December 24, 2019

21,000 farmed salmon escape in Mowi Canada aquaculture facility fire

The fire at Mowi's Robertson Island facility near Port Hardy at Queen Charlotte Strait damaged the net pen, causing an estimated 21,000 farmed salmon to escape into the wild, reported The Canadian Press.

A statement from Mowi said the company has sent divers to investigate the damage caused by the fire and has notified federal regulators and area First Nations about the incident and farmed salmon escape.

The damaged net pen will be brought to land, with an investigation conducted to find out the cause of the fire. The fire was likely to have occurred on the night of December 20, 2019.

Environmental and indigenous groups said the farmed Atlantic salmon are not native to Pacific waters, and are concerned that the escape will cause environmental and ecological risks to wild salmon stocks native to the area.

Canada's federal Liberal government had pledged to convert British Columbia's open net pen salmon aquaculture facilities to closed containment systems by 2025 in the party's fall election campaign.

-      The Canadian Press