First Nation divided on location of Cermaq farm
Environmental activists and a small group of Ahousaht First Nation, calling themselves Ahousaht Muuschim and supporters, set up a blockade at the site of a new salmon farm pen that is being installed by Cermaq Canada in Ahousaht territory.
The blockade began on September 9th after Cermaq Canada sent contractors out in a barge to work on the newly assembled floating pens at Yaakswiis. A group of four or five protestors refused the workers access to the pens.
The workers returned to Tofino, and Cermaq sent out an employee to monitor the site while four protestors hunkered down in their boat overnight.
The new Yaakswiis salmon farm is a replacement for the current Dixon Bay farm, which wasn’t ideally suited because of weaker tidal currents. Ahousaht Ha’wiih (Hereditary Cheifs) asked Cermaq Canada to move the Dixon Bay site, however, the process has taken over two years to get the necessary government approvals for Yaakswiis. Another site Cermaq applied for was refused by government agencies.
When the Yaakswiis farm site was proposed, Ahousaht Muuschim said they were opposed to the location, saying it was too close to a salmon-bearing river and clam beaches. They said they were not consulted by their leadership about the new site and they do not approve of it.
In a letter to Ahousaht members dated September 10th, the Ahousaht Ha’wiih committed to meeting with the people the following Monday in an effort to come to a resolution and issued a statement voicing their concern about the safety of all people attending the farm at Yaakswiis. They called for calm and for people to be mindful of safety and respectful of property.
“The Ha’wiih and leadership commit to engaging Ahousaht members in resolution based dialogue to be conducted in a calm, safe and respectful forum on Monday, Sept. 14,” said the statement.
“The Leadership respectfully request that those Ahousaht members involved in the active protest stand down to ensure the safety of all and to engage in dialogue,” the statement continued. It was signed by Ahousaht Tyee Ha’wilth Maquinna on behalf of Ahousaht Ha’wiih.
After the meeting, Chief Councillor Greg Louie said it was respectful and productive. Ahousaht leadership, he said, was able to meet two of the protesters' three demands, providing copies of all protocol agreements made between Ahousaht and Cermaq, and information on how much money Ahousaht received from the salmon farms and where that money is going and where it was spent.
Protesters also wanted written assurance from the Ha’wiih, chief and council and Cermaq that the Yaakswiis site is permanently off the table. They said if the three demands were met, they would stand down.
“They want the Yaakswiis system removed (but it’s still there) and so they’re staying,” Louie said of the protesters’ intentions to continue their blockade of the fish farm site.
“The Ha’wiih are doing their best to work with the protestors,” said Tyson Atleo, speaking on behalf of his father A-in-chut Shawn Atleo. “We are committed to work together to find solutions."
He promised there would be more meetings and that the Ahousaht Ha’wiih would issue another press release in the coming days.
Ahousaht First Nation has a working relationship with Cermaq Canada, bolstered by a mutually-beneficial protocol agreement dating back to 2002. The agreement allowed the parties to work together to establish a sustainable finfish aquaculture business. Ahousaht would receive job opportunities for its members, economic benefits and the assurance that the parties would share information in order to foster an atmosphere of trust and respect while Cermaq would be allowed to continue to operate in Ahousaht hahoulthee.
The protocol agreement between Ahousaht and Cermaq followed a highly-publicized attempt in 2002 to close down a salmon farm in the territory after government red tape caused a lapse in operating permits for company.
The showdown was settled after both parties agreed to meet in Ahousaht to discuss their issues. In the end they reached an agreement that mapped out how Ahousaht and PNA could co-exist in the Ahousaht hahoulthee.
The protocol agreement has been renewed over the years, most recently in January 2015.
Ahousaht Ha’wiih were aware that some members had concerns about the salmon farm site reassignment. According to an Aug. 11 message released by Maaqtusiis Hahoulthee Stewardship Society (MHSS) and Ahousaht Business Corporation, the Ha’wiih sought to assure members that they had been studying the tenure applications at length and determined that their best option was to move the Dixon Pass tenure to the better-suited site at Yaakswiis. The Ha’wiih consider Dixon Pass one of their pristine areas and requested that Cermaq move the net pen.
The Ha’wiih said they were keeping to their commitment to the community to remove the poorly-sited Dixon to a preferred, well-flushed, more suitable site, like Yaakswiis.
The planned move has been in the works for at least two years and was approved by both the Ha’wiih and by the previous elected Ahousaht chief and council.
Laurie Jensen of Cermaq Canada says they work closely with Ahousaht and are respectful of their people and their processes. She said the Yaakswiis site was selected by Ahousaht back in 2010, but the move couldn’t be made until recently because it just takes that long to get all the government approvals in place.
“We really do value the relationship we have with Ahousaht and we are concerned about the safety of the people going out there,” Jensen said. There are safety issues that the work crews wanted to address on Sept. 9. The cages are floating, unanchored, in the water and are dangerous for anyone to be standing on.
“For us, it’s safety first, not only for the protestors but also for all Ahousaht people and our employees,” she said. The company hopes to be able to secure the cages to make them safe and to remove any navigation hazards.
Ahousaht member Lennie John is involved with the protest and is on record saying that Ahousaht members were not informed of the Yaakswiis site.
Ahousaht member Thomas Paul is listed as a contact person for the protestors but could not be reached for comment.
