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Dumping ban creates problem for local fish plants

The four fish processing plants on the islands are facing a big problem, just as their season is set to start.Environment Canada is now starting to enforce regulations that ban dumping fish waste into the ocean, even though, up until now, it has turned a blind eye to the practice.The four plants-CB Island Fisheries, Omega and Seapak QCI in Masset and Albion Fisheries in Queen Charlotte-recently asked for help from the village of Masset, Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Nathan Cullen and from the United Fisheries and Allied Workers' Union.At Masset council Monday evening, Mayor Barry Pages called the enforcement plan "ridiculous" and said it shows "a real lack of common sense."Mr. Pages said Masset Inlet is one of the best flushing inlets in Canada, and the plants have been disposing of their waste for 75 years without any problems. Council then decided to write a letter to the federal Minister for the Environment asking for clarification and for the rational behind the enforcement decision.At CB Island Fisheries in Masset, manager Al Frick is concerned. He says he has known about the dumping ban since November, but after trying to arrange to dump the material on land, he's found out it's not so simple, since the province requires a dumping permit.He said Victoria wants the plants to hire a consultant to help, but that's difficult. "The bottom line is, there is just no money to hire a consultant," he said.And Mr. Frick says with the state of the economy, the timing of the enforcement couldn't be worse."Right now, it's crucial we don't have these extra hoops to jump through", he said, "It's going to be a tough pill to swallow. Our backs are against the wall. We start processing at the end of March."He also said there has never been a problem with dumping in Masset."In all honesty, I would have seen the point if there had been a build up, washing up on the beach. But there has been no problem," he said.He says his company has disposed of about 45 cubic metres of fish waste each year, all between March and September, while it was permitted, by the province, to dispose of 3 cubic metres per day.In Queen Charlotte, Colleen Marks of Albion Fisheries said the four plants ".are requesting a transition period in which we can operate status quo, and then find a cost effective long term solution.""Effectively, at present, we are all shut down," Ms Marks said, "we have to find a solution."In Masset, Omega Packing's manager Rob St. Louis told the Observer that without a temporary solution, his plant cannot operate. "Right now I believe we are going to try to push for a temporary measure to have them truck our offal out for us or get a temporary permit and we will grind everything up and put it into the harbour again," he said, "We are kind of using both departments- federal and provincial- to kind of feel it out."Mr. St. Louis said Omega had a permit to dump 500 cubic metres of offal a day, but had never dumped more than 20 cubic metres.He said the plant would have been processing this month "but there's no one fishing" and hopes in March the issue will have been solved, at least temporarily, and he can begin working on razor clams and groundfish including halibut."We don't have a heck of a lot of options," Mr. St. Louis said.He also said he had spoken to Nathan Cullen Tuesday morning, and the issue is being treated as urgent by the MP."Things are moving ahead," Mr. St. Louis said.