Underwater Footage Reveals Infectious Blood Being Pumped Into Canadian River by a Pipe
Over the past few years, a damning underwater problem has emerged in British Columbia, Canada, as underwater video has shown puffs of red-colored water spewing into the ocean off Campbell River. This incredible phenomenon, otherwise known as “blood water,” raised suspicion and alarm regarding a possible effect on native ecosystems, especially wild salmon populations.
The origin of this polluted water has been linked to fish processing facilities, ones that work with farmed salmon. These facilities are said to be releasing virus-contaminated bloody water into Vancouver Island waters, which just so happen to be on British Columbia’s most extensive wild salmon migratory route.
One of the big concerns with this issue is the presence of the Norwegian Piscine reovirus, a highly contagious fish virus that has been detected in water release samples. The discovery has led experts to label the situation as “potentially dangerous,” as transmission of the virus to wild salmon is a possibility.
The gravity of the situation is also underscored by the continued nature of the issue. In December 2017, investigative photojournalist Tavish Campbell first published underwater video footage of the release of this contaminated water. By 2019, fresh video footage revealed that the “blood pipe” continued to release effluent into the ocean.
CTV News’ Melanie Nagy explained, “New video footage shows blood byproduct is flowing into water right in the way of wild salmon off the B.C. coast.” This long-standing problem has encouraged individuals to advocate for tougher legislation and better treatment of fish plants’ wastewater.
The Brown’s Bay Packing Company, both provincially-licensed and federally-licensed to process fish, has been identified as one of the causes for this contaminated discharge. The company pipe, extending from their processing plant, has been seen to release fish blood into the channel of Discovery Passage.
Following the media reports and public outcry, provincial authorities launched investigations into the issue. British Columbia’s Ministry of Environment asked for fish processing factories to be inspected and reviewed their wastewater treatment strategies.
Residents and green groups demanded swift action. According to them, releasing possibly virus-infested blood water poses a significant threat to the already endangered wild salmon population in the area.
For a long stretch, measures to contain the issue were taken piecemeal while the “blood pipe” remained a source of concern for environmentalists and local communities alike. The episode reinforced the need for stronger environmental controls in aquaculture and better wastewater treatment processes for fish processing plants.
The broader fight over open-net salmon farming in British Columbia — the industry behind the contaminated “blood water” discharge — went on to produce sweeping policy action that reaches well beyond a single packing plant’s discharge pipe. In February 2023, Fisheries and Oceans Canada declined to renew licences for 15 open-net Atlantic salmon farms in the Discovery Islands, the same Vancouver Island corridor near Campbell River at the heart of this story and one of the most important wild-salmon migration routes on the coast. The federal government stood by that decision despite industry court challenges, and on February 26, 2026 the Federal Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal from operator Mowi Canada West, affirming Ottawa’s authority to act cautiously when wild salmon face serious risk.
On June 19, 2024, the government announced a full phase-out of open-net pen salmon farming in B.C. waters by June 30, 2029, pairing the deadline with a final five-year renewal of existing licences to give the industry time to shift toward land-based closed-containment systems. Independent biologist Alexandra Morton, environmental groups such as Ecojustice and the David Suzuki Foundation, and several First Nations — including those in the Broughton Archipelago and shíshálh territory — have continued pressing for faster action and full closed containment, arguing that the porous nets at the centre of the original “blood water” footage still allow viruses, sea lice and effluent to pass between farmed and wild fish.
The disturbing scenes Tavish Campbell captured in Discovery Passage remain exactly as first reported; what has changed is that the practice they exposed is now on a legal countdown. The story serves as a sharp reminder of the environmental consequences industrial activity can have on marine wildlife — and of how investigative footage, public pressure and persistent advocacy can move governments to act to protect British Columbia’s rich coastal waters and their marine diversity.
