That’s the word from groups opposing the application for a 125-hectare suspended off-bottom scallop farm by Island Scallops in front of Bowser.
While those who oppose the proposed change in management plan for the large parcel say it will be an unnavigable, busy operation that could potentially affect the biology of the area and damage the already-established herring fishery, Island Scallops representatives said it’s an opportunity for B.C. to grow a low-impact and potentially hugely beneficial industry.
The proposal is to have scallops and seed hung on lines that are suspended by floats attached to the ocean floor by anchors. The farm would be in water 25 to 35 metres deep, with the top of the longlines (which the scallops will hang from) 10 metres — roughly 30 feet — below the water surface.
The design is intended to maximize the survival rate of the scallops in the tenure that was originally developed as a bottom-culture operation, said Barb Bunting with Island Scallops. Their original plan wasn’t cost-effective or productive, she said.
Source: Comox Valley Record