[mobglob-discuss] Pacific National Aquaculture Pleads Guilty to a Dozen Charges

[rick]

...apparently the fines levied are bound by provincial regulations, though i
haven't verified that. The profit motive for illegally growing (and
selling!) 750,000 salmon is pretty strong given that a guilty plea brings a
hundred and fifty dollar fine...



next email contains a call for action on the 15th in Vancouver



peace

rick

-----------------------------------------------

The Friends of Clayoquot Sound

Box 489 Tofino, BC

VOR 2ZO

ph 250-725-4218

e-mail focs at web.net

fx 250-725-2527

www.ancientrainforest.org



For immediate release



January 6, 2003

Pacific National Aquaculture Pleads Guilty to a Dozen Charges (Tofino)


Pacific National Aquaculture (PNA), the major salmon farming company in
Clayoquot Sound, plead guilty today in Tofino Provincial Court to a series
of eleven charges related to fish escapes. They were fined a total of $2500
with a range of $115 to $1000 for the most serious charge. The maximum fine
for a single charge is $2000. Enforcement is only starting to catch up with
the salmon farming industry. This is-but the third company to be charged in
BC despite a history rife with escapes and accidents.

The most serious charge concerned a large escape of approximately 10,000
Atlantic salmon from the PNA Saranic Island site in January 2002. Corporate
negligence was found to be the ultimate cause of the escape, as a PNA vessel
had cut two of the netcage anchor lines weeks earlier to the full knowledge
of management. The anchor system had not been repaired when strong tides
came in January and wrenched at the already broken structure.



"The repercussions of these charges do not reflect the severity of the
crimes", states Leah Walberg, spokesperson for Friends of Clayoquot Sound.
"Pulling their license to operate is the only way PNA will appreciate the
consequences of causing irreparable harm to our precious marine resources."



Other charges included failures to follow their operational policies, such
as not using escape netting during smelt transfers, resulting in fish
escapes. There were also tickets for massive overstocking at several farms.
PNA was fined $115 for stocking one farm with almost one million Atlantic
salmon, when the approved stocking level was 250,000. High stocking
densities increase disease and parasite problems for fish on the farms,
which can then be transferred to wild fish. High stocking densities also
create greater amounts of waste that can exceed the assimilation capacity of
the local waters and smother surrounding aquatic life.



[inserted by rm: Prawn fishers came to me reporting that prawns vanished
near salmon farms.The sea floor beneath salmon farms becomes heaped with
rotting faeces, uneaten food, chemicals, antibiotics and toxic anti-foulant
paint. This massive, rotting mound consumes all available oxygen, creating
an anaerobic environment where nothing can survive, except antibiotic
resistant bacteria. (from Whales don't eat farm salmon why should we? - By
Alexandra Morton http://www.farmedanddangerous.org/article_1.htm)]





"For PNA, these charges are merely the cost of doing business. There are no
incentives for PNA to abide existing regulations as the company benefits
more from breaking regulations than following them", continues Walberg.



Contact info: Leah Walberg (250) 725-4218
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