To ensure maximum quality for all Newfoundland and Labrador seafood products, the Provincial Government is supporting aquaculture research to determine how the quality of fish products is affected by the various methods through which fish is grown and processed.

This project is being conducted in partnership with the Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation (CCFI) as well as other industry representatives, and is part of a $140,313 contribution that government has provided to CCFI for various fisheries and aquaculture development projects.

"Research aimed at developing a relationship between product quality and the ways by which fish species are grown and processed has been limited," said the Honourable Tom Rideout, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture. "We must ensure that we are achieving maximum quality for all seafood products wherever possible, and we must adjust our approach to culturing and processing if necessary."

The assessment will aim to determine such characteristics as harvest size and primary processing techniques that most positively influence product quality.

Under the Fisheries Development Program, government is contributing $6,315 towards this initiative. In Budget 2006, government enhanced the development program by allocating an additional $250,000 for each of the next five years, for a total of $700,000 annually.

"Along with industry, CCFI has been leading research on cod aquaculture in Canada over the past two decades," says the new managing director of CCFI, Carey Bonnell. "We are eager to further develop this sector by partnering with Northern Aquaculture Corporation, the Marine Institute and the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture on this new initiative. The potential to produce new products from farmed cod, and in particular a premium saltfish product for global markets, is especially exciting for CCFI, as it represents the use of the most modern technologies to improve on the most historic commercial cod recipes."

"The fishing industry in Newfoundland and Labrador continues to be a top priority for government," said Minister Rideout. "Developmental projects such as this one are extremely important in strengthening the industry, and we will support all such initiatives as we move forward."

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Media contact:
Lori Lee Oates
Director of Communications
Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture
709-729-3733, 690-8403
oatesll@gov.nl.ca

2007 02 02                                           9:50 a.m.