Controversial fish farm site rezoning defeated

Dan Maclennan
March 24; 2010
Courier-Islander

 The tentative and controversial rezoning of Grieg Seafoods' Gunner Point fish farm site has been defeated, nine months after it received preliminary approval from the Strathcona Regional District (SRD).

Following the advice of staff, SRD directors defeated Grieg's application to rezone the Gunner Point site - near the mouth of Sunderland Channel north of Sayward - for a farm of 14 net cages - each 30m X 30m - capable of raising 700,000 Atlantic salmon at a time. The SRD board had given first three readings to the application but told Grieg it must supply a letter of undertaking promising to take a number of measures to minimize the farm's impact on wild salmon, including a zero sea lice policy and a move to closed containment "as soon as it is commercially available."

In a report to the board, SRD CAO Brian Reardon recommended that the rezoning bylaw be defeated.

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