In a statement, Gitxaała Chief Councillor Linda Innes told CBC News that Mossman "is certainly accountable for the horrendous examples of what happens when bad mines are allowed to operate without clear oversight."

But she said the fines imposed "amount to nothing but small fractions of the costs of correcting the devastation left behind."

"The pollution left behind devastated Banks Island's salmon-rich creeks and near-shore areas and continues to this day," Innes said.

She said provincial estimates say cleanup could cost $2.2 million.

MiningWatch Canada national program co-lead, Jamie Kneen, also called the the amount of the fines "disappointing."

"I think it's pretty clearly not an effective deterrent," he told CBC News, adding that Mossman was hired as CEO in 2016 by U.S. mining company Rise Gold despite the charges.