Namgis protesters halt occupation of salmon farm
Group moves offsite to allow harvest, but will continue to monitor operation
Namgis First Nation protesters have ended their occupation of the Marine Harvest salmon farm at Swanson Island and will monitor the site from a group of cabins located nearby.
Protester Ernest Alfred was at the farm Wednesday as an observer for the harvest of mature salmon from the farm at the invitation of the company.
“I have a camera, a GoPro, a radio and safety equipment so I can observe and report back to my nation,” said Alfred. “We’ve never seen some of these techniques before and we will post them for the public to see.”
Protesters have been at fish farms at Swanson and Midsummer Islands for the past several weeks, demanding that ocean-based fish farms be removed from their traditional territory. The Namgis First Nation operates B.C.’s only landbased Atlantic salmon farm near Alert Bay.
“We have said all along that we will allow Marine Harvest to take salmon out of the site, but we will not allow any more salmon to come in,” Alfred said. “We have demanded that Marine Harvest remove their fish and they have done that.”
Removing all the fish is expected to take several more weeks.
“It was the first part of what will be a long, drawn-out process,” said Alfred. “To accommodate the harvest, we have moved off the actual farm.”
The protesters are now occupying a group of cabins owned by Marine Harvest that are slated for demolition. Harvesting was suspended at the farm due to concerns about the safety of the protesters, according to Marine Harvest.
“As Namgis leadership has expressed particular concern for small wild fish that may reside in our net pens, I was happy to be given the opportunity to show how our incidental catch separators attached to our harvest equipment work to release wild fish immediately back into the ocean,” said company spokesman Ian Roberts in a statement.
Video footage shot by Hereditary Chief George Quocksister Jr. of the Laichwiltach Nation showing large numbers of wild fish inside the net pens at Marine Harvest fish farms was recently posted online by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.
A shelter built by protesters was occupied for at least two weeks and remains in place on the Swanson fish farm.
On Thursday, protesters were present for the transfer of partly grown fish from the Glacier Falls fish farm to the Midsummer Island fish farm, according to Roberts. First Nations protesters are still camped at the company’s Midsummer Island farm, according to Alfred.
“And the cabins we are living in are close enough that we can monitor both farms from there.”
Marine Harvest has asked the Kwikwasut’inuxw Haxwa’mis First Nation to advise its members to stay off the farm, citing concerns for their safety. Protesters trying to block the transfer of fish felt physically threatened by the heavy equipment used in the operation, said Alfred.
“We have been clear that no more Atlantic salmon are to be brought in to these farms,” he said.
“There is going to be a huge response if they try to bring juvenile salmon here.
“Our members are prepared to be charged.”