Press Release from Mainstream Canada
We were all shaken and saddened when we discovered a dead humpback whale at our Ross Pass farm this morning.
Our farmers and managers have decades of experience in salmon farming, and no one has ever experienced an incident like this before.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) was notified and fisheries officers attended the site immediately. With the help of an independent expert from Strawberry Island Marine Research Society, the whale was removed from the site. DFO and the independent expert are directing the follow-up investigation.
At this time, we don’t know for sure what happened but it appears a dead whale drifted into the farm site. As it decomposed, gases raised the carcass to the surface. The carcass floated up beside and underneath the main containment net. No fish escaped.
Containment nets at the site were inspected by divers only two days prior to this event. They observed nothing unusual during the inspection. No whales have been observed near this farm or near any other farms in the region for several months.
“This is a very unusual incident and was an unfortunate surprise for the staff who discovered it,” said Fernando Villarroel, Mainstream Canada’s managing director. “We are working with DFO and Strawberry Island Marine Research Society to understand what happened and will make all resources available to find answers.”
Mainstream Canada will publish an update if new information becomes available.
