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Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Salmon group says aquaculture companies stashing garbage along Newfoundland coast
ST. JOHN'S – An eastern Canadian conservation group is calling for a moratorium on aquaculture expansion in Newfoundland and Labrador, alleging fish-farming companies are stashing plastic garbage along the province's remote southern coastline. In a report summary released Tuesday, the Atlantic Salmon Federation said satellite images suggest aquaculture companies appear to have left broken cages, rope and other detritus in six sites along Newfoundland's south coast. The New Brunswick-based group is demanding the federal fisheries minister halt aquaculture expansion in the province until the companies get their waste under control, said spokesperson Neville Crabbe. 'Fix your problems, utilize your existing sites, optimize what you have,' Crabbe said in an interview. 'The industry is not going anywhere right now in Newfoundland and Labrador, but nor should it go anywhere else.' Newfoundland's south coast is known for its towering fiords and small communities dotting its shores, some of which are only accessible by boat or plane. The aquaculture industry is a valued source of jobs in the area. The Atlantic Salmon Federation has been monitoring aquaculture waste in the region for more than a year. Crabbe said the federation is not calling for the companies to shut down or cut jobs. In its latest investigation, the federation worked with Planetixx, a U.K.-based climate data and analytics firm. The team used more than 60,000 satellite images of the area, spanning more than a decade, to train an artificial intelligence model to recognize sea cage rings — the frames that support large nets inside which salmon is farmed. The AI model could then identify sites with abnormalities, such as misshapen rings or haphazard arrangements. When the AI identified a site with anomalies, the researchers viewed high-definition images of the area from Maxar Technologies' satellite constellations. Through this process, they identified six sites they allege were dumping grounds for 'broken, degraded salmon farm equipment,' the report said. They found no equipment at any time between March 2020 to May 2025 in half of the 106 licensed sites analyzed, indicating the areas were inactive. For Crabbe, that suggests the companies don't need to expand into other areas. Last year, members of the federation visited a cove known locally as The Locker, near Gaultois, N.L., and captured images of discarded plastic bags, blue barrels, rope, buoys and old sea cages. Crabbe said the province ordered companies operating in the area to clean it up earlier this year, though the provincial Fisheries Department did not respond to a request for information about the order. He flew over the site in a helicopter in February and saw the debris had been cleared. But when he returned last month by boat, it was once again full of trash, he said. A remotely operated vehicle took images of a sea cage and netting sunken beneath the water. 'The buoyant structure appears to be anchored to the sea floor, unable to float up, potentially indicating a deliberate sinking,' the federation's report summary on Tuesday said. They also found garbage at a site in nearby Roti Bay, Crabbe said. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. 'It's very clear in their licences, and in the regulations governing the industry, that they have to have waste management plans,' he said. 'The discovery of that sunken cage in the locker, at the very least, should compel authorities to go and survey these areas to see what else is under the water.' In a news release Monday, the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association said the provincial regulator allows companies to store unused equipment, including sea cages, in leased marine areas before they are dismantled and recycled. 'Plastic sea cages may be held at leased sites until vessel and staff resources are available to safely transport them to shore-based yards and recycling facilities,' the release said. Abandoned sites operated by different owners under different rules 'have been and are being addressed,' it said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 8, 2025.
NDTV
13-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Exclusive: Before-After Satellite Pics Show Damage To Pak Bases After Indian Strikes
New Delhi: India struck multiple Pakistani air bases during 'Operation Sindoor', damaging runways, hangars, and buildings, causing a massive blow to Pakistan. NDTV accessed before and after satellite images of these bases - Sargodha, Nur Khan (Chaklala), Bholari, Jacobabad, Sukkur and Rahim Yar Khan. Maxar Technologies' high-resolution images show the extent of damage to these air bases in India's precision strikes. Air Marshal AK Bharti, Director General of Air Operations, during a press briefing, said India hit selected military targets deep inside Pakistan and its response was "measured and calibrated." Jacobabad Air Base The Jacobabad Air Base is around 200 km from the International Border. It is located in the Sindh province of Pakistan, west of Rajasthan's Longewala. India struck the hangar at the Jacobabad air base. Hangars are structures built at an air base to protect aircraft, primarily for maintenance and repair. The satellite image from May 11 shows damage to the hangar and debris next to the structure. A before image from April 30 shows the structure is intact. Bholari Air Base India struck air bases in Pakistan's Sindh province - Bholari, Jacobabad and Sukkur. It is one of the newest air bases of Pakistan, which became operational in 2017. During India's precision strikes on Pakistan, Bholari was chosen as a target, and India struck the hangar at the air base, causing severe damage to its roof, as shown in an image from May 11. The hangar at the Bholari air base was severely damaged. High-res zoomed in here A satellite picture from April 27, when tensions between India and Pakistan were still high post the Pahalgam attack, shows the hangar intact. Sukkur Air Base Sukkur air base, located in the Sindh province, is a strategic air base for Pakistan, which lies west of the International border with Rajasthan. Sukkur, Jacocabad and Bholari are located in Sindh. Sukkur is operated by Pakistan's Southern Air Command. Sukkur, Bholari and Jacobabad air bases are located in the Sindh province. High-res zoomed in here A satellite image from May 10 shows severe structural damage at the base and massive debris on the side. There was vegetation burn that may have been caused by fire after the strike, with a possible burn/strike scar next to the damaged structure. Nur Khan Air Base Nur Khan is a strategic air base situated between Rawalpindi and Islamabad - the two nerve centres of Pakistan. The former is the headquarters of the Pakistan military, and the latter is the political power centre of the country. The air base was earlier known as Chaklala. It was not the first time India struck Nur Khan. During the 1971 war, the 20 Squadron of the Indian Air Force targeted the air base with their Hawker Hunters. Nur Khan, earlier known as Chaklala, was hit by the IAF's 20 Squadron in 1971. High-res zoomed in here The satellite image from Maxar shows multiple buildings being destroyed during India's "measured and calibrated" strikes. A satellite image from April 25, taken almost two weeks ago, shows the structures intact. Rahim Yar Khan The air base is located in the Punjab province of Pakistan, and it is located 200 km south of Bahawalpur, the terrorist site targeted by India on May 7 during the first phase of Operation Sindoor. A huge crater was formed on the side of the runway after Indian strikes. High-res zoomed in here Air Marshal AK Bharti, during the press briefing, showed a video of extensive damage to the runway of the air base. A large crater was formed on the runway after the Indian strikes. The satellite images from Maxar locate the area which was hit by India. A huge crater was formed on the side of the runway of the air base. Mushaf, Sargodha The Mushaf air base in Sargodha is a strategically important base of the Pakistan Air Force, which was targeted by India during Operation Sindoor. Sargodha is located west of Lahore and around 200 km from the international border with Punjab. The Indian Air Force, during the 1965 and 1971 wars, targeted Sargodha during its aerial campaign. The craters formed after Indian strikes were at least eight metres wide. Going over the @Maxar images with @detresfa_, one can easily estimate the craters at Sargodha are at least 8-9 meters wide! If India had launched saturation attacks on Pak airbases using the Brahmos, Hammer and SCALP, the Pak AF would have been lost or grounded. #OpSindoor — Vishnu Som (@VishnuNDTV) May 13, 2025 During Operation Sindoor, Indian strikes damaged the runway at two locations of the airbase - One at an intersection and the other on the main runway. The images from May 10 show the runway being cratered after Indian strikes at the two locations. The Sargodha air base's runway was damaged at two locations. High-res zoomed in here. The images from April 30 and May 10 show the extent of damage caused to the runway at Mushaf. Operation Sindoor India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 and attacked nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) to avenge the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were shot dead. The Indian armed forces destroyed multiple camps of terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen, and killed more than 100 terrorists. After India's overnight operations, the Pakistani Army launched drones and missiles at western parts of India, which were successfully intercepted. India then hit selected military targets deep inside Pakistani territory. The two countries reached a ceasefire agreement last Saturday to halt military actions with immediate effect after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.
