Billowing clouds of bloody water emitted from Vancouver Island salmon processing plants form the defining image of a video shot by Quadra Island photographer Tavish Campbell.

The video shows a fish packing plant just north of Campbell River dumping what is being called 含羞草研究社渂lood water含羞草研究社� into the ocean. It also shows the same type of effluent being discharged from Lions Gate Fisheries含羞草研究社� plant into Tofino harbour on the Island含羞草研究社檚 west coast.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 a pretty horrific thing to see,含羞草研究社� Campbell said, 含羞草研究社淛ust these huge billowing clouds of red blood water being released right into Brown含羞草研究社檚 Bay.含羞草研究社�

The video, entitled, Blood Water: B.C.含羞草研究社檚 Dirty Salmon Farming Secret was produced by Campbell and published on Vimeo.

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Campbell did two investigative dives at farmed salmon processing plants on Vancouver Island 含羞草研究社� one at Brown含羞草研究社檚 Bay and one at the Lions Gate Fisheries processing plant at Tofino. Lions Gate Fisheries processes Pacific Chinook raised by its subsidiary, Creative Salmon.

Campbell shot the footage during three dives in April and October at Brown含羞草研究社檚 Bay Packing and in June at Tofino.

The April dive was done during the out-migration period for juvenile sockeye salmon from the Fraser River and other streams in the Salish Sea. Because Discovery Passage experiences tremendous tidal currents squeezing between Vancouver Island and Quadra Island, Brown含羞草研究社檚 Bay serves as a refuge for the migrating juvenile fish, Campbell said.

含羞草研究社淏rown含羞草研究社檚 Bay acts as a bit of a holding pen for these small, little juvenile fish so that day 含羞草研究社� that very day we did the dive 含羞草研究社� when I got up from the dive you could see tons of these juvenile fish packed into the head of Brown含羞草研究社檚 Bay,含羞草研究社� Campbell said. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 situated in such an unfortunate spot in terms of being right where these juvenile fish have to swim by.含羞草研究社�

Campbell含羞草研究社檚 video shows a bright-red cloud being emitted from a pipe outlet connected to the plants. Campbell had the effluent tested and found evidence of Piscine Reovirus (PRV) which causes the disease HSMI, which damages the heart and skeletal muscles of salmon. The samples he collected were sent to the Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown, P.E.I. The testing was done by Prof. Fred Kibenge.

Campbell said the point of his video is not to demonize Brown含羞草研究社檚 Bay Packing or Lions Gate Fisheries. They are not doing anything illegal. The focus is on Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and their 含羞草研究社渋nability to manage and regulate or protect wild fish,含羞草研究社� Campbell said.

B.C. Environment Minister George Heyman is also aware of the video.

含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e going to ensure, as we review the permit and put conditions on the permit if necessary, that any discharge into the water is safe from contamination,含羞草研究社� he said.

含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e hoping that can happen in the next few days. We含羞草研究社檙e also waiting for test results of the effluent that was taken some time ago, and if necessary we含羞草研究社檒l conduct our own tests.含羞草研究社�

The plants in the video originally began as processing plants for wild fish but now handle farmed salmon as well. The PRV has been found in west coast salmon and is linked to HSMI, a potentially fatal disease for salmon.

To Campbell, the situation is another reason for a lack of confidence in DFO含羞草研究社檚 ability to regulate salmon farming on the West Coast and mitigate its impact on wild salmon stocks.

含羞草研究社淥ur wild salmon aren含羞草研究社檛 being looked after,含羞草研究社� Campbell said.

And the clock is ticking on the situation in Brown含羞草研究社檚 Bay, he said.

含羞草研究社淚n a few short months the next wave of out-migrating juvenile fish is going to be coming up from the Salish Sea and from the Fraser (River) and having to pass right by the plant. It is something that we have to act on quickly.含羞草研究社�

Lions Gate Fisheries issued a press release about the video today on its website, saying:

含羞草研究社淟ions Gate Fisheries, like all processing Pacific salmon 含羞草研究社� farmed or wild 含羞草研究社� on B.C. 含羞草研究社榮 coast, operates its Tofino plant under permit from the provincial government.

含羞草研究社淓ffluent from the plant is screened and discharged into the marine environment at depth according to the provincial government permit.

含羞草研究社淟ions Gate Fisheries processes Pacific chinook raised by Creative Salmon. Both the plant and Creative Salmon are certified to the Canadian Organic Aquaculture Standard. This is an audited, national standard that exceeds municipal, provincial and federal regulatory requirements.含羞草研究社�

Brown含羞草研究社檚 Bay Packing released a similar statement on Tuesday afternoon saying they disinfect the effluent before it is released into the ocean.

含羞草研究社淲hile the liquid discharged remains red in colour, the treatment process is designed specifically to treat for fish pathogens,含羞草研究社� it reads.

含羞草研究社淭he treatment of that effluent is to a level higher than Provincial standards for fish plants, and is governed by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by all companies farming and processing Atlantic salmon. The MoU explicitly states that all plants will have a functional disinfection system in place, all water/ice, blood-water, wash-water and other wastewater within the processing plant will be collected and treated through the processing plant central treatment system, all blood-water and wastewater used during off loading and transport from the boat to processing plant will be contained and treated.含羞草研究社�