A tanker trailer full of dead fish in the water near Duncan Bay. Image: CTV News/Tavish Campbell

Reports of pink liquid spilling from barge

A trailer of dead fish was on a barge owned by Coastal Seatrucking Ltd. when it fell into Duncan Bay, north of Campbell River.

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A local diver saw the accident and told CTV News that a liquid was spilling into the water. 

"There was some fish matter settled and then occasionally it would spurt out a pink liquid that would diffuse into the surrounding water,” said James Lawson.

Coastal Sea Trucking is the company that owns the vessel and was taking the fish to land where they were supposed to be properly processed or disposed of. It insisted that nothing was leaking. However, Lawson claims that he saw Atlantic farmed salmon in the leaking trailer.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has been involved and determined that the trailer rolled into the water “due to heavy wave action” at the end of December. The DFO also added that no dead fish or liquid spilled into the water. An investigation will determine if proper procedures were being followed.

The dead fish came from Cypress Harbour, a fish farm owned by Cermaq Canada.