‘Shockingly huge’ steelhead salmon escape fish farm, threatening B.C. lake
Most B.C. fishing guides would be thrilled if a client pulled a 30-pound rainbow trout from the lake during an expedition.
“A huge amount of these fish, meant only for aquaculture, are escaping into very sensitive cutthroat and Kokanee trout habitat,” he said. The farmed rainbows are a hybrid fish bred to grow quickly and have a voracious appetite, Demeester said. It’s not clear how many farmed fish have escaped over time or what the consequences have been to the lake’s ecosystem or even the farm’s owners, Demeester said, adding he’s repeatedly alerted the Department of Fish and Game at the B.C. Ministry of Forests as well as the aquaculture enforcement branch of Fisheries and Oceans Canada to the problem.
“These things are eating machines, and we don’t even know how big they’re gonna get,” Demeester said.It also appears the AgriMarine fish farm on Lois Lake is operating illegally, said Stan Proboszcz, senior scientist with the Watershed Watch Salmon Society. It’s hard to figure out what authorities are doing about concerns raised about the fish farm, Proboszcz said.DFO did not respond to Canada’s National Observer’s interview requests or a number of questions about the Lois Lake AgriMarine operation. Instead, the department sent an emailed statement acknowledging it is aware of compliance concerns at the fish farm, which is currently under investigation.
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