New competitor for Bay of Fundy fish farmers

Tor-Eddie Fossbakk That was the main recommendation in a strategic environmental assessment conducted for the province by the Offshore Energy Environmental Research Association (OEER). It was delivered to Nova Scotia’s Energy Minister, Richard Hurlburt, last week. The report is calling on Nova Scotia to consult with local fishermen and others to determine locations for the projects that have a low risk of negative impact and that can be monitored through a program including rules requiring the devices to be removed if they cause a negative impact. Any tidal power development should "take place incrementally, supported by an effective and transparent research and monitoring program" until the short- and long-term effects of tidal power are well understood and accepted. Further, “the installations should be removable and thresholds should be "established to indicate when removal would be required." OEER also recommends that attempts should be made to avoid or minimize a tidal project’s effect on the fishery, including aquaculture, and says a compensation plan should be in place in case the fishery is harmed by any project. The report lists 29 recommendations the province should follow in developing tidal power. It calls on the provinces to adopt 10 sustainability principles as a guide to tidal development and as part of any policy or legislation on tidal development. The report also says Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Ottawa should collaborate in managing tidal power to protect the Bay of Fundy ecosystem. Nova Scotia has committed to generate almost 20 per cent of the province’s electricity through renewable energy by 2013. This could have a significant impact on the aquaculture activities in the Bay of Fundy if the bay becomes a major source for the province’s renewable power generation.