SAYWARD -- The task employees of a North Island fish hatchery have been dreading has arrived, and staff have now begun the process of culling nearly one million salmon they have been raising. Mowi Canada says the killing is necessary because of a decision that Federal Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan made in December – to remove fish farm operations from B.C.'s Discovery Islands region. Mowi estimates 925,000 juvenile salmon, which are now about a year-and-a-half old, will be destroyed by Thursday. The operation is being overseen by head veterinarian Terra MacDonald. "These fish are healthy, they have good welfare, they’re not carrying a disease and so to see them have to be euthanized is really difficult," MacDonald said. "I’m not generally in the business of killing healthy fish."