A diesel spill of up to 8,000 litres has been reported at a salmon farm south of Zeballos, B.C., on Vancouver Island. The incident occurred at a floating fish farm owned by Grieg Seafood, located at Lutes Creek.
According to provincial reports, the spill was caused by “human error during fuel transfer” on a floating concrete platform. The incident was first reported to the Environmental Emergency Branch on Saturday.
Aerial and ground surveys of the area have confirmed the presence of a visible diesel sheen spreading toward Centre Island to the north and west of the farm. Smaller patches of the spill have also been observed to the south and east, near Steamer Point. In response, the Ehattesaht First Nation has issued a clam harvesting alert and closed the Zeballos Inlet to harvesting.
The Ehattesaht First Nation posted on social media that the spill occurred overnight when a fuel transfer pump was not properly shut off. The post also noted that, due to stormy weather and large tide swings on Saturday, containment and clean-up would be challenging.
“These spills are too common along the B.C. coast and are unacceptable in Ehattesaht territory,” the First Nation wrote. “This incident highlights the risks involved in fuel transport and storage in industrial operations.”
Greig Seafood, based in Norway, acknowledged the spill in a statement on its website, attributing the incident to human error. The company said it is reviewing its procedures for fuel transfers to prevent future spills.
To address the spill, Greig Seafood has enlisted Strategic Natural Resource Consultants to manage the cleanup. The company has reported that absorbent booms were placed around the spill site, but no recoverable diesel could be found in the water.
CBC News has reached out to Greig Seafood and Strategic for more details on the cleanup efforts and to inquire about the impact of the spill on the farmed salmon and the surrounding ecosystem.
Images from Google Earth show three floating fish farms in the vicinity of the spill. The province has coordinated a response, bringing together Greig Seafood, Strategic, the Canadian Coast Guard, and local officials from Zeballos and Tahsis, as well as representatives from the Ehattesaht and Nuchatlaht First Nations.
A command post has been set up to manage the response to the spill.
CBC News has also contacted the Ehattesaht First Nation and the Village of Zeballos for further comment.
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