Crab fishermen concerned about Naikun
The Northern View|Shaun Thomas |December 27, 2006
Local crab fishermen are concerned about the impact that the Naikun Wind Farm proposed for the Hecate Strait will have on their fishery, and want to hear more specifics from the company. “We only fish a fraction of Area A because the crab seem to like it where it is shallow. The Haida Energy Field is almost dead on the area that we crab…We have told Naikun that if they want to run towers in Hecate Strait then go for it, but don’t put it where the crabs are,” said Jeff Gould with the Area A Crab Association.
Local crab fishermen are concerned about the impact that the Naikun Wind Farm proposed for the Hecate Strait will have on their fishery, and want to hear more specifics from the company. “We only fish a fraction of Area A because the crab seem to like it where it is shallow. The Haida Energy Field is almost dead on the area that we crab…We have told Naikun that if they want to run towers in Hecate Strait then go for it, but don’t put it where the crabs are,” said Jeff Gould with the Area A Crab Association.
Local crab fishermen are concerned about the impact that the Naikun Wind Farm proposed for the Hecate Strait will have on their fishery, and want to hear more specifics from the company.
“We only fish a fraction of Area A because the crab seem to like it where it is shallow. The Haida Energy Field is almost dead on the area that we crab…We have told Naikun that if they want to run towers in Hecate Strait then go for it, but don’t put it where the crabs are,” said Jeff Gould with the Area A Crab Association.
“If people took towers and put them on prime grain land then there would be concern about the loss of industry and that is what would happen here with crabs…There are no specifics about where the towers will be built, if we will …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]Local crab fishermen are concerned about the impact that the Naikun Wind Farm proposed for the Hecate Strait will have on their fishery, and want to hear more specifics from the company.
“We only fish a fraction of Area A because the crab seem to like it where it is shallow. The Haida Energy Field is almost dead on the area that we crab…We have told Naikun that if they want to run towers in Hecate Strait then go for it, but don’t put it where the crabs are,” said Jeff Gould with the Area A Crab Association.
“If people took towers and put them on prime grain land then there would be concern about the loss of industry and that is what would happen here with crabs…There are no specifics about where the towers will be built, if we will be able to crab around the towers, if there will be exclusion zones and other issues.”
Gould said the crabbers have had two informal meetings with Naikun representatives in the past four years, but the information was not as forthcoming as was hoped.
However, Naikun President Ray Castelli said that the company is looking forward to working with the crabbers and other stakeholders in the coming year as they move forward with the environmental assessment, noting that public consultations would begin after the company formally files with the Environmental Assessment Office near the end of January.