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Fisheries and Aquaculture
November 22, 2007

Aquaculture Ministers Meet with Federal Ministers in Ottawa

A delegation of provincial ministers and officials responsible for aquaculture development in Canada came together in Ottawa today to meet with economic policy ministers in the Federal Government. The delegation met with the Honourable David Emerson, Minister of International Trade; the Honourable Loyola Hearn, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans; the Honourable Greg Thompson, Minister of Veterans Affairs; and the Honourable Peter McKay, Minister of National Defense and Minister Responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. They also had a chance to have a brief discussion with the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance.

The purpose of the meetings was to seek federal support for a comprehensive and national Aquaculture Renewal Agreement. The provincial ministers provided information to make their federal colleagues aware of the potential of the Canadian aquaculture industry, particularly in rural and coastal areas of the country. The provincial ministers also provided information to dispel myths that are often perpetrated in relation to the aquaculture sector.

Participating provincial ministers were the Honourable Tom Rideout, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador; the Honourable Ronald Ouellette, Minister of Agriculture and Aquaculture for New Brunswick; and the Honourable Allan Campbell, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture for Prince Edward Island. The provinces of Nova Scotia, Quebec, British Columbia and Manitoba were also represented at the meetings.

�I am pleased to see the interest and support generated by our meetings with our federal colleagues,� said Minister Rideout. �This bodes well for the potential growth of the Canadian aquaculture industry. While aquaculture has sometimes been critiqued for environmental concerns, the industry has made great strides in addressing any environmental issues. Most of the criticisms that are unfairly made against the industry are no longer an issue and it is important that we now work to get that message out to the world.�

Canada is next to one of the largest seafood markets in the world which is the United States. Eastern Canada is strategically located between the two major markets of the United States and Europe and western provinces enjoy access to Asian markets. This means that incredible potential exists for the further development of the aquaculture industry in Canada.

�In order to realize the full potential of aquaculture for Canada, strategic investments in research and innovation are required to increase productivity and encourage species and product diversification,� said Minister Ouellette. �As consumers are increasingly aware of the health benefits of fish with high Omega-3 content such as salmon, demand for aquaculture is growing worldwide, and that represents a tremendous economic opportunity for Canada.�

The Canadian Council of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers has committed to developing a harmonized, streamlined and effective governance structure for aquaculture in Canada. It is hoped that a revitalized and effective regulatory structure will improve access to sites and see development of aquaculture in Canada, as well as provide industry with a climate to attract new investment to expand their business.

�While the world demand for seafood products continues to rise, the limits of sustainable exploration of wild stocks has reached its limit and been exceeded in many areas of the world,� said Minister Campbell. �Many coastal areas are facing overcapacity in their seafood processing sectors as this type of work is shifting to low-cost producing regions such as China. The additional seafood products needed to utilize existing processing facility in Canada can come from aquaculture development. As the world continues to urbanize and employment opportunities move to cities, aquaculture is a key sector for the creation of year-round employment in rural and coastal areas of the country.�

The global demand for healthy year-round sources of protein is growing and consumers are becoming more aware of the need for good nutrition. This is creating changes in the way that the world purchases seafood products and a demand for aquaculture products. The global demand for seafood is outstripping the ocean�s ability to meet the demand.

In order for the Canadian aquaculture industry to compete in the modern global environment, federal, provincial and territorial governments must work together to make it easier to attract investment to the industry. This requires making it easier for capital to move across international lines quickly and easily, both within and to the aquaculture sector in Canada.

Humanity farms the earth for meat products, vegetables, grains and dairy products. Meeting the global demand for seafood products now requires farming the oceans as well.

At the 2005 meeting of the Canadian Council of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers, it was agreed that the provinces would work together to begin the development of a comprehensive and national Aquaculture Renewal Agreement. The goal of the agreement will be to renew both the governance of the program and the support for the Canadian aquaculture industry. This will be a key step toward realizing the potential this sector has to offer Canadians.

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Media contacts:

Lori Lee Oates
Director of Communications
Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
(709) 729-3733, 690-8403
oatesll@gov.nl.ca
Alain Bryar
Director of Communications
Department of Agriculture and Aquaculture
Government of New Brunswick
(506) 444-4218
Alain.Bryar@gnb.ca
 
Wayne MacKinnon
Director of Communications
Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture
Government of Prince Edward Island
(902)368-4888
wemackinnon@gov.pe.ca
 
 


2007 11 22                                 5:25 p.m.
 


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