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In December, the government conducted its own tests of the effluent released from Brown Bay Packing and Lions Gate Fisheries and also found the virus.

“British Columbians expect their government to ensure any discharge into the water is safe, and does not threaten wild salmon,” Environment Minister George Heyman said in a statement. “The previous government ignored the issue and failed to update regulations or even regularly conduct inspections. That isn’t good enough.”

Once inspections and data collection from all 28 facilities is complete, Ministry of Environment staff will review the permits and regulations to require processing plants to use the best technology, said an emailed statement.

The audit is the latest in a series of reviews aimed at the fish farming industry.

In November, the federal government also launched a review in response to Campbell’s video. Last week, an independent expert panel headed by Canada’s Chief Science Advisor, Dr. Mona Nemer, was created to review the industry and make recommendations “on the appropriate use and consideration of scientific evidence in protecting the marine environment in decision-making on aquaculture.”

“Our government understands that Canadians have real concerns around aquaculture,” federal Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc said in a statement. “We look forward to the recommendations of the panel … on how science can be better applied to decision making and communicated to the public in support of sustainable aquaculture as we seek to remain a strong, science-based regulator of the aquaculture industry.”

Environmental groups have been calling on the provincial government to deny fish farm licences that are up for renewal this spring. In October, Agriculture Minister Lana Popham sent a letter to Marine Harvest warning that the province retains the right to end the company’s tenures in the Broughton Archipelago over First Nations concerns that fish farms are damaging the health of wild salmon.

This fall, several Musgamagw Dzawada’enuxw and Namgis members occupied Marine Harvest Canada’s aquaculture site on Midsummer Island.

gluymes@postmedia.com

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