Agriculture Minister Lana Popham says her letter to a B.C. salmon farm company last week was not a threat to cancel salmon farm tenures in a disputed area north of Vancouver Island.
Marine Harvest Canada went ahead with restocking its Port Elizabeth farm near Alert Bay on the weekend despite the formal request to stop, and an RCMP boat attended the area to maintain order with protesters who have occupied area salmon farms since late August.
Popham’s Oct. 13 letter to Marine Harvest Canada managing director Vincent Erenst said the restocking “comes at a very sensitive time in government-to-government discussions” with aboriginal people who assert territory in the Broughton Archipelago and oppose ocean-based salmon farms. The province has 18 salmon farm tenures that are coming up for renewal next year.
Tom Fletcher – North Island Gazette – October 18, 2017.
Want More Investigative Content?
