An environmental group says a company that was found to be illegally operating a fish farm on the Sunshine Coast appears to have abandoned the operation.
Last year, West Coast Fishculture (Lois Lake) pleaded guilty and was fined $350,000 for illegally operating the steelhead salmon farm near Powell River.
As part of the judgment, the company was ordered to remove its infrastructure from Lois Lake.
However, the Watershed Watch Salmon Society says it appears the company just walked away, leaving much of its equipment behind.
“I’m assuming all this material is slowly decomposing and degrading and potentially breaking off,” Stan Proboszcz with the Watershed Watch Salmon Society told Global News.
“I’m concerned about the impacts on the environment. I’m wondering if there is fluid, fuels, hydraulics that could enter the lake.”
Proboszcz also said that massive domestic rainbow trout escaped from the farm and entered the lake.
“Some of the fish that anglers were catching were 20 pounds,” he said.
Proboszcz added that they have not seen anyone from the company removing the gear.
Listed phone numbers and contacts for West Coast Fishculture (Lois Lake) appear to have been disconnected.
Global News also reached out to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans but did not hear back by deadline.