Senators need basic education about aquaculture
Opinion
As part of this study, the Senate Committee met with a delegation from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) tonight. Representing DFO from its headquarters in Ottawa were;
- Guy Beaupré, Director General, Aquaculture Management Directorate, Program Policy;
- Eric Gilbert, Executive Director, Aquaculture Operations, Ecosystems and Aquaculture Management; and
- Jay Parsons, Director, Strategic and Regulatory Science Directorate, Ecosystems and Oceans Science Sector
One of the reasons for this initiative is no doubt the call by the Canadian national aquaculture organization for a new Aquaculture Act in Canada in order for the industry to have its own, custom-made legislative foundation rather than being regulated by a miss-mash of laws originally set up to regulate other activities
During the one-hour long question and answer session (which was cut back from the originally scheduled 90 minute session due to late arrivals), it became obvious that some of the Senate Committee members were not well informed about the business of aquaculture development in Canada. So the meeting was obviously long overdue. One of the first concerns to be raised (by Senator Thomas McInnis) was the concern about DFO being both a regulator and a promoter of the Canadian aquaculture industry, to which Mr. Beaupré replied that this is no different than what DFO does with fisheries- the Department is the main regulator, but it is also tasked with presenting facts and information that are based on good science. The Department doesn’t see any conflict with its overall mandate, said Beaupré.
Senator Nancy Greene-Raine from British Columbia asked about which species of farmed fish (Atlantic salmon, tilapia) and shellfish (oysters, Manila clams, mussels etc.) are from natural populations, and which have been introduced? Are these (introduced species) grown in contained areas where they are not able to escape? Mr. Parsons explained that most of these are shellfish species introduced to B.C. many years ago, and which have long ago established wild, “naturalized” populations. There are no established populations of Atlantic salmon in B.C., and all tilapia farms in Canada are producing the fish in freshwater tanks on land. Mr. Gilbert said it took decades to figure out and to domesticate the Atlantic salmon, which makes it easier to culture than wild, Pacific salmon species. All intentional importations of fish and shellfish to Canada are strictly regulated under an Introduction and Transfer Code.
Senator Greene-Raine also asked about what consideration or compensation is given to upland owners when a fish farm is situated in front of their properties without prior notice or consultation. (In B.C. an aquaculture proponent must have the consent of the upland owner before a farm site is approved- ed. note.)
Senator McInnis wrongly suggested that some areas in Canada regulate the density of fish in a farm, while others don’t. He also questioned why some regions practise fallowing/rotation of farm sites, while others don’t. In addition, he raised the problem of cross-breeding by escaped farmed salmon on Canada’s East Coast. He also questioned the apparent lack of public participation in the development of a DFO report about the aquaculture industry in New Brunswick. Mr. Beaupré suggested that the aquaculture industry in Canada is fairly new, and it has its challenges and concerns. The sea lice issue is difficult to manage, and the concerns raised by the public about this and other issues create a lot of misinformation. DFO is working closely with other jurisdictions (Norway, Scotland and others) to address some of these concerns.
Senator Elizabeth Hubley asked about the state of aquaculture research on-going in Canada, to which Mr. Parsons described some of the various, on-going programs, as well as the (dramatically reduced) DFO Aquaculture Collaborative Research and Development Program, which no longer funds industry development projects. Senator Hubley also asked about potential benefits and resources to the Canadian aquaculture industry from foreign-owned companies operating here. Without a mention of the huge amount of research interaction taking place within the international salmon farming industry, Mr. Parsons restricted his answer to talk about publicly available research applicable to the Canadian industry and international research involving Canadian scientists.
The Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance is supposed to meet with the Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans next week.
