DFO

Mowi Canada West salmon farm. (Mowi photo)

Union of BC Indian Chiefs want more federal action on fish farm closure

Nanaimo-Ladysmith MP criticize federal plan UBCIC calls nothing but ‘another bait and switch’

  • Nov 24, 2022
Mowi Canada West salmon farm. (Mowi photo)
An Atlantic salmon is seen during a Department of Fisheries and Oceans fish health audit at the Okisollo fish farm near Campbell River, B.C. Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018. The executive director of British Columbia’s salmon farmers association says a formalized consultation process for the future of the industry is welcome after several years of “ad hoc” discussions stemming from the Liberal government’s pledge in 2019 to end open-net pen salmon aquaculture off B.C.’s coast.��THE CANADIAN PRESS /Jonathan Hayward

Vancouver Island First Nations worry feds flip-flopping on B.C. fish farms transition

BC Salmon Farmers Association ‘heartened’ after its round of meetings with Fisheries minister

  • Oct 21, 2022
An Atlantic salmon is seen during a Department of Fisheries and Oceans fish health audit at the Okisollo fish farm near Campbell River, B.C. Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018. The executive director of British Columbia’s salmon farmers association says a formalized consultation process for the future of the industry is welcome after several years of “ad hoc” discussions stemming from the Liberal government’s pledge in 2019 to end open-net pen salmon aquaculture off B.C.’s coast.��THE CANADIAN PRESS /Jonathan Hayward
Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Marine Mammal Rescue team completed a humpback whale disentanglement mission on Oct. 14 near Texada Island. The whale on the left was entangled in 300 feet of marine rope and a buoy, used for prawn traps.

VIDEO: DFO team rescues entangled humpback whale in Georgia Strait

Distressed whale entangled in a large yellow buoy, was accompanied by two others

Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Marine Mammal Rescue team completed a humpback whale disentanglement mission on Oct. 14 near Texada Island. The whale on the left was entangled in 300 feet of marine rope and a buoy, used for prawn traps.
Sockeye salmon carcasses are shown discarded along the shores of the Fraser River in B.C. in this undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Rodney Hsu

Poaching fears as Fraser River salmon are dumped to rot, even as returns slump

DFO says it needs buyers to do their part to stop black-market sales

Sockeye salmon carcasses are shown discarded along the shores of the Fraser River in B.C. in this undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Rodney Hsu
B.C. Wildlife Federation emailed this photo of rotting sockeye salmon to news outlets on Thursday, Sept. 8. (Submitted photo)

Rotting sockeye salmon dumped along Fraser River signals ‘rampant’ illegal sales

B.C. Wildlife Federation says the dumping involves thousands, possibly tens of thousands of fish

B.C. Wildlife Federation emailed this photo of rotting sockeye salmon to news outlets on Thursday, Sept. 8. (Submitted photo)
Spawning sockeye salmon are seen making their way up the Adams River in Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park near Chase, B.C. on Oct. 14, 2014. Optimism over an expected bumper season for wild British Columbia sockeye salmon has turned to distress, after a regulatory body’s estimate of returns to the Fraser River dropped by nearly half this week. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Concern for B.C. sockeye salmon as Fraser River return estimates drop by millions

Pre-season estimate of 9.8 million returning fish down to 5.5 million

Spawning sockeye salmon are seen making their way up the Adams River in Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park near Chase, B.C. on Oct. 14, 2014. Optimism over an expected bumper season for wild British Columbia sockeye salmon has turned to distress, after a regulatory body’s estimate of returns to the Fraser River dropped by nearly half this week. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
Diver was charged $12,000 for getting too close to a pod of killer whales near Prince Rupert on July 22, 2022. An orca swims past a recreational boat sailing just offshore in the Salish Sea in the San Juan Islands. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)

Scuba diver fined $12K for getting too close to killer whales near Prince Rupert Harbour

It is the largest fine on-record for this type of offence

Diver was charged $12,000 for getting too close to a pod of killer whales near Prince Rupert on July 22, 2022. An orca swims past a recreational boat sailing just offshore in the Salish Sea in the San Juan Islands. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)
DFO were aware in November that Trans Mountain work in the Coquihalla River would permanently alter salmon and trout spawning grounds. (Submitted photo)

Trans Mountain construction was green-lit with permit, despite early salmon run near Hope

Advocacy group Protect the Planet discovered and raised the alarm about the dead salmon near Hope

DFO were aware in November that Trans Mountain work in the Coquihalla River would permanently alter salmon and trout spawning grounds. (Submitted photo)
Peter Krahn describes the scope of his selective fishing technology, FishTraps, at Island 22 boat launch in Chilliwack for DFO personnel, elected officials and fishing industry reps. (Jennifer Feinberg/ Chilliwack Progress)

B.C. man developing less harmful way to harvest salmon selectively

Elected officials, DFO, fishing reps met at Chilliwack boat launch to see demo of new technology

Peter Krahn describes the scope of his selective fishing technology, FishTraps, at Island 22 boat launch in Chilliwack for DFO personnel, elected officials and fishing industry reps. (Jennifer Feinberg/ Chilliwack Progress)
An Atlantic salmon is seen during a Department of Fisheries and Oceans fish health audit at the Okisollo fish farm near Campbell River, B.C. Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018. The executive director of British Columbia’s salmon farmers association says a formalized consultation process for the future of the industry is welcome after several years of “ad hoc” discussions stemming from the Liberal government’s pledge in 2019 to end open-net pen salmon aquaculture off B.C.’s coast. THE CANADIAN PRESS /Jonathan Hayward

B.C. salmon farming industry welcomes consultation after years of ‘ad hoc’ talks

Consultation to bring industry, First Nations and governments together to talk about transition

An Atlantic salmon is seen during a Department of Fisheries and Oceans fish health audit at the Okisollo fish farm near Campbell River, B.C. Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018. The executive director of British Columbia’s salmon farmers association says a formalized consultation process for the future of the industry is welcome after several years of “ad hoc” discussions stemming from the Liberal government’s pledge in 2019 to end open-net pen salmon aquaculture off B.C.’s coast. THE CANADIAN PRESS /Jonathan Hayward
Aquatic science biologist Shawn Stenhouse releases an Atlantic salmon back into its tank during a Department of Fisheries and Oceans fish health audit at the Okisollo fish farm near Campbell River, B.C. Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS /Jonathan Hayward

B.C. fish farm licences outside Discovery Islands renewed until at least spring 2023

Atlantic salmon facilities around Discovery Islands not being renewed, final decision in January

Aquatic science biologist Shawn Stenhouse releases an Atlantic salmon back into its tank during a Department of Fisheries and Oceans fish health audit at the Okisollo fish farm near Campbell River, B.C. Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS /Jonathan Hayward
Three vehicles removed from the Chilliwack River on May 1, 2022. (DFO photo)

Helicopter used to remove vehicles from Chilliwack River bed

DFO project in co-operation with Soowahlie First Nation, ICBC and others

Three vehicles removed from the Chilliwack River on May 1, 2022. (DFO photo)
Mowi Canada West salmon farm in B.C. waters. (Photo supplied by Mowi Canada)

Judge quashes Fisheries Minister’s decision to phase out Discovery Islands fish farms

Decision was made in breach of industry’s rights to procedural fairness, Federal Court judge rules

Mowi Canada West salmon farm in B.C. waters. (Photo supplied by Mowi Canada)
Spawning sockeye salmon make their way up the Adams River in Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park near Chase, B.C. Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2014. A coalition of Canadian groups wants Alaska's governor to halt that state's harvest of Canadian-bound salmon, and the groups are also criticizing the international treaty that prevents overfishing of Pacific salmon stocks.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Groups criticize Pacific salmon treaty, urge Alaska to protect B.C.-bound salmon

Report says only 110,000 sockeye were commercially harvested in all of B.C. in 2021

Spawning sockeye salmon make their way up the Adams River in Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park near Chase, B.C. Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2014. A coalition of Canadian groups wants Alaska's governor to halt that state's harvest of Canadian-bound salmon, and the groups are also criticizing the international treaty that prevents overfishing of Pacific salmon stocks.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
A dead chinook salmon is seen on the beach next to the Harrison River in Harrison Mills, B.C. Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Pacific Salmon Treaty fails to conserve B.C. fish, say advocates

Advocates say the public needs to apply pressure on both sides of the border

  • Mar 9, 2022
A dead chinook salmon is seen on the beach next to the Harrison River in Harrison Mills, B.C. Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
A king salmon is laid out for inspection by Alaska Department of Fish and Game at the Mike Pusich Douglas Harbor officials during the Golden North Salmon Derby on Aug. 25, 2019. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)

New report suggests Alaskan fisheries are overharvesting plummeting B.C. salmon stocks

Alaska criticized report, calling it was an “unfair and biased attack on Alaska salmon fisheries

  • Jan 24, 2022
A king salmon is laid out for inspection by Alaska Department of Fish and Game at the Mike Pusich Douglas Harbor officials during the Golden North Salmon Derby on Aug. 25, 2019. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)
Spawning sockeye salmon are seen making their way up the Adams River in Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park near Chase, B.C., Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Logging in watersheds among stressors for declining Pacific salmon, experts say

Clear-cuts have disrupted the landscape’s natural mechanisms for mitigating floods and landslides

Spawning sockeye salmon are seen making their way up the Adams River in Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park near Chase, B.C., Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
This humpback whale known as ‘Pinky’ can now head off to Hawaii after being rescued from entanglement near Ucluelet on Friday. (Photo - Karyssa Arnett, Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society)

B.C. boaters help rescue entangled humpback near Ucluelet

‘Pinky’ freed in time to head to Hawaiian breeding grounds

This humpback whale known as ‘Pinky’ can now head off to Hawaii after being rescued from entanglement near Ucluelet on Friday. (Photo - Karyssa Arnett, Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society)