The Independent
·Jul 2026
A Town Haunted by the Smell of Rotting Fish for 20 Years Is Finally Getting Some Relief
After more than 20 years of foul odors from an abandoned fish-sauce factory, St. Mary's, Newfoundland and Labrador, has begun a $1.7 million cleanup. Crews will drain more than 100 tanks containing thousands of gallons of fermented fish waste, mix the material with peat moss, and transport it to an engineered disposal site. Mayor Steve Ryan says the town repeatedly sought provincial and federal assistance, took out a loan to start the project, and fought for years to secure relief for its roughly 300 residents.