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Denman Island resident upset with shellfish growers

A Denman Island resident is calling out bad behaviour from shellfish harvesters on the island’s beaches — and she says it might be time for concerned citizens to take matters into their own hands.
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A Denman Island resident is calling out bad behaviour from shellfish harvesters on the island’s beaches — and she says it might be time for concerned citizens to take matters into their own hands.

Retired shellfish farmer Edina Johnston says that in recent months, tenure holders have made modifications to the beaches on the northwest shore of Denman Island. According to Johnston, the shellfish growers have set up anti-predator nets by drilling long rebar spikes into the foreshore and using loose netting material that she says isn’t properly secured.

“I presume they are under the impression they’re going to have a bigger yield,” Johnston said. “I’m not sure what [they think] these nets are doing, but they’re dangerous to boaters and to swimmers.”

“[The tenure holders say] the nets stop crabs from getting to their oysters,” she said. “But I’ve got pictures to prove the crabs still get under the nets because the nets are not fastened or secured. Then when they’re trapped under the net, the only thing they have to eat are the oysters.”

Johnston said the spikes are a safety hazard for anyone using the beaches for recreation, particularly when the tide comes in and the spikes are less visible. She said wildlife, such as birds and fish, are also at risk.

There are about a dozen permanent residents who live near the area, as well as frequent beach-goers from a nearby bed and breakfast, according to Johnston.

“Anyone who falls out of a boat, or anyone running out into the ocean is gonna get impaled. There’s no consideration for anyone using the beaches for recreational purposes,” she said.

The shellfishing industry is regulated by both provincial and federal governments in Canada. In British Columbia, shellfish growing tenures are issued by the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources Operations (FLNRO), which authorizes the use of Crown land for commercial purposes.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) is responsible for monitoring and enforcing industry regulations under the Fisheries Act.

No one from the DFO was available for an interview, but in a statement, a spokesperson said the agency recently replied to a letter about the issue on Denman Island.

“As part of its enforcement activities, the DFO is responsible for ensuring that predator exclusion devices, such as nets and anchoring devices, are structured and maintained to function as intended,” the statement reads. “Fishery officers conduct regular patrols in the area and recently attended Denman Island to conduct inspections and speak to licence holders.

“Measures are being undertaken to address instances where violations were observed.”

Johnston said that according to industry regulations, the tenure holders need written permission from the current up-shore property owners before they are allowed to modify the foreshore for their operations.

She believes the tenure holders are violating the riparian rights of the property owners who live up-shore from where the rebar spikes have been set up. Specifically, she argues the rebar spikes interfere with boat access to the water.

“Even if permission has been granted, certain conditions need to be met and are enforceable,” she said.

According to Johnston, the tenure holders have not responded well to confrontation.

“It’s becoming a bit of a war,” she said. “Eventually people are going to start getting fed up and [start] taking the stuff down themselves, taking the nets away. It’s not a good situation and it’s not getting better.”

When contacted, representatives from the B.C. Shellfish Growers Association declined to speak about the issue on the record.