Mainstream Canada has said that it was “shaken and saddened” to discover a dead humpback whale at its Ross Pass farm, north of Tofino, on 27 March and says it has never experienced an incident like it before.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) was notified and fisheries officers attended the site immediately, and the whale was removed from site. An investigation by DFO and an independent expert from Strawberry Island Marine Research Society will be conducted.
The company says that at this time it does not know what happened, but it appears that the dead whale drifted into the farm site. As it decomposed, gases raised the carcass to the surface. The carcass floated up beside and underneath the main containment net. No fish escaped.
Containment nets at the site were inspected by divers only two days prior to this event, who observed nothing unusual during the inspection. Mainstream Canada says that no whales have been observed near the farm or near any other farms in the region for several months.
"This is a very unusual incident and was an unfortunate surprise for the staff who discovered it," said Fernando Villarroel, Mainstream Canada's managing director. "We are working with DFO and Strawberry Island Marine Research Society to understand what happened and will make all resources available to find answers."
