Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Deep water temperatures in fjords along BC’s the Central coast have increased 1.2–1.3°C over 70 years, a recent report shows.

“These are big changes for the ocean. They are changes that can shift shift ecosystems and impact species. Oolichan, for example, don’t like being in waters that are warmer than 8°C and in some of the inlets we don’t see waters that are colder than 8°C anymore,” said Jennifer Jackson of the Hakai Institute, lead author of a study of Rivers, Knight and Bute Inlets, as well as the Douglas Channel.

She added right now the big three climate change variables that scientists are watching are warming, the loss of oxygen and acidification. They are all interlinked. Warmer waters do not hold as much oxygen, which leads to more acidification.

“The loss of oxygen trend that we are seeing in the coastal waters is really large, it is about 20% in deep water over the past 70 years. It will often put these deep waters into a realm where there is not enough oxygen for most animals to survive. It can shrink their habitat,” explained Jackson. “In the 1950s, 60’s and 70’s there was always enough oxygen throughout Bute Inlet, or Knight Inlet or Rivers Inlet, but during the last ten years there are sometimes months at a time when there isn’t enough oxygen below, say 300 metres.”

Sea Stars, zooplankton, most fish species, prawns and crabs are among the species affected by this change.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - he new daily average of COVID 19 cases per 100,000 people has dropped to zero throughout most of Vancouver Island, according to the latest data from the BC Centre for Disease Control.

The exceptions are Greater Nanaimo, where the number has dropped to 2, Greater Victoria, where the rate is now 1, and the Southern Gulf Islands, where the rate is also 1 per 100,000 people.

The average daily rate of new cases per 100,000 people in Greater Campbell River, the Comox Valley and the rest of North Vancouver Island is zero.

This data is for the week of May 25th to 31st.

Another data set, also from the BC Centre of Disease Control, shows one case in the Greater Campbell River Area and 7 in the Comox Valley during the week of May 23 to 29th.

The most up to date data, released by Island Health at 4 PM on Wednesday, June 2nd states there are still 5 active cases in North Vancouver Island.

There are a total of 52 active cases on Vancouver Island, 90% of which are in South or Central Vancouver Island.

According to yesterday’s joint statement, from Dr. Bonnie Henry and Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, there were two new cases on Vancouver Island.

A reporter asked whether it is time for BC to adopt a regional, rather than province wide, approach to COVID.

“I believe one of the things that has allowed us to manage this pandemic in the way we have, and to keep our overall numbers low, is a co-ordinated provincial approach. We have seen the numbers decrease as the testing capacity increases, as the public health teams are doing their work, as our businesses are opening and changing around the province in sync,” replied Dr Henry.

“I don’t feel that there is a differential risk rate right now. We are having low levels of transmission in parts of the province. We’ve had a couple of new cases in the North, a couple of new cases in the Interior, but where the population is, is where we are seeing most of it. This approach has really served us well and I think we should have a continued approach unless there is good evidence not to.”

She also reported that 3,365,286 doses of vaccine have been administered in BC and more than 71% of the population has received its first dose.

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents -The aquaculture sector’s response, to Alexandra Morton's report that there were low sea lice counts in the Discovery Islands arrived yesterday.

A spokesperson for Cermaq Canada emailed, “We have once again this year hired an independent environmental monitoring organization to conduct wild fish sampling in the Broughton Archipelago, the Discovery Islands and the Clayoquot Sound region. We will not have the results of this work for several weeks, so at this point, and with no access to current data, we do not have any data with which to compare the results of the 2020 wild juvenile salmonid monitoring results. Once we have those results, we will be sharing them on our website at https://www.cermaq.ca/public-trust/public-reporting. As you will see, we have been completing this work annually since 2015.”

A spokesperson for the BC Salmon Farmer’s Association responded to Alexandra Morton’s statement the sea lice numbers in the Broughton Archipelago were lower in 2020 (now that some of the farms have been removed). She claimed that “last year, some of the highest levels of sea lice were found in the Broughton area where salmon farms have been removed.”

She sent me a link to the 2020 sea lice report from the Broughton Archipelago, where its says that sea lice were on 22.8% of the salmon tested. A chart for the years 2016 to 2020, shows that 2020 had the lowest numbers for the prevalence and abundance of the sea lice Lepeophtheirus salmonis in Chum Salmon, but it was a middling year for Pinks. This is the sea lice Morton says everyone is watching.

2020 had the second highest number for the prevalence of the sea lice Caligus clemensi on both Pinks and Chum, and the second lowest for abundance.

These are industry statistics; Morton’s sea lice numbers are much higher.

In a previous interview, Dr Andrew Bateman explained why the Pacific Salmon Foundation believes open net fish farms should be removed from the Discovery Islands.

However Bateman also said that if the open net pens were not on migration routes it was a different topic, and he did not know enough about Cermaq’s semi-closed containment system to comment. 

Carmaq’s spokesperson replied, “We agree that the health and welfare of wild salmon populations is the priority. We are trialing the semi-closed containment system in the territory of the Ahousaht Nation in Clayoquot Sound, and one of the benefits experienced in Norway, and we are seeing similar results here in Canada, is the elimination of lateral transmission of sea lice between wild and farmed populations. We will be releasing further trial updates in the coming weeks.”

“As a company, we will continue to look for new innovation and technology which will improve the sustainability of salmon farming, reduce the impacts of our farming operations and create shared value and opportunity for local communities and organizations. The United Nations has shared that in order to sustainability meet the growing demand for protein, we will need to farm our oceans. Farmed salmon has one of the lowest carbon footprint of any farmed proteins, and is a healthy and sustainable choice. Cermaq Canada believes that farmed salmon has a role to play in supporting wild populations through knowledge sharing, capacity building and resource lending with local enhancement and restoration organizations, and support for ocean clean up and habitat restoration and enhancement.”

Photo of salmon steak courtesy BC Salmons Farmer's Association

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents -The aquaculture sector’s response, to Alexandra Morton's report that there were low sea lice counts in the Discovery Islands arrived yesterday.

A spokesperson for Cermaq Canada emailed, “We have once again this year hired an independent environmental monitoring organization to conduct wild fish sampling in the Broughton Archipelago, the Discovery Islands and the Clayoquot Sound region. We will not have the results of this work for several weeks, so at this point, and with no access to current data, we do not have any data with which to compare the results of the 2020 wild juvenile salmonid monitoring results. Once we have those results, we will be sharing them on our website at https://www.cermaq.ca/public-trust/public-reporting. As you will see, we have been completing this work annually since 2015.”

A spokesperson for the BC Salmon Farmer’s Association responded to Alexandra Morton’s statement the sea lice numbers in the Broughton Archipelago were lower in 2020 (now that some of the farms have been removed). She claimed that “last year, some of the highest levels of sea lice were found in the Broughton area where salmon farms have been removed.”

She sent me a link to the 2020 sea lice report from the Broughton Archipelago, where its says that sea lice were on 22.8% of the salmon tested. A chart for the years 2016 to 2020, shows that 2020 had the lowest numbers for the prevalence and abundance of the sea lice Lepeophtheirus salmonis in Chum Salmon, but it was a middling year for Pinks. This is the sea lice Morton says everyone is watching.

2020 had the second highest number for the prevalence of the sea lice Caligus clemensi on both Pinks and Chum, and the second lowest for abundance.

These are industry statistics; Morton’s sea lice numbers are much higher.

In a previous interview, Dr Andrew Bateman explained why the Pacific Salmon Foundation believes open net fish farms should be removed from the Discovery Islands.

However Bateman also said that if the open net pens were not on migration routes it was a different topic, and he did not know enough about Cermaq’s semi-closed containment system to comment. 

Carmaq’s spokesperson replied, “We agree that the health and welfare of wild salmon populations is the priority. We are trialing the semi-closed containment system in the territory of the Ahousaht Nation in Clayoquot Sound, and one of the benefits experienced in Norway, and we are seeing similar results here in Canada, is the elimination of lateral transmission of sea lice between wild and farmed populations. We will be releasing further trial updates in the coming weeks.”

“As a company, we will continue to look for new innovation and technology which will improve the sustainability of salmon farming, reduce the impacts of our farming operations and create shared value and opportunity for local communities and organizations. The United Nations has shared that in order to sustainability meet the growing demand for protein, we will need to farm our oceans. Farmed salmon has one of the lowest carbon footprint of any farmed proteins, and is a healthy and sustainable choice. Cermaq Canada believes that farmed salmon has a role to play in supporting wild populations through knowledge sharing, capacity building and resource lending with local enhancement and restoration organizations, and support for ocean clean up and habitat restoration and enhancement.”

Photo of salmon steak courtesy BC Salmons Farmer's Association

Roy L Hales / Cortes Currents -The wireless vs fibre optic debate is about to heat up on Cortes and Quadra Islands.

TELUS intends to erect cell phone towers on both islands during 2022, and the Connected Coast project will wrap up this fall.

>>> Last Mile Schedule

Cortes Island Regional Director Noba Anderson outlined the last mile schedule for cable:

“In the next week or two you’ll be receiving communications from the Strathcona Regional District about the roll out of this last mile fibre optic connectivity to your home. The intention is that mid June through July, they will be doing ‘house-drops.’ Bringing it from your pole, or the end of your driveway, literally to your house, like your hydro or telephone.”

“It will be optional, but free. You don’t have to connect up to it. If you want the house ‘house-drop’ now, you can connect up to it next year, or in ten years, or never.”

“Over the course of the later summer/fall, we’ll be running the wires down the public road system.”

Anderson added, “I would like to get all of that infrastructure in and all the funds received from senior government before we have cell phone towers, just so there isn’t any concern about us being considered ‘served’ for internet connectivity and for whatever reason some of the funding revoked.”

>>> The wireless vs fibre optic debate

She expects the wireless vs fibre optic debate on Cortes to be “a really hot one that I don’t look forward to being in the middle of.”

“Some people think cell phone connectivity is just basic safety. Lives are lost because of it (not being in place), businesses require it and it is paramount to civilization. Others believe that the 5G that will come with these towers is cancer causing. It is everywhere in the world and lets have a pocket of sanity where that doesn’t exist.”

“I know that beliefs are held very strongly on both sides of that continuum and so I want a very significant and meaningful consultation where TELUS shares with us what they are intending on those towers, and where people have an opportunity to be heard and hear each other. If, indeed the community wants cell phone towers, I will support it and the Regional District will support it.”

Roy L Hales / Cortes Currents -The wireless vs fibre optic debate is about to heat up on Cortes and Quadra Islands.

TELUS intends to erect cell phone towers on both islands during 2022, and the Connected Coast project will wrap up this fall.

>>> Last Mile Schedule

Cortes Island Regional Director Noba Anderson outlined the last mile schedule for cable:

“In the next week or two you’ll be receiving communications from the Strathcona Regional District about the roll out of this last mile fibre optic connectivity to your home. The intention is that mid June through July, they will be doing ‘house-drops.’ Bringing it from your pole, or the end of your driveway, literally to your house, like your hydro or telephone.”

“It will be optional, but free. You don’t have to connect up to it. If you want the house ‘house-drop’ now, you can connect up to it next year, or in ten years, or never.”

“Over the course of the later summer/fall, we’ll be running the wires down the public road system.”

Anderson added, “I would like to get all of that infrastructure in and all the funds received from senior government before we have cell phone towers, just so there isn’t any concern about us being considered ‘served’ for internet connectivity and for whatever reason some of the funding revoked.”

>>> The wireless vs fibre optic debate

She expects the wireless vs fibre optic debate on Cortes to be “a really hot one that I don’t look forward to being in the middle of.”

“Some people think cell phone connectivity is just basic safety. Lives are lost because of it (not being in place), businesses require it and it is paramount to civilization. Others believe that the 5G that will come with these towers is cancer causing. It is everywhere in the world and lets have a pocket of sanity where that doesn’t exist.”

“I know that beliefs are held very strongly on both sides of that continuum and so I want a very significant and meaningful consultation where TELUS shares with us what they are intending on those towers, and where people have an opportunity to be heard and hear each other. If, indeed the community wants cell phone towers, I will support it and the Regional District will support it.”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Now that most of the fish farms have closed down, sea lice numbers in the Discovery Islands have plummeted 95%.

“Most of the salmon farms are empty; All of the one south of Chatham Point are. Sea lice levels have plummeted over 95%. The Pink and Chum Salmon look gorgeous. This is due to the MInister’s decision and the seven First Nations who prohibited her from restocking the salmon farm,“ said independent biologist Alexandra Morton, who returned home to Sointula Friday afternoon.

Cortes Currents first learned of that there was no longer a sea lice problem on Wednesday, May 26th, when Angela Koch of Sierra Quadra gave the Strathcona Regional District Board a report from the Okisollo channel, which separates Quadra from Sonora and Maurelle Islands.

“On Sunday I talked to a couple of people who monitor, they test the smolts for sea lice every year. They said they’ve seen a 95% reduction in sea lice. So last year each smolt that they caught had an average of 9 sea lice on them. This year, there was a total of 9 sea lice on 50 fish,” she said.

These findings follow on last years report that the number of sea lice in the Broughton Archipelago, where fish farms are closing down, was significantly lower than areas where fish farms are still active.

“Those are my numbers,” said Morton.

Since April 1st, Morton says she has examined over 1,000 fish in the Discovery Islands and another 400 to 500 in Nootka Sound and Esperanza on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, “where the story is very different.”

“Last year, 50% of the farms went over the 3 adult lice limit. This was a limit that was set in 2003, by the Provincial Government, to protect wild salmon. The sea lice outbreak was horrendous. The sockeye had an average of 9 lice per fish, which we know from the DFO’s own research would have had profound impact on them,” she said.

Morton cited a 2018 study by Dr Simon Jones and two other scientists from the Pacific Biological station in Nanaimo, “which found that when young sockeye get infected with sea lice, basically they couldn’t keep the salt out of their bodies. They had a huge glucose spike, which is a serious stress response.”

One of the areas that Morton visited was the Okisollo channel which separates Quadra from Sonora and Maurelle Islands.

“One of the things that I realized now, with the farms all out of the Okisollo Channel, which is a very short body of water with a narrow ending at both ends, is that all three Norwegian companies were operating in that little body of water. There were four farms.This is the highest density of salmon farms anywhere on this coast and it is the only place where all three companies decided to operate side by side. You could not have picked a worse place because millions of salmon from the Fraser River funnel through those waters,” said Morton.

“I’ve been doing this work on and off since 2005, with the incredible assistance of Jody Erickson and Farlyn Campbell from Sonora island. Those two are incredible fishermen. They have these nets that we use to collect the fish. Sometimes we look at them alive’ sometimes we have to freeze them. In any case, I have looked at a lot of fish since 2005: a thousand this year, hundred last year. The difference is so obvious, there is no mistaking it.”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Now that most of the fish farms have closed down, sea lice numbers in the Discovery Islands have plummeted 95%.

“Most of the salmon farms are empty; All of the one south of Chatham Point are. Sea lice levels have plummeted over 95%. The Pink and Chum Salmon look gorgeous. This is due to the MInister’s decision and the seven First Nations who prohibited her from restocking the salmon farm,“ said independent biologist Alexandra Morton, who returned home to Sointula Friday afternoon.

Cortes Currents first learned of that there was no longer a sea lice problem on Wednesday, May 26th, when Angela Koch of Sierra Quadra gave the Strathcona Regional District Board a report from the Okisollo channel, which separates Quadra from Sonora and Maurelle Islands.

“On Sunday I talked to a couple of people who monitor, they test the smolts for sea lice every year. They said they’ve seen a 95% reduction in sea lice. So last year each smolt that they caught had an average of 9 sea lice on them. This year, there was a total of 9 sea lice on 50 fish,” she said.

These findings follow on last years report that the number of sea lice in the Broughton Archipelago, where fish farms are closing down, was significantly lower than areas where fish farms are still active.

“Those are my numbers,” said Morton.

Since April 1st, Morton says she has examined over 1,000 fish in the Discovery Islands and another 400 to 500 in Nootka Sound and Esperanza on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, “where the story is very different.”

“Last year, 50% of the farms went over the 3 adult lice limit. This was a limit that was set in 2003, by the Provincial Government, to protect wild salmon. The sea lice outbreak was horrendous. The sockeye had an average of 9 lice per fish, which we know from the DFO’s own research would have had profound impact on them,” she said.

Morton cited a 2018 study by Dr Simon Jones and two other scientists from the Pacific Biological station in Nanaimo, “which found that when young sockeye get infected with sea lice, basically they couldn’t keep the salt out of their bodies. They had a huge glucose spike, which is a serious stress response.”

One of the areas that Morton visited was the Okisollo channel which separates Quadra from Sonora and Maurelle Islands.

“One of the things that I realized now, with the farms all out of the Okisollo Channel, which is a very short body of water with a narrow ending at both ends, is that all three Norwegian companies were operating in that little body of water. There were four farms.This is the highest density of salmon farms anywhere on this coast and it is the only place where all three companies decided to operate side by side. You could not have picked a worse place because millions of salmon from the Fraser River funnel through those waters,” said Morton.

“I’ve been doing this work on and off since 2005, with the incredible assistance of Jody Erickson and Farlyn Campbell from Sonora island. Those two are incredible fishermen. They have these nets that we use to collect the fish. Sometimes we look at them alive’ sometimes we have to freeze them. In any case, I have looked at a lot of fish since 2005: a thousand this year, hundred last year. The difference is so obvious, there is no mistaking it.”

Roy L Hales / Cortes Currents - The Strathcona Regional District Board decided to not support the DFO decision to remove open net pen aquaculture from the Discovery Islands.

This was virtually a foregone conclusion, even before Cortes Island Regional Director Noba Anderson put forward a motion of support at the May 26th Board meeting. Five of the SRD’s 14 Directors come from Campbell River, where fish farms are one of the city’s key first dollar industries. Campbell River Mayor Andy Adams and Director Charlie Cornfield have already spoken in support of this sector. The industry also has hatcheries in Sayward and Gold River, whose mayors have spoken on its behalf.

“I will not be supporting the motion. We have not been consulted, not been involved and not been engaged in this process what-so-ever. We have repeatedly said we want to be engaged by them and they failed to do it,” said Cornfield.

“This decision was not based on science. The Minister (of Fisheries) said so in her letter. It was not based on science, it was not based on expert recommendation but was to obtain social license and that was from the honourable Jordan - and I use the term honourable very lightly.”

Regional Director Brenda Leigh added, “How can you take a hard position on supporting the closure of these fish farms, when you are still asking to be consulted?”

Cornfield stressed the fact that the people employed on fish farms are the SRD’s constituents.

“They are all of our people. It’s their families and their children.It is their people who use our schools that give us the quality of education we want. They give us all our recreation facilities. They are the taxpayers who pay for all of this, pay for our salaries and they are the ones being put at risk. I do not care if you live in an electoral area, or inside a municipality, those constituents are there. It is our duty to stand up and make sure their interests are represented,” he said.

Campbell River Director Ron Kerr said he supported the men and women working in the aquaculture industry and their families.

Ironically, the two directors with fish farms in their areas, Regional Director Jim Abram of Discovery Island - Mainland Inlets and Mayor Martin Davis of Tahsis, - both spoke in favour of the motion to support the DFO.

Abram pointed out that the aquaculture sector came into being in his area, adding that if the SRD wants to be part of the discussion they should vote in favour of the motion to support the DFO’s decision.

Mayor Martin Davis of Tahsis said he wished this motion was to phase out fish farms throughout the SRD.

“In my community we depend of sports fishing. We’ve seen severe declines since fish farms have come into this area. The sea lice outbreaks and algal outbreaks are well documented” he began.

“Because we depend on sport fishing, we are losing work here because of the actions of fish farms on our side of the waters. So it is a bit disingenuous to say we are losing jobs everywhere. Your actions here are actually harming us.”

Cortes Islands Director Anderson acknowledged the fact that that fish farms are an important part of the economy, especially in Campbell River.

“What I am seeing is that this decision has been made and I do not expect it will be reconsidered. I would like us to be in a position of cooperation with the Federal Government, to assist in any possible way we can with this transition - in support of the industry, in support of our economy, in support of (wild) fish, tourism - the whole sector,” she said.

Roy L Hales / Cortes Currents - The Strathcona Regional District Board decided to not support the DFO decision to remove open net pen aquaculture from the Discovery Islands.

This was virtually a foregone conclusion, even before Cortes Island Regional Director Noba Anderson put forward a motion of support at the May 26th Board meeting. Five of the SRD’s 14 Directors come from Campbell River, where fish farms are one of the city’s key first dollar industries. Campbell River Mayor Andy Adams and Director Charlie Cornfield have already spoken in support of this sector. The industry also has hatcheries in Sayward and Gold River, whose mayors have spoken on its behalf.

“I will not be supporting the motion. We have not been consulted, not been involved and not been engaged in this process what-so-ever. We have repeatedly said we want to be engaged by them and they failed to do it,” said Cornfield.

“This decision was not based on science. The Minister (of Fisheries) said so in her letter. It was not based on science, it was not based on expert recommendation but was to obtain social license and that was from the honourable Jordan - and I use the term honourable very lightly.”

Regional Director Brenda Leigh added, “How can you take a hard position on supporting the closure of these fish farms, when you are still asking to be consulted?”

Cornfield stressed the fact that the people employed on fish farms are the SRD’s constituents.

“They are all of our people. It’s their families and their children.It is their people who use our schools that give us the quality of education we want. They give us all our recreation facilities. They are the taxpayers who pay for all of this, pay for our salaries and they are the ones being put at risk. I do not care if you live in an electoral area, or inside a municipality, those constituents are there. It is our duty to stand up and make sure their interests are represented,” he said.

Campbell River Director Ron Kerr said he supported the men and women working in the aquaculture industry and their families.

Ironically, the two directors with fish farms in their areas, Regional Director Jim Abram of Discovery Island - Mainland Inlets and Mayor Martin Davis of Tahsis, - both spoke in favour of the motion to support the DFO.

Abram pointed out that the aquaculture sector came into being in his area, adding that if the SRD wants to be part of the discussion they should vote in favour of the motion to support the DFO’s decision.

Mayor Martin Davis of Tahsis said he wished this motion was to phase out fish farms throughout the SRD.

“In my community we depend of sports fishing. We’ve seen severe declines since fish farms have come into this area. The sea lice outbreaks and algal outbreaks are well documented” he began.

“Because we depend on sport fishing, we are losing work here because of the actions of fish farms on our side of the waters. So it is a bit disingenuous to say we are losing jobs everywhere. Your actions here are actually harming us.”

Cortes Islands Director Anderson acknowledged the fact that that fish farms are an important part of the economy, especially in Campbell River.

“What I am seeing is that this decision has been made and I do not expect it will be reconsidered. I would like us to be in a position of cooperation with the Federal Government, to assist in any possible way we can with this transition - in support of the industry, in support of our economy, in support of (wild) fish, tourism - the whole sector,” she said.