Ottawa takes over prosecution of salmon farm

Mark Hume
April 21, 2010
The Globe and Mail

The federal government has taken over a private prosecution that was being pursued against a salmon farm by researcher and environmental activist Alexandra Morton.

“It’s a good day,” said Ms. Morton on Tuesday, after the Public Prosecution Service of Canada stepped in to stay Ms. Morton’s charges and file its own indictment in the Provincial Court of British Columbia.

“They assumed my case and stayed it, then laid their own set of charges,” she said. “It’s what we wanted. There couldn’t have been a better outcome.”

Ms. Morton laid charges against Marine Harvest Canada Inc. last year after gathering evidence that allegedly showed the farm had scooped up wild, juvenile pink salmon while capturing domestic stock for transfer from its ocean pens near Port McNeill, on northern Vancouver Island.

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Read related stories:

• The Courier Islander; April 28, 2010; "Fish farm company facing federal charges"
• Comox Valley Echo; April 27, 2010; "Charges laid against fish farm"
• The Vancouver Observer; April 21, 2010; "Private citizen leads federal government to protect BC's wild salmon from multi-national Marine Harvest"
• Vancouver Sun; April 21, 2010; "Ottawa lays charges against giant B.C. fish-farming company - Justice Department takes over private prosecution launched by biologist"
• Times Colonist; April 21, 2010; "Ottawa takes over prosecution of fish-farm firm = Marine Harvest accused of unlawful possession of wild salmon, herring"
• Winnipeg Free Press; April 20, 2010; "Justice officials lay charges against fish farm operating in B.C."