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A Ticking Economic and Ecological Disaster

March 11th, 2010

As an old friend once said, when you stick your head in the sand another part of your body is exposed. This is the first in a two-part series showing what can or did happen when those responsible try to ignore a problem.

There seems to be an economic and ecological disaster unfolding in southwestern Nova Scotia. Citizens in Yarmouth, Digby and Shelburne counties are raising the alarm over severe pollution of their lakes and rivers.

After considerable media attention over the past couple of years and several complaints to federal and provincial environment officials, investigations were undertaken. Sources indicate that a NS Department of Environment study in 2009 found very high phosphorous concentrations and eutrophication in a number of lakes in the Sissiboo, Tusket and Meteghan river systems.

In very simple terms, eutrophication in lakes is usually caused when the system is overloaded with nutrients, most frequently phosphorous. Like applying manure to your garden, phosphorous enrichment in waterways causes unnaturally rapid and dense growth of various aquatic plants. As the plants mature, bloom and die, they sink to the bottom and are consumed by oxygen breathing organisms.

Due to abundance of these organisms, water temperature and other factors, the available oxygen in the water is consumed. Fish, shellfish and organisms that require oxygen above minimal levels die or swim away if they can.

Ongoing eutrophication on a wide scale as is said to be happening in western Nova Scotia can destroy aquatic ecosystems. Communities and citizens are no longer able to use some of these lakes for water, irrigation, swimming and other users. Their properties are worthless and fabric of the community is compromised.

In western Nova Scotia phosphorous almost exclusively come from human waste or agricultural run off. There are likely no significant natural sources in this region.

This inland part of Nova Scotia is very sparsely populated ruling out private homes as a significant source. The 2009 NS Environment study concluded that mink farms and associated activities are the most likely sources of phosphorous in the most severely impacted lakes.

An assessment in 2008 by NS Agriculture of 38 mink farms in the Weymouth area found that 92 per cent allow discharge of farm runoff to the surrounding forests and wetlands. Most of the mink farms in Nova Scotia are located in close proximity to Highway 340 that is south of and parallel to Highway 1 from Weymouth to Hebron, near Yarmouth.

The mink industry is big and one of the few agricultural sectors experiencing growth. According to Statistics Canada, between 2004 and 2008, NS mink production grew by 20 per cent to just less than one million pelts yearly. These are large factory farms with sales approaching $75 million annually.

They are important to the economy of the region. Notwithstanding this, the activity of one sector should not run roughshod over all other users. This breeds conflict not economic, social and ecological stability. Everyone loses.

It is difficult to imagine that the type of pollution being witnessed in these lakes in southwestern Nova Scotia is not in violation of both the federal Fisheries Act and the NS Environment Act. In spite of numerous complaints from citizens, Environment Canada is waiting on the province that continues to investigate the problem rather than act.

The inability or unwillingness of these agencies to act is astonishing. Citizens may be forced to launch a private prosecution. Private citizen prosecutions have been successful against a variety of offenders in Moncton, NB, Hamilton ON and several other locations where the responsible officials have failed to uphold the law.

Unless the regulators act very soon, chances are excellent that there will be a successful private prosecution under the Fisheries Act of one or more mink farms. This could easily unleash an avalanche that could easily seriously undermine the industry.

It need not be this way. The province is trying to give the appearance of addressing the issue by developing a fur industry act. The current powers under the federal Fisheries Act and the NS Environment Act are currently more than adequate to address these pollution issues.

The federal and provincial regulators should be identifying the offending mink farms and presenting them with ministerial orders to address the issues in a timely manner. If the courts force this through private prosecution, the industry will be the big loser.

The time for further study and aimless consultation is past. There is a ticking economic and ecological disaster unfolding unless the regulators and industry voluntarily address this looming crisis with full dispatch.

Comments are always welcome and can be addressed to stephenhawboldt@annapolisriver.ca