cuttlefish
Well-Known Member
Maybe a good idea for those aquaculturists operating on land. Not such a good idea for those in the ocean me thinks.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1171567-loosen-regulatory-net-fish-farmers-say
Sector wants out of Fisheries Act
Fish farmers are asking Parliament to remove them from the Fisheries Act.
The aquaculture industry says the environmental and conservation rules of the act are so
onerous, they prevent new projects from going ahead.
They’re asking for a new Aquaculture Act to be designed specifically for their business.
“Our industry is regulated by the Fisheries Act, which is a wildlife management act that was never intended for an innovative food production centre,” said Ruth Salmon, the appropriately named executive director of the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance.
“This is a piece of legislation that dates back to Confederation, when commercial aquaculture in Canada did not exist.”
The industry’s proposal is controversial.
During the roughly 35-year history of fish farming in Canada, various local governments have passed their own rules to govern it.
The industry contends this has caused a “reactive and inefficient” patchwork of regulations.
But some ecologists and fisheries groups oppose the expansion of aquaculture.
They fear that fish farms can hurt the local ecology and damage nearby fisheries.
Eugene O’Leary, president of the Eastern Fishermen’s Federation of Grand Manan, N.B., said he thinks there’s a place for fish farms but he’s opposed to removing the industry from the oversight of the Fisheries Act.
“As harvesters, we’ve been fighting for years to ensure the environmental studies and everything else is done properly,” he said.
“We wouldn’t want someone to get away with not having to meet those same regulations.”
O’Leary also said it is difficult and complicated for residents to launch complaints against a fish farm.
The federal government has said it has no immediate plans to create an Aquaculture Act but is looking at merging and streamlining regulations.
In its most recent federal budget, the government announced $57.5 million over five years to reform the aquaculture regulatory regime. It said it is open to all options in the long term.
Salmon appeared Tuesday in Ottawa at the House of Commons Committee on International Trade, which is studying the effects of the Canada-Europe free trade agreement.
She said the deal will not have
a great effect on the aquaculture industry, at least for now, because fish farms are already selling everything they produce.
The number of fish farms in Canada grew steadily in the 1980s and ’90s but has stalled since then.
Most major aquaculture players are international companies that are choosing to invest in countries other than Canada because of Canada’s strict regulations, Salmon argued.
She said loosening the rules could stoke new investment and give the industry the capability of selling more product to Europe.
About the Author
PAUL MCLEOD OTTAWA BUREAU
http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1171567-loosen-regulatory-net-fish-farmers-say
Sector wants out of Fisheries Act
Fish farmers are asking Parliament to remove them from the Fisheries Act.
The aquaculture industry says the environmental and conservation rules of the act are so
onerous, they prevent new projects from going ahead.
They’re asking for a new Aquaculture Act to be designed specifically for their business.
“Our industry is regulated by the Fisheries Act, which is a wildlife management act that was never intended for an innovative food production centre,” said Ruth Salmon, the appropriately named executive director of the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance.
“This is a piece of legislation that dates back to Confederation, when commercial aquaculture in Canada did not exist.”
The industry’s proposal is controversial.
During the roughly 35-year history of fish farming in Canada, various local governments have passed their own rules to govern it.
The industry contends this has caused a “reactive and inefficient” patchwork of regulations.
But some ecologists and fisheries groups oppose the expansion of aquaculture.
They fear that fish farms can hurt the local ecology and damage nearby fisheries.
Eugene O’Leary, president of the Eastern Fishermen’s Federation of Grand Manan, N.B., said he thinks there’s a place for fish farms but he’s opposed to removing the industry from the oversight of the Fisheries Act.
“As harvesters, we’ve been fighting for years to ensure the environmental studies and everything else is done properly,” he said.
“We wouldn’t want someone to get away with not having to meet those same regulations.”
O’Leary also said it is difficult and complicated for residents to launch complaints against a fish farm.
The federal government has said it has no immediate plans to create an Aquaculture Act but is looking at merging and streamlining regulations.
In its most recent federal budget, the government announced $57.5 million over five years to reform the aquaculture regulatory regime. It said it is open to all options in the long term.
Salmon appeared Tuesday in Ottawa at the House of Commons Committee on International Trade, which is studying the effects of the Canada-Europe free trade agreement.
She said the deal will not have
a great effect on the aquaculture industry, at least for now, because fish farms are already selling everything they produce.
The number of fish farms in Canada grew steadily in the 1980s and ’90s but has stalled since then.
Most major aquaculture players are international companies that are choosing to invest in countries other than Canada because of Canada’s strict regulations, Salmon argued.
She said loosening the rules could stoke new investment and give the industry the capability of selling more product to Europe.
About the Author
PAUL MCLEOD OTTAWA BUREAU
