Vancouver Island Member of Parliament supports aquaculture investment
Opinion
In the sometimes heated debate over the pros and cons of aquaculture development, and especially salmon farming, few politicians in British Columbia have recently had the courage to state publicly that they support the industry and the way it is practised and regulated. In the past two provincial elections, coastal communities in the areas most used by salmon farmers have elected members of the New Democratic Party, which has a platform of closing the industry by the legislated, mandatory use of some yet-to-be designed form of closed containment farming system.
But in the last federal election, John Duncan made no secret about his support for the current sustainable way of farming salmon in B.C. His party is presently in power in Ottawa, and an inquiry into the management of wild salmon resources in B.C. that was just launched by this government might just show that his support for aquaculture is an appropriate one. Much of the attention given to the inquiry, which was started due to the lack of returning salmon in the Fraser River last year, has been focused on the negative information about salmon farming provided by environmental activists. Much of this misinformation will likely be exposed, and already some environmental groups have started to change the contents of their web sites and to remove information that they no doubt will be criticised for under upcoming cross-examination.
Mr. Duncan’s support for innovation in the aquaculture industry was demonstrated recently by an article in the Campbell River-based Courier-Islander;
John Duncan, Member of Parliament for Vancouver Island North, applauded a $1.08 million investment in aquaculture innovation in BC recently announced by the Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. The funding was made available through the Government of Canada's Aquaculture Innovation and Market Access Program (AIMAP). "The aquaculture industry in BC is vibrant and has been a reliable source of jobs and economic opportunity for coastal communities," said Duncan. "This investment will help finfish and shellfish farmers to develop cleaner and more efficient processes and technologies, and help build a strong and sustainable industry."
This investment will be used to fund eight projects, which include efforts to improve the quality of wastewater, to develop, test and refine new technologies, and to improve the health outcomes of both finfish and shellfish. AIMAP helps Canada's aquaculture industry enhance its sustainable performance by refining management techniques and technologies. The program's overall goal is to support Canadian aquaculture and encourage innovation investments in the industry.
