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PRESS RELEASE 18 FEBRUARY 2002
UNAUTHORIZED FISH FARM HOSTS VIRAL EPIDEMIC The controversial fish farm at Arthur Island (near Bella Bella) continues to destroy Atlantic salmon plagued with Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis (IHN). The fish farm, under provincial licence to Kitasoo Aquaculture Ltd. and jointly operated with Marine Harvest Canada, has destroyed 98,000 fish to date and continues to cull the dead and dying in attempts to arrest this viral epidemic.The IHN virus can produce high mortalities in juvenile fish, with survivors of an epidemic becoming carriers of the disease. These carrier fish are able to infect healthy fish which come in contact with them or utilize the same water supply, according to fisheries scientists. The farm has been operating without the federal authorization required under the Navigable Waters Protection Act and Section 35 of the Fisheries Act, for more than 5 months, based solely on an agreement between Marine Harvest, the Kitasoo First Nation and the provincial government. The farm was rapidly established despite concerns, by Environment Canada and DFO, of "a strong likelihood for the project relocation to have a detrimental impact on the environment". "This problem farm, that was relocated from the south coast due to environmental impacts at the previous site, has brought its problems north into Heiltsuk territory", stated Heiltsuk Chief - Carmen Humchitt. Marine Harvests' spokesperson, Linda Sams, maintains that there is no risk to the environment from this highly contagious viral pathogen that affects salmon, trout and herring. The Heiltsuk First Nation is calling upon the Federal Government to uphold its fiduciary responsibility to protect aboriginal rights and title to the wild marine resources at Arthur Island. The Heiltsuk also demand that all of the Atlantic salmon at the Arthur Island farm be immediately destroyed to prevent transmission of this pathogen to resident and transient wild species. To find out more about this problem farm or to lend support, please contact the Heiltsuk Fisheries Program at 250-957-2303. BOX 880, WAGLISLA, BRRFISH COLUMBIA VOT IZO TEL. (250) 957-2381 FAX (250) 957 -2544
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