More support for Newfoundland salmon farmers
As another sign of the governmental support for aquaculture development in the Canadian Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Honourable Tom Hedderson recently expressed his favourable opinion in an interview with Clayton Hunt from The Coaster conducted during a visit to aquaculture facilities in the Coast of Bays. Here are some exerpts; "I got out on the water this morning (Jan. 26) and I talked to some of the employees at the Harbour Breton plant. Basically, I wanted to see some of the aquaculture facilities, meet some industry people and to get a feel for the industry. I also wanted to understand some of the geography of this area as well. The Coast of Bays and the west coast have been identified as having the most potential for aquaculture. It's obvious that the Coast of Bays is heavily involved in aquaculture...especially with regards to salmon and steelhead. The companies that have come on board down here - Cooke Aquaculture, the Grays and the Ingall Brothers - have certainly setup shop here and they brought with them tremendous expertise and experience, which is allowing us to move forward very rapidly. Our government is very excited about all of this, but we're cognizant of the fact that we have to move forward in a way that we won't forget how to have proper protocols in place in terms of infrastructure and bio-security. As Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture I'll make sure aquaculture gets the attention it deserves as good investments in this field will play a big part in the economic recovery of this area. People are starting to see the benefits of the whole program now. The fishery is a part of our culture - it's part of who we are, but sometimes people look at it in purely romantic ways. They are not aware that it is an annual billion dollar industry. Not everyone understands the aquaculture industry - they don't realize that a good part of the food fish supply for the world is through aquaculture. The fishery, and especially the aquaculture industry, can help our young people, our middle-aged people and older residents stay in rural Newfoundland and work in a way similar to their forefathers. We also need young people to become technicians, veterinarians and service industry workers based on aquaculture. There are many economic opportunities based on the aquaculture and traditional fisheries in our province. The fishery is still a piece of the economic picture of Newfoundland and Labrador and we should not sell our fishery short. We reminded the minister (federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Gail Shea) that the federal government can really help the industry grow by helping supply infrastructure like better wharves and roads. We told her that federal government fisheries policies don't always look at the aquaculture industry. This is a vital industry for our province and no matter what the challenges are, we have to move forward in recognizing that this is a renewable industry and will be here long after the oil and other minerals are gone. Government must take the stewardship role in stepping up to the plate to do whatever we have to do to keep this industry sustainable, viable and competitive. We should not be taking the product out of the ocean unless we are getting the true value for that product. The government's Fishing Industry Renewal Strategy has given me a template that I believe I can use to take care of the traditional fishery. The aquaculture people have their act together, but we have to be careful we don't leap before we look. We have to move forward collaboratively as this industry can be a vital part of the future".
