A fish farm off the coast of Vancouver Island is restocking with Atlantic Salmon Monday after the Namgis First Nation lost an injunction in the courts Friday aimed at stopping the process.
The First Nation issued a news release saying at 8 am the company -- Marine Harvest -- poured the first of 950-thousand Atlantic farm salmon into the Swanson Island salmon farm, off Alert Bay. The restocking will continue all week.
Members of the Namgis have been protesting at the site since last August, arguing Atlantic salmon carry "piscine reovirus" -- a blood borne virus that threatens wild Pacific salmon. And while Marine Harvest maintains testing has found their fish are PRV-free, the First Nation says the finding is "highly suspect".
The Namgis, along with biologist and activist Alexandra Morton, accuse the BC Government of dragging its heels on whether or not to renew Swanson Island farm's tenure which expires in June -- and 21 other farms across the Broughton Archipelago -- representing 1/3 of the industry in BC.
Morton questions why the federal and provincial governments are allowing almost a million Atlantic salmon into the small bay in Namgis territory, when Washington State is moving to phase them out.