CEO of company that recorded 2.6 million dead salmon apologizes to N.L. government

The CEO of Mowi has apologizedto the provincial fisheries minister and promised to dobetter, after 2.6 million salmon were killed on Newfoundland's south coast, followed by criticism that the company should have been more transparent in disclosing information about the incident.

"We did not live up to both your, and our own expectations," he wrote in a letter to Premier Dwight Ball and Fisheries Minister Gerry Byrne.

"For this, I personally and sincerely apologize as CEO and on behalf of Mowi ASA."

The company outlined six things it's doing to prevent other occurrences.

It's increasing the depth of its nets so that fish can escape warm water andputting together what it says is a better plan to deal with a large number of deaths so that a cleanup can done more quickly.

Gerry Byrne led a technical briefing for reporters Fridayto outline new aquaculture regulations andprovide an update on his meeting Thursday withAlf-Helge Aarskog, the head of Mowi,which is the parent company of Northern Harvest Sea Farms.

CBC requested an interview withAarskog, and while the company initially agreed, it stopped responding to emailsfrom CBC and hasn't made the president available.

Byrne said he had no ability, nor should he, to force the company to speak to reporters.

"They recognized that they could do better, they must do better and that they shall do better," he told reporters.

Earlier this week, Premier Dwight Ball said it was Byrnewho requested the meeting, and pointed the finger at Northern Harvest Sea Farms about the lack of communication about the exact number of dead fish.

Assistance promised for workers

The millions of salmon that died represented about one year's worth of production for the company. That means plant workers in the area won't be employed to process those fish.

Byrne said he hopes the federal government helps by provided enhanced employment insurance, but the province will provide its own help.

"The provincial government in Newfoundland and Labrador will be providing assistance," Byrne said. He highlightedthe province's plant worker assistance program, which has a $2.5-million budget to help plant workers by providing them with short term employment so they qualify for EI.

New regulations for all aquaculture

At the news conference Byrne also unveiled details on 32 new policies and changes to many existing ones. It required public reporting of incidents like deaths or disease.

It also forces operators to use deeper nets so fish can get deeper. Northern Harvestnets are 15 metres deep, but all companies will now have to have nets that are 20 metresdeep. The nets will also have to meet international certification standards.

"We rank very much head and shoulders above, in the Canadian context on so many fronts," he said.

Byrne said the provincial government has been working on the regulations for more than two years but some were changed in recent days based on the problems at Northern Harvest.

The NDP and Progressive Conservatives sayhe mishandled the file.

"If I didn't have confidence in this minister, he wouldn't be here," said Ball.

Ball blamedNorthern Harvest Sea Farms for the lack of communication about the exact number of dead fish.

"[Mowi] were required to provide proactive disclosure about events.They failed to do that," Byrne told reporters, noting that after the disclosure, the provincesuspended 10 of the company'slicences.

Byrne previously said the company'slicenceswould not be returneduntil the "full facts" of the event are known.

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