Powell River, British Columbia - A Powell River lake-based aquaculture site that cultivates rainbow trout has been fined following a lengthy investigation conducted by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).
On August 22, 2024, in the Powell River Provincial Court, West Coast Fishculture (Lois Lake) Ltd. was fined $350,000 for engaging in aquaculture activities not under the authority of an aquaculture licence, contrary to section 7 of the Pacific Aquaculture Regulations. They had been operating their fish farm in an area of the lake that is outside of their provincial tenure boundaries. The operators have also been ordered to remove all structures erected outside of their tenure boundaries by August 31, 2025. West Coast Fishculture (Lois Lake) Ltd. pled guilty to the charge. During site inspections, DFO Conservation & Protection fishery officers discovered a number of other issues including inadequate mitigation to prevent fish escapes.
In British Columbia (B.C.), DFO is responsible for licencing aquaculture activities. Licence conditions set out operational and reporting requirements to ensure that aquaculture sites are run in an environmentally sustainable manner that minimizes the risk to wild fish stocks and marine resources. This significant fine underscores the duty of operators to follow the rules and regulations in B.C.'s highly regulated aquaculture industry.
