N.L. government orders cleanup of aquaculture sites on Newfoundland's south coast

Aquaculture companies operating on the south coast of Newfoundland have been ordered to cleanup old open net pen salmon cages.

In recent months, the Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) has identified a number of sites with abandoned aquaculture equipment.

Fisheries Minister Gerry Byrne says some of the material may have been there decades.

"I've told the companies that I expect it to be cleaned up in a reasonable period of time," Byrne told CBC Radio's The Broadcast.

The ASF initially found the sites using Google Earth and followed up with a helicopter flights over of areas along the south coast in early February.

Byrne says the companies involved include: Cold Ocean Aquaculture (Cooke), Northern Harvest Sea Farms (Mowi) and Nova Fish Farms (Ocean Trout Canada Inc).

Some of the cleanup has already begun, and Byrne is keeping a close eye.

"I've informed them that if there are additional sites, they should do that as well," he said.

In December, the ASF released photos of an area near Gaultois called the Locker.

The cove contained partially sunken sea cages, plastics, netting and feed bags.

Byrne ordered a cleanup, which was completed in January.

Differing opinions

Andrew Clarke is director of conservation campaigns with ASF.

"We were able to see that there was garbage that we had seen before with the aquaculture rings laying there half sunk, half floating and definitely problematic," Clarke said of the helicopter flights. 

"It did look like it had been there a while, and I think in one particular instance we went back to 2010 or 2011 and it was there then. So this isn't anything that was freshly stored." 

But Keith Sullivan, executive director of the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association, says this latest campaign by the ASF is a clear attempt to manipulate people in Newfoundland and Labrador.  

He says it's a thinly veiled attack on the people who are working in the business and the communities that depend on aquaculture, and an attack on the entire industry overall.

"That's equipment that's actually sitting on licensed sites. This is not of an off-licence site or in an area that equipment shouldn't be. But certainly, you know, companies are very committed to making sure that there's no debris and if it leaves their sites or anything, it will be certainly dealt with as quickly as possible," Sullivan said. 

"I know sometimes in Newfoundland and Labrador we have storms and if something kind of comes loose, I mean, they do everything to prevent that. But good code of practice. But absolutely make sure that you know that doesn't go into the marine environment unnecessarily."

Mel Jackman, 72, lives in Harbour Breton.

I call Hermitage Bay a dump and it's about the dirtiest bay in Newfoundland.​​​​​​- Resident Mel Jackman

He sees things differently, spending months at his cabin at Hardy's Cove, far into Hermitage Bay.

"Hermitage Bay was always a very clean bay. You get wood driving in there and a certain plastic bottle or something every now and then. But a few years ago, aquaculture came in there and, you know, almost immediately you start seeing things like rope, buoys, Styrofoam, that kind of stuff coming into the bay," Jackman said.

"And it wasn't so bad at first, but then seems like every year, I guess as the equipment and stuff was getting older, there was more and more. And right now out there, I mean, as far as I'm concerned, I call Hermitage Bay a dump and it's about the dirtiest bay in Newfoundland."

Clarke says he's happy the province took action on cleaning up the Locker, but wonders why it is left up to organizations like the ASF to point out environmental concerns.

"We need to have stronger regulations around garbage. We have to have stronger regulations around how they are being stewards of the environment and they need to do a better job," he said. 

"We can't expect the Newfoundland government or the DFO to be able to regulate them because this is really simple stuff, right? This wasn't hard for us to find. We're an NGO that looks after wild salmon. Why we are the ones that had to call this out?"

While the Province acts as the regulator in the aquaculture sector, Byrne says the federal government has been shirking its responsibilities in protecting the ocean.

Sullivan says companies are taking action.

A company called Eco Axis — formerly known as ASL Energy — is currently operating in Harbour Breton and is recycling old aquaculture material.

It's being shredded and granulated to make industrial pipe in Quebec.

"I will say there is certainly a big commitment by companies to make sure that keeping sites clean and going forward is a really good development," Sullivan said.

Jackman says he isn't against aquaculture, but doesn't want to see expansion and the possibility to "ruin more coastline."

"If they've got to stay, stay where they are and cleanup after themselves. I mean, it's easy to carry a tub and put your garbage in and take ashore," he said.

Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to visit our landing page.