Strong support for an expanded aquaculture industry
Some sectors of the Canadian aquaculture industry has been advocating for the creation of a specific Aquaculture Act for a long time, instead of the business of aquaculture being governed by a long list of rules and regulations, including the Canadian Fisheries Act that was established in 1867, enacted during frequent fishing disputes with the United States, and designed to "manage and protect" the fishing resources of all Canada's "fishing zones, territorial seas and inland waters," according to Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The Act has been amended over the years and the current version dates back to 1985- about the same time as the salmon farming industry got going in British Columbia.
The Canadian aquaculture industry’s umbrella organization has now come out calling for a new Aquaculture Act- a move that seems to be strongly supported by the majority of Canadians- and opposed by only a small number- according to a recent survey; Conducted from April 7 - 14, 2011, the survey found that eight in ten Canadians (81 percent) either strongly support (40 percent) or somewhat support (41 percent) a national Aquaculture Act. Only 4 percent oppose national legislation. Even in British Columbia - where campaigns opposing aquaculture are most active - 79 percent of respondents either strongly or somewhat support the development of an Aquaculture Act. More than six in ten Canadians indicated support for national legislation, saying the country needs national standards for the industry (69 percent) and a framework for industry growth (60 percent). "Canadians overwhelmingly support our call for a federal Aquaculture Act," said Ruth Salmon, Executive Director of the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA). "Canada's finfish and shellfish farmers have long been advocating for sustainable expansion and efficient regulations, and this survey confirms the Canadian public recognizes the social, economic and nutritional benefits our sustainable industry provides."
Currently, the Canadian aquaculture industry is governed by 73 pieces of often conflicting rules and regulations, making Canada's aquaculture industry one of the most heavily-regulated in the world. Canada is also the world's only major farmed seafood producing country without national legislation specifically designed to govern and enable its aquaculture industry.
The survey also found that almost nine in ten Canadians (88 percent) have eaten seafood in the past three months and that over 70 percent of respondents feel it's important to get fresh protein year-round, food that's locally-grown, and food grown in an environmentally sustainable way. "Demand for seafood is on the rise as consumers opt for healthier lifestyle choices," said Salmon. "If the industry were able to expand in an efficiently regulated manner, we would be in a position to meet growing domestic and international demand for our product - something we currently can't do."
Abacus Data Inc. conducted the online survey among 1,196 randomly selected Canadian adults from an online panel of over 75,000 Canadians, who were randomly selected to join the panel by telephone. The margin of error-which measures sampling variability-is comparable to +/-2.9%, 19 times out of 20.
