Courtesy of SeafoodSource.com:
Canada will take extra steps to increase sustainable aquaculture production in Canada while protecting the environment, said Gail Shea, minister of fisheries and oceans, during a press conference on Thursday.
Canada’s aquaculture sector lags behind other countries, despite having the world’s longest coastline, because of regulatory burdens, she said. Ten different federal acts govern the sector. A modernized regulatory environment will allow Canada to take advantage of the growing global demand for fish and seafood products. It will improve coherence, simplicity and accountability while maintaining strong environmental standards.
“Our government is committed to job creation, economic growth and long term prosperity. Canada benefits from the longest coastline in the world and a growing aquaculture sector can provide jobs to rural, coastal and Aboriginal communities,” said Shea. “Today we are taking further steps to enable the aquaculture industry to thrive and create much needed jobs, while being sustainable and environmentally sound.”
Earlier this year the government announced a CAD 54 million (USD 50.5 million, EUR 37.1 million) investment for the renewal of the Sustainable Aquaculture Program, which includes an aquaculture regulatory reform agenda. Today’s announcement clarifies the role of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans on the deposit of substances in water for the purposes of aquaculture.
As the next step of this process, new proposed Aquaculture Activities Regulations will be pre-published in early July 2014 in the Canada Gazette, Part I, for a 60-day public comment period. A number of regulatory initiatives such as amendments to the Pacific Aquaculture Regulations will establish a license fee schedule and provide for annual payment installments for multi-year aquaculture licenses.
The aquaculture industry in Canada is responsible for more than 14,000 full-time, year-round jobs in rural, coastal and Aboriginal communities.
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