WEST PERTH, AUSTRALIA — The CBH Group said on Dec. 8 that it is highly unlikely that the 2.2 bathtubs full of canola spilled into the ocean around the wharf in Kwinana, Australia would have caused large-scale fish deaths over the last few weeks.

The canola spilled into the ocean around the wharf while commissioning a newly renovated ship loader. The Kwinana Grain Terminal and wharf has in place sound policies and procedures to protect the environment surrounding CBH’s grain storage and ship loading operations, the company said.

All grain in the export supply chain is tested both internally and independently for any trace of chemical residues. The canola loaded from Nov. 18-22 was, as all vessels are, tested by the National Residue Survey and found to be residue free, CBH said.

All canola that was loaded was tested. Canola is commonly used in fish food around the world, although is primarily used for human consumption, CBH said.

“As a long-term operator in the Cockburn Sound, we take our environmental stewardship of the Sound very seriously,” CBH said. “CBH is the only operator in the Cockburn Sound which maintains public access to the beach up to, around and under our jetty and accommodates a high-quality mussel production facility for the fresh seafood market in the immediate vicinity of our jetty. This is testament to the minimal impact our operations at the Kwinana Grain Terminal has on the surrounding environment.”

As one of a number of entities that operates within the Cockburn Sound, CBH is cooperating with the Department of Environmental Regulation (DER) in its investigation into the unknown cause of fish deaths in the Cockburn Sound in recent weeks as it looks at all of the various possibilities.

Initial information from the Department of Fisheries indicates that the fish tested died of natural causes.