Sunken ferry raises shellfish harvest concerns

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Government reports are saying that the environmental impact of the B.C. ferry that sank near Hartley Bay March 22 has been relatively minimal and poses little risk, but residents of the small community are not so sure and are wondering why there have been no shellfish harvesting closures.

The Queen of the North sank in the early morning near the village, about 135 kilometres off of Prince Rupert. The various government agencies teaming up in the environmental assessment and clean-up have been mostly positive about the situation despite lingering local concerns.

One of the main worries is for anyone who may harvest shellfish in the area, particularly mussels, said Marvin Robinson, a member of the Gitga'at Resource Team that has been monitoring the situation. Even though mussels are out of season, many non-villagers harvest them anyway, he said, and could be at risk.

"Health officials aren't putting a closure on harvesting when the beaches are affected," he said. "That's nuts."

In fact, said Robinson, he couldn't remember the last time health or environment officials attended the area, saying there may have been "some flights in April" but, since then, the only official presence is the Burrard Clean Operations in the direct area above the sunken ferry.

The various government ministries, provincial and federal, have come together under one umbrella of the Prince Rupert Incident Command Post (ICP) and, as of April 11, it was reporting that most of the fuel was contained in the sunken ferry and that the amount leaking out was decreasing.

The ICP said the majority of the sheening (fuel patches on the water's surface) was in the direct vicinity of the sunken vessel but Robinson said the spread of the fuel is greater than that.

"The last time we flew over, there were eight different spots where there was a sheen on the water. It covered a pretty large area."

The Incident Command Post also reported that there has been virtually no impact on wildlife, with only about three of the 2,000 birds observed in the area identified as stressed, with no reports of injured or dead wildlife.

Meanwhile, a decision has yet to be made on what to do about the fuel remaining in the ferry, on whether it will be somehow siphoned out or plugged up. Robinson said, as of May 10, he had been told there were plans to send down a mini-sub again to take pictures of the boat.

Since the ferry's sinking, the provincial and federal governments have officially recognized the community of Hartley Bay and its residents, whose quick, selfless response was largely responsible for saving 99 of the 101 passengers.

On May 3, B.C. Lt. Gov. Iona Campagnolo visited Hartley Bay to present it with the Governor General's Commendation for Outstanding Service Award on behalf of the Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean.