Canadian Town Finally Rid of 1.25M Liters of Rotten Fish Sauce

Decades-Long Stench Finally Addressed in St. Mary's, Newfoundland

After more than 25 years of suffering through an overwhelming stench of rotting fish, the 300 residents of St. Mary's, Newfoundland and Labrador, are finally seeing the end of their ordeal. Cleanup crews began work in late July 2026 to remove approximately 1.25 million liters of fermented fish sauce left behind in an abandoned factory. The massive fish sauce cleanup operation, costing 1.7 million Canadian dollars ($1.21 million), is expected to be completed by October 2026, bringing relief to a community that has endured the pungent odor for a generation.

The Origin of the Stench

The Atlantic Seafood Sauce Company opened its plant in St. Mary's in 1990 with great promise. Founded by Sanh Ngo, a Vietnamese-Canadian who captained a Department of Fisheries and Oceans research ship, the facility was designed to produce fish sauce from male capelin — a fish that was otherwise considered waste. The plant received government support and was hailed as an innovative, sustainable venture. However, after a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) inspection led to regulatory disputes, the plant shut down in the early 2000s, leaving behind 110 towering tanks, each holding more than 11,000 liters of fermenting fish sauce.

A Community Held Hostage by Odor

For the roughly 300 residents of this small coastal town on Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula, the abandoned plant became a nightmare. The building fell into disrepair — the roof blew off, walls collapsed, and windows shattered — allowing the fermented fish sauce to release its putrid aroma into the community unchecked. The smell has been described as the worst imaginable fish rot, intensified by decades of bacterial fermentation.

The environmental cleanup of abandoned industrial sites often faces complex legal and funding hurdles, and St. Mary's was no exception. For years, federal and provincial governments debated who should pay for the remediation. Mayor Steve Ryan, who became known as the 'sauce plant mayor,' fought relentlessly for funding. 'I know that we will face setbacks in the future,' Ryan said, 'but this team knows what we have achieved so far. We are now able to overcome anything.'

The Massive Cleanup Operation

The removal process is far from simple. A specialized team from Sharp Management (awarded the $1.74 million contract) is cutting open each of the 110 tanks. The liquid fish sauce is mixed with peat moss, which absorbs the fluid and solidifies it into a manageable substance. This mixture is then vacuumed up and loaded into specialized trucks.

In total, approximately 200 truckloads of the sauce-peat mixture will be transported 160 kilometers (about two hours) to the town of Sunnyside. There, a specially excavated waste cell with a capacity of 2,000 cubic meters awaits. After dumping the material, the cell will be covered with earth and sealed tight. 'We seal it like a Ziploc bag,' said the lead engineer overseeing the disposal, ensuring the odor cannot escape.

Timeline and Costs

• Start date: Late July 2026
• Expected completion: October 2026
• Total cost: 1.7 million Canadian dollars ($1.21 million)
• Funding source: Provincial government of Newfoundland and Labrador, with a $198,000 loan from the town (to be reimbursed)
• Contractor: Sharp Management / Capital Environmental
• Truckloads: Approximately 200
• Disposal site: Sunnyside Waste Management Facility

Environmental and Health Concerns

The abandoned plant posed risks beyond the foul smell. A 2016 Environment Canada report found that effluent from the facility was 'acutely lethal,' killing fish within 15 minutes of exposure. Leaking vats had allowed fish sauce to seep into floor drains and potentially reach the ocean. The deteriorating building also became a physical hazard, especially after a January 2026 storm tore off the front of the structure, intensifying the urgency of cleanup.

Similar industrial waste remediation projects across Canada have shown that community persistence can eventually yield results, even when ownership disputes and jurisdictional questions delay action for years.

Relief for Residents

For residents like Juliette 'Sis' Lee, who lived next to the plant, the cleanup means reclaiming their homes and their town. Many had to keep windows closed year-round and limit time outdoors. The smell permeated everything, affecting quality of life and even deterring tourists from visiting the scenic Irish Loop region.

Minister of Environment for the province, Tibbs, expressed shared relief: 'I look forward to the day when it is over and the residents of St. Mary's can get their town back, freed from this fish sauce.'

FAQ: St. Mary's Fish Sauce Cleanup

What caused the smell in St. Mary's?

Over 1.25 million liters of fermented fish sauce left behind in 110 tanks at the abandoned Atlantic Seafood Sauce Company plant. The sauce continued to ferment for more than 25 years, producing an extremely potent rotten fish odor.

How much did the cleanup cost?

The project cost 1.7 million Canadian dollars (approximately $1.21 million USD), funded primarily by the provincial government of Newfoundland and Labrador, with a $198,000 loan from the town that will be reimbursed.

How is the fish sauce being removed?

Workers cut open the tanks, mix the sauce with peat moss to solidify it, vacuum it up, and transport it in about 200 truckloads to a sealed waste cell in Sunnyside, 160 km away.

When will the cleanup be finished?

Cleanup began in late July 2026 and is expected to be completed by October 2026.

Why did the plant close?

The plant opened in 1990 but shut down in the early 2000s after a dispute with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency over regulatory issues. The owner maintained that inspectors misunderstood the fermentation process.