Mowi Canada West is permanently closing its fish processing plant in Surrey, British Columbia. The decision, the company said, is a direct result of the Canadian Government’s 2020 ruling to cancel salmon farming licenses in the Discovery Islands.

The Surrey plant is expected to close in late March.

Last October, Mowi Canada West also announced it would be closing its Dalrymple freshwater hatchery in Campbell River in May, also because of the Discovery Islands decision.

The company said outgoing Minister Bernadette Jordan's decision to phase out netpen salmon farming in the Discovery Islands by June of 2022 will remove 30 percent of its production. Joyce Murray, the country's current minister has confirmed she will move forward with the mandate, having recently taken over from Jordan.

“This is devastating news to the employees and families who have relied on this operation for their livelihood," said Dean Dobrinsky, spokesperson for Mowi Canada West.

"It is clear that the decision of the former minister has lasting implications. Her decision is far reaching and continues to be incredibly damaging to the communities where we operate."

The 23,000-square-foot value-added processing plant began operations in December 2017, and currently employs approximately 80 people.

“This is what happens when politics overrides science-based evidence," said Rupinder Dadwan, the company's human resources manager.

Mowi said it will now supply its customers’ orders for value-added seafoods through its facilities in the United States.

The company will continue to primary process all salmon grown in BC at its plant in Port Hardy, Canada.

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'Devastating' losses of fish and staff

Under the Canadian government's order, 19 salmon netpen farms owned by Mowi, Cermaq and Grieg in British Columbia's Discovery Islands will be phased out by June of next year.

The measure has resulted in a reduction of more than 3.5 million farmed salmon in the Discovery Islands since December of 2020 when the decision was made, Murray said in a statement Dec. 22.

The DFO has denied all applications submitted by Mowi Canada West and Cermaq to transfer fish from their Discovery Islands sites before the phaseout.

In March, Mowi said phasing out its Discovery Island operations would mean a loss of 30 percent of Mowi Canada West's annual production, resulting in devastating cuts to its workforce.

"These decisions mean that we have 12 million healthy, growing fish with no place to grow out to market size," Mowi Canada West Managing Director Diane Morrison said at the time.

Mowi's Phillips Arm farm site, which operates in the Kwiakah Nation’s territory, is one where the company had negotiated an agreement with the Kwiakah to stock the site for one more production cycle, according to an affidavit submitted to the court by Steven Dick, Chief of the Kwiakah First Nation, with support from the We Wai Kai and Wei Wai Kum leaders.

That agreement said Mowi would wind up operations following its production cycle and then assist the First Nation with cleaning up the site -- ultimately turning it over to the Kwiakah after it is remediated.

Last year the minister consulted with the Homalco, Klahoose, K’omoks, Kwaikah, Tla’amin, We Wai Kai and Wei Wai Kum First Nations about Discovery Islands as they own territory impacted by the salmon farms.

Former We Wai Kai Chief Brian Assu recently described feeling "railroaded" in regards to the We Wai Kai Nation's discussions with the fisheries minister leading up to the Discovery Islands decision.