Rumour mill still active in British Columbia

Odd Grydeland  When Grieg Seafood decided to implement an area-based management system for its farms on the west coast of Vancouver Island, it was necessary to harvest a small group of fish slightly earlier than normal. This sent ENGO's to the e-mail presses, accusing the company of premature harvest due to an infestation of medicine-resistant sea lice. As is not unusual in the politically charged environment in B.C., this turned out not to be the truth, and in fact the company had issued this press release days before; Grieg Seafood Implements Harmonized Regional Management Plan Grieg Seafood announced today that it is making in season production changes to its operations in Esperanza Inlet on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, in order to implement a Harmonized Regional Management Plan for the area. Grieg has five farm sites in Esperanza Inlet. Esperanza Inlet was scheduled to receive most of its smolt early this spring. It currently has a small contingent of fish that will be harvested early. These in-season changes to production will ready the Inlet for stocking in the fall, allowing the company to farm a single cohort of smolt throughout the inlet. - This means coordinated stocking plans for all farms within this operating region. By doing so Grieg Seafood expects to achieve even better production, fish health, and environmental management stated managing director Peter Gibson. -This harmonized regional management plan (HRM) will optimize survival, allow us to coordinate any necessary treatments and ensure longer term success for the region. While this will shift our harvest times slightly we feel that this readjustment will significantly increase our ability to manage the region effectively. It is an approach that we have been considering for some time, says Gibson.