ATLANTIC SALMON CAUGHT IN B.C.
A First Nation on B.C.’s south coast says its members have caught three Atlantic salmon after thousands of the fish escaped from a fish farm in Washington state. The Shishalh First Nation in Sechelt says its members caught the Atlantic salmon while fishing for pink salmon Sunday. Band officials say there’s a high probability all three escaped Aug. 19 when a pen with 305,000 salmon collapsed in U.S. waters about 150 kilometres to the south. Fisheries and Oceans Canada has confirmed one Atlantic salmon was caught off Vancouver Island on Saturday and officials were checking reports that two more were hooked. Sishalh Chief Warren Paull says the First Nation opposes the farming of non-indigenous salmonid species within its territory. Concerns have been raised that Atlantic salmon could compete with their Pacific cousins for food, interbreed with them or introduce disease.