Debris from the fish farm near Coffin Island on Beach Meadows Beach in 2021. (Rick Conrad photo)

By Rick Conrad

If you’re concerned about a proposed fish farm expansion in Liverpool Bay, there’s a letter writing session planned for the Thomas H. Raddall Library on Saturday from 1 to 4.

Kelly Cove Salmon, which is owned by Cooke Aquaculture, has applied to add to its operations near Coffin Island and to add two new sites off Brooklyn and Mersey Point.

If successful, Kelly Cove’s operation would grow to 60 pens from its current 14. It would mean about 1.8 million salmon would be farmed in the bay, compared to the current estimated 400,000.

The Nova Scotia Aquaculture Review Board has public hearings scheduled for Liverpool beginning March 4. 

Members of the public can have their say on the application until Feb. 12 by sending their comments to the review board.

Residents contacted QCCR this week concerned that their letters were being rejected by the board. In an email to QCCR, the review board said individual comments from those who are listed as members of one of the five intervenors in the application will be rejected.

A notice posted at Queens Place Emera Centre.

For example, some supporters of Protect Liverpool Bay had their submissions rejected because the grassroots group listed their names as members when it applied for, and was granted, intervenor status. The others are the Region of Queens, the Brooklyn Marina, a group of 23 lobster fishermen, and Kwilmu’kw Maw-Klusuaqn, which is representing the Acadia First Nation.

The review board told QCCR that “in the interests of efficiency, if a single body can present those interests, those concerns can be dealt with by a single entity.”

“The board encourages public participation and does want to hear from everyone,” Stacy Bruce, the board’s clerk said in the email.

“However, as (Protect Liverpool Bay) is a party to the hearing representing all its members, if a member’s name is on the list PLB provided, they may not submit written statements as they are already being represented by PLB as an intervenor and not as a member of the general public. Only members of the general public that are not party to the hearing are permitted to submit written or oral submissions.”

Opponents of the expansion got a big morale boost this week when Premier Tim Houston told a business luncheon in Liverpool that he personally opposes more fish farms in Liverpool Bay.

“I think some areas are great for aquaculture and I think that some others are maybe not the best place for it,” he told about 80 Liverpool businesspeople and others at a luncheon on Wednesday, sponsored by the South Queens Chamber of Commerce.

“On this specific question on Liverpool Bay, … I personally don’t think Liverpool Bay is a suitable place for it.

“That’s my personal opinion. I respect the process, the independent review board will do their process and will have hearings. They’ll do their thing. But my personal opinion is I don’t think Liverpool Bay is a suitable place for it.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Brian Muldoon protests the proposed fish farm expansion. QCCR file photo

A local environmental group is gearing up to fight a proposed fish farm expansion in Liverpool.

Protect Liverpool Bay was recently granted intervenor status to appear at the Nova Scotia Aquaculture Review Board hearing into Kelly Cove Salmon’s proposed plan to expand their operation in Liverpool Bay.

Representatives from Acadia First Nations, Brooklyn Marina, 23 Fishermen of Liverpool Bay and the Region of Queens Municipality were also granted intervenor status in the hearing set to begin Feb 05, 2024.

The aquaculture board denied requests to intervene from several residents along with the South Queens Chamber of Commerce and the Ecology Action Centre.

President of the Protect Liverpool Bay Association Brian Muldoon argues the pens are too large and the water too shallow to safely operate a fish farm in this location. He says it’s not a question of if but when the farmed salmon will escape into the wild.

“I witnessed from Hurricane Lee three weeks ago, four weeks ago, whatever, that the nets were ripped apart here,” said Muldoon. “The actual feeding barge got ripped right off all the feeding lines and moved. Those fish weren’t even being fed for days.”

Muldoon says there is overwhelming opposition to the existing fish farm and the community has made it clear they do not want to see it expanded.

“You get the lobster fishermen, you get the Acadia First Nations who are saying no, you get Queens County who say no, we don’t want you, you get the Marina for navigational and recreational boating no, you say all of the members of PLB from beachgoers to homeowners all the ones that live in the area say no, so why are we even having this discussion?” asked Muldoon.

Protect Liverpool Bay is being represented at the board hearing by lawyers from Ecojustice. Muldoon says the board will not listen to repetitious arguments, so Ecojustice is working with other intervenors to ensure everyone has an opportunity to speak and present evidence.

“You want to have expert witnesses to come forward and you want to be able to make sure that they have all the, you know you may hire an oceanographer, or you can hire someone from the wild salmon,” said Muldoon. “You know, as PLB, we don’t have to talk about the eight deciding factors. You could pick two or three and focus on them.”

In their application, Kelly Cove Salmon explains the change is being requested to “fully encompass existing cages, mooring lines, and anchors within lease boundaries. The lease boundaries will incorporate six (6) additional cages resulting in a 2 x 10 configuration in addition to an increase in production to ensure the long term environmental and financial stability of this site.” 

Hearings into the application will be held February 5 through 9 at the Liverpool Best Western Hotel.

Follow these links to the Aquaculture Review Board Application Hearing and the Protect Liverpool Bay pages to learn more.

To hear the broadcast of this story click play below.

E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com

Region of Queens Administration Building. Photo Ed Halverson

Region of Queens Council was back with a jam-packed agenda in the first meeting after summer.

Council meets just once a month during July and August and have now returned to their regular twice monthly schedule.

Council heard from the public to start the meeting. A question was raised whether water utility customers would receive a refund from the municipality considering they haven’t had drinkable water in over a month since the treatment station was struck by lightning.

Mayor Darlene Norman says the Region of Queens won’t be providing a refund as the utility is its own legal entity and rates are set by the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board.

Next council awarded the South Shore Multicultural Association $3,000 from the Community Investment Fund to assist with National Day of Truth and Reconciliation events being held at the Hank Snow Museum at the end of the month.

Council then heard from finance staff who reported the municipality had a $1.6 million operating surplus last year. Mayor Norman says the surplus can be attributed to a number of factors including: $1.2 million in unexpected income from deed transfer tax and investment returns, as well as $400,000 that went unspent on staff positions the Region has been unable to fill.

Two contracts were then awarded following request for proposals involving an evaluation of the Region’s Information Technology systems as well as a staff and council compensation review.

Mayor Norman says it’s been many years since either was properly assessed and the municipality needs to know which IT systems work and why.

The compensation review will be undertaken to determine if staff and council pay are in line with what other municipalities and the private sector are offering.

Council went on to discuss Queens County Rails to Trails and the Queens County ATV Associations’ request to redesignate the trail corridor from West Street, behind the municipal offices building to Silver Rock Road to multi-use. Currently that trail only permits pedestrians, and the organizations would like it opened for off-highway vehicles and bicycles.

The Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities will be hosting their fall convention and Region of Queens decided to send five members of council.

Finally, the Region will be applying for intervenor status at an upcoming hearing at the Nova Scotia Aquaculture Board regarding a site expansion at the salmon farm in Liverpool Bay.

The next council meeting will be held September 26 in council chambers beginning at 6:00pm.

To hear the broadcast of this story click play below.

E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com