Aquaculture disaster

The force of the Jan. 4, 2018 winter hurricane created death and destruction at aquaculture site 1358 in Jordan Bay, NS contrary to statements from the company and Aquaculture Minister Keith Colwell.

The Cooke owned Kelly Cove Salmon site suffered serious infrastructure damage, including but not limited to, 17 of 20 bird cages ripped off, torn net pens, movement of three corner buoys, thousands of feet of feed pipe dislodged and numerous other unreported damages. The company and minister claim only a very few salmon escaped and/or perished. Fictional politics at its best.

Some net pens were under water with their sides ripped open allowing salmon to escape. 15’ waves and undertow would have smashed to death fish remaining in the cages.

As of Jan. 31 the company has made no attempt to feed what they are saying remains in the cages. This tells a reasonable person that mass mortality has occurred. Mr. Colwell why not come clean and tell the truth?

The liaison committee referred to by Chuck Brown no longer exists in Shelburne. Municipal Coun. David Levy, the last remaining member of the committee, recently left his post. In addition, Cooke has moved its offices from Shelburne to Bridgewater so the fish plant and 400 jobs promised a few years back has been reduced from one to zero. Why is the community so attached to this failed experiment?

After three failed grow outs at site 1358 in Jordan Bay, super chill in 2015 killed all farmed salmon, disease killed all in 2017 and in 2018 all perished in a harsh winter storm, a reasonable minister would pull the lease and stop this failed experiment.

Time to stop the madness. Darrell Tingley, Chester, NS