Atlantic salmon being raised at a B.C. fish farm. Photograph By Marine Harvest Canada
Premier John Horgan has asked his deputy minister to lead a review of the province鈥檚 animal health lab that has landed Agriculture Minister Lana Popham in hot water at the B.C. legislature.
Horgan tasked Don Wright with sorting out whether allegations about the 鈥渋ntegrity鈥� of the lab鈥檚 science are founded.
Wright, who is also the head of the public service, will work with the Public Service Agency.
The allegations come amid fish-farm protests and questions from the Opposition Liberals about the appropriateness of Popham鈥檚 political role in launching the review.
The province says a scientist, Kristi Miller-Saunders, challenged the integrity of the lab鈥檚 research when interviewed for a report on the CTV program W5. Miller-Saunders is head of the molecular genetics program at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans鈥� Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo.
鈥淚f we have a federal scientist on national television drawing into question the work of provincial scientists, it only stands to reason for reasonable people to say: 鈥楲et鈥檚 get to the bottom of that,鈥� 鈥� Horgan told the legislature. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 exactly what we鈥檙e doing.鈥�
The Opposition Liberals, however, have accused Popham in the legislature of targeting fish pathologist Gary Marty, who works at the lab and has disputed claims that open-net fish farms pose a high risk to wild stocks.
Horgan and Popham denied that Wednesday.
鈥淭his is not about Dr. Marty,鈥� Horgan said. 鈥淚t is about the lab and how the federal government views the work of that lab.鈥�
The issue dominated question period for the third straight day Wednesday. The Liberals went after Popham for leaving the impression that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, rather than a single scientist, had complained about the lab鈥檚 research.
鈥淲e now know that there have been no official complaints against the province鈥檚 Animal Health Centre,鈥� said Liberal critic Michelle Stilwell, MLA for Parksville-Qualicum.
鈥淭he facts that the minister tried to create simply don鈥檛 exist. Instead, if the minister is supposed to be believed now, all of this seems to be based on the concerns raised by a single individual.鈥�
DFO said in a statement Tuesday that, while it made no formal complaint, the B.C. government was being 鈥渄iligent鈥� in following up on Miller-Saunders鈥� concerns.
Horgan, who fielded all the questions directed at Popham in the legislature, said the Liberals are blowing up the issue 鈥渓ike an atomic bomb.鈥�
鈥淭he concern that the public has is there鈥檚 a dispute among scientists about the impact of finfish aquaculture on our wild salmon stocks,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd an appropriate response from a government official, a minister responsible for that lab, is to get to the bottom of it, and that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e doing.鈥�
Popham said her office organized a call with Miller-Saunders after seeing the scientist on W5.
鈥淭his was on national television and there was accusations about our provincial lab, one that I am the minister of. So along with my staff, my deputy minister, we organized a call,鈥� Popham said.
While she acknowledged that the public service is the appropriate venue for a review, she defended the phone call, saying it wasn鈥檛 out of line for a minister to step in. 鈥淚 obviously was interested in why there were those accusations, so I think it鈥檚 absolutely appropriate.鈥�
The allegations causing concern are unclear. Popham has repeatedly said they are about the 鈥渋ntegrity鈥� of scientific data.
She sidestepped questions from reporters Wednesday who asked if she was investigating an allegation expressed on the program about a conflict of interest.
鈥淚鈥檓 not doing anything with [that], this is in the hands of the public service,鈥� Popham said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an allegation by a scientist against our science. That鈥檚 a serious allegation.鈥�
The review will determine if best practices and ethical standards are followed, including against potential conflicts of interest, according to the terms of reference.
It will look at how policies are implemented and whether they are communicated clearly.
It will not review the conduct of individuals, the government said.
Popham鈥檚 investigation comes amid ongoing protests at three fish farms off north 麻豆传媒映画Island in the Broughton Archipelago. Fish-farm opponents have also occupied Popham and Horgan鈥檚 constituency offices.
Open-net pens allow water to flow freely between farmed salmon and the ocean environment, which some environmentalists say exposes wild stocks to viruses and disease. Some First Nations have argued the farms are operating in their traditional territory without their permission.
