton was disappointed.

“Sensing some public opposition to this decision, the board did consider the risks and asked Grieg to compromise. But the concessions Grieg responded with are worthless tradebeads of deception as they are either impossible or irrelevant,” she said in an article published at www.pacificfreepress.com

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