Protesters express concern over proposed salmon farm

Clammers, wormers and others involved in work that they say could be jeopardized by a proposed land-based salmon farm in Chebogue, Yarmouth County, held a protest the morning of April 14.

Dozens turned out in front of the Yarmouth Municipal Building in Hebron.

The protest participants are concerned that the municipality is considering an application from Boreal Salmon Inc. to change the terminology within the Municipal Planning Strategy to remove “closed containment” as it relates to land-based aquaculture uses in the Rural Development Designation.

This would allow all types of land-based aquaculture to be considered by development agreement in the Rural Industrial Zone.

The proposed salmon farm is forecasted to involve both capital and direct investment of up to $60 million and will produce up to 5,500 metric tons of Atlantic salmon and/ or sea trout annually. The project would be financed primarily by Chilean investors, with Canadian investors being invited to participate.

Many who turned out for the protest voiced their concerns about the impact that the salmon farming industry would have on wildlife.

Brendan Coulstring's family resides on the Hilton Road close to Big Pond, the location for the proposed salmon farm.

He said there are hundreds of ducks that nest around the pond and raise their young there. The area provides food for many wildfowl, including Great Blue Heron that feed on the minnows.

“There are cormorants, Canada geese, American eels, frogs, toads, the painted turtle,” said Coulstring. “There are two fresh-water brooks in the southeast part of the pond and that's where the turtles like to lay their eggs."

When Chebogue resident Gary Archibald first heard about the proposal he was worried about the smell and noise coming from the plant.

He visited two plants in Annapolis Valley and says that lessened his fear, saying, “If it's run properly there's little sound or odour.”

However, Archibald is still left with concern as to what will be “dumped back into the ocean.”

“This is a recycling system, the water comes in, all the organisms with it, at about 1,000 gallons per second. That's going to increase to 3,000 gallons per second and that all has to go back out again after recirculating through these tanks," he said.

"Seventy percent of it is going to be screened. It's hard to say what the remainder will be going out into the environment. It could affect clams in that area – Chebogue River is very well known for clams," Archibald said. "There are also two lobster pounds in the area and there's mackerel fishermen off the shore where they're going to dump the material.”

Roy White, a resident of Chebogue Point and a lobster fisherman for three decades, noted that on-land fish farms isn't what tourists are expecting and hoping to see when they come to the area.

“When you come on the ferry, you won't see the Cape Forchu Lighthouse. You'll see this massive thing on a 56acre site with tanks that are 65-feet across, 19-feet high and a windmill farm to run it. People who come from the city, that's what they're trying to get away from.”

Bernie Berry, of the Coldwater Lobster Association, is concerned about the openflow aspect of the operation.

"You're not only bringing in sea water, the impurities are going back into the ocean. That's a major concern,” he said.

Gary Colquhoun, a concerned citizen, said there's a very valuable natural fishery in the region.

“I think the heart of the question is how much of that are we willing to risk so that people can build large industrial farms on the side of our ocean?" he said. "They're proposing that they monitor the effect on our environment. Are we really going to let a company from Chile monitor their environmental impact on our environment? It's ludicrous."

Salina-Luv Langford Penney, a local buyer for clams in the area, said she came to the protest to "support her guys."

“If everything shuts down because of contamination, they're going to lose work. A lot of them have been digging clams since they were eight and nine years old. This is all they've ever known.”

She has 80 clamdiggers on the payroll, 30 of which are digging every day. Most of the clams are shipped to the United States.

Charlene d'EntremontLeBlanc, a community development officer at Municipality of Argyle, has been championing sea-related industries for several years. She said she was quite excited when she heard that a landbased fish farm plant was proposed and was surprised that there was a protest. “I talked to a few people and understand that it's the recirculation of the water that they are concerned about."

Nick Hilton, councillor for the district where the proposed salmon farm would be constructed, said he's honoured to represent a community that is engaged and “stands strong on its values.”

“Part of the process is hearing from our residents and this demonstration is a valuable part of the process,” he said.

Warden John Cunningham said he understands that a lot of people have a lot of concerns that right now that council doesn't have a lot of answers to.

“I'm very glad that they came out to express their concerns to council to make sure we do our job properly and get all the information to council and out to the public," he said.

Petitions against the proposed salmon farm are being circulated and are receiving hundreds of signatures.

The municipality's planning advisory committee will be hosting an online meeting to hear concerns and feedback from the public on this application. The July 20 online public meeting is at 6 p.m.

To register for the meeting people can email Jenny at jenny@district.yarmouth. ns.ca or call 902-742-9691.

Feedback collected will be shared with council to help inform their decision on this application.