Roughly 60 square kilometres of the Esperanza and Zeballos Inlets on Vancouver Island's west coast remain closed to shellfish harvesting after the 8000-litre diesel spill from Grieg Seafood Lutes Creek facility that took place over a month ago.
According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), there is reason to believe the quality of shellfish in these areas may be at risk. On Dec. 20 and 31, DFO issued closure notices due to potential chemical and biotoxin exposure, and these notices remain in effect.
Eating contaminated shellfish can make people sick and can even be life-threatening. Shellfish such as clams, scallops, and mussels are highly sensitive to the water quality of their marine environment.
"Because they feed by filtering microscopic organisms from the water, harmful bacteria, viruses and marine biotoxins from their surroundings can build up in their tissues and make the people who eat them sick," reads the DFO site.
The oil spill on Dec. 14, which took place at a fish farm close to Zeballos on Vancouver Island, was caused by human error during a fuel transfer carried out by Grieg Seafood. The spill occurred while the fuel transfer was happening on a floating concrete platform.
READ MORE: Up to 8,000 litres of diesel spilled at Zeballos fish farm
According to a spokesperson from Grieg Seafood, it is estimated that most of the spilled diesel has partially evaporated or naturally degraded and the rest has dispersed throughout the area.
"Experts working with Unified Command have completed Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique surveys of the area and have only found small, isolated patches of sheen within shoreline sediments near the release location," said the spokesperson in an email.
The company also confirmed that it tested fish at both farms in the area for any impact from the diesel, and the lab results have "confirmed there has been no impact to salmon at either farm."
In 2021, Cermaq Canada was fined $500,000 for spilling approximately 522 litres of marine diesel into the ocean near Campbell River. The incident occurred on March 4, 2017, on a Cermaq farm near the Burdwood Group Islands in Raleigh Passage off the east coast of Vancouver Island. The farm has since been decommissioned.
READ MORE: Cermaq fined $500,000 for 2017 diesel spill at fish farm northwest of Campbell River
The Grieg Seafood oil spill that took place on Dec.14 is currently under investigation by DFO Conservation and Protection fishery officers.
The Mirror has reached out to the Nuchatlaht Nation, and is awaiting a response.
More to come ...
