New Canadian Fisheries Minister
Former Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Gail Shea was re-elected during the June 02 federal election, but in a subsequent shuffle of the Cabinet, she was moved from fisheries to a department of government revenue, leaving the fisheries post open to a former New Brunswick member of the provincial government to take charge. During her term at the head of one of the most politically charged departments of the federal government of Canada, Minister Shea- although not moving forward on a specific Act aimed at regulating aquaculture in Canada- showed great leadership in moving forward with the development of a national strategy for aquaculture development, despite taking a pie in her face that resulted in her now well-known statement; “Well, you know politics is not a calling for the faint of heart”.
Minister Shea’s replacement is Keith Ashfield from Fredericton, New Brunswick, where he served as Minister of Natural Resources from 2003 to 2006. He has also been the person in charge of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency which has pumped millions of dollars into the east coast Canadian aquaculture industry. A response to the appointment from the Canadian aquaculture industry was provided by Ruth Salmon, courtesy of Brett Bundale of The Daily Gleaner;
Ruth Salmon, executive director of the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance, said she's pleased to see Ashfield in the role of Fisheries minister. "He has a good understanding of the importance of the industry and that is really helpful as we move forward with some of our top issues," she said, noting that the industry generates $280 million in revenue and 2,500 jobs in New Brunswick alone. "It's a significant industry for rural Canada and it's an economic driver in coastal communities and I think the minister gets the importance of that."
Salmon said the No. 1 issue for the aquaculture industry is the lack of legislation tailored specifically to the cultivation of aquatic animals for food. "We're managed under the Fisheries Act and it's inappropriate for aquaculture," she said. "It was meant for the wild fisheries, not a food production industry like aquaculture. "As an industry we feel very strongly that we need our own legislation that is going to provide us with some clarity and attract investment."
After his appointment Wednesday, Ashfield said he was pleased with his new portfolio but needs time to get up to date on each file before commenting on specific issues. "Fisheries is a file that covers coast to coast to coast and affects a lot of people's lives," he said. "It's something that is going to take a lot of thought and a lot of work to get up to speed to be able to represent people's interest.
