The decision by Canadian fisheries minister Bernadette Jordan to close 19 salmon farms in British Columbia has had “an immediate chilling effect on investments in technology and innovation” in the aquaculture industry, according to Tim Kennedy, chief executive of the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA).

Canada’s aquaculture and commercial fishing sectors have welcomed a public consultation on the federal government’s proposed Canadian Blue Economy Strategy.

Expanding Canadian aquaculture is fully compatible with the government’s requirement for “clean growth” to create jobs and power the country’s economic recovery, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been told.

Canada’s seafood farmers have welcomed a commitment by the federal government to connect 98% of the population across the country to high-speed internet by 2026, with the goal of connecting all Canadians by 2030.

Canada’s aquaculture and fishing industries have developed a 20-year blueprint to make the country one the world’s best sustainable fish and seafood producers.

Canadian seafood farming spokesman Tim Kennedy is to help advise a panel of world leaders on the best ways to sustainably increase food production in the sea.

New faces from the salmon farming industry have been added to the board of the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA) following elections at the group’s annual general meeting.