Seabed Mapping Efforts Funded Through Innovation Program

Valuable environmental research about the impacts of fishing activity on the ocean floor will be advanced with financial assistance from the Provincial Government. The Honourable Darin King, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, announced $23,992 for a seabed mapping initiative by the Northern Shrimp Research Foundation today through the Fisheries Technology and New Opportunities Program.

“Ensuring the sustainability of our fishery is important to the Provincial Government,” said Minister King. “Studying the seabed gives us important insights into how our fishery interacts with the environment, and so I commend Northern Shrimp Research Foundation for taking on this important work. I look forward to seeing the results of this project.”

The Northern Shrimp Research Foundation is a research entity that was established by the Federal Government and industry stakeholders. This project, led by the foundation, will apply a mapping method that utilizes single beam sonar to collect water depth and bottom type data from northern shrimp grounds. The project will determine whether variations in sonar frequency, classification system parameters, water depth, and sea state can result in a significant difference in the quality of recorded data. In addition to the financial support provided by the Provincial Government, the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans contributed $20,000 in technical support and expertise toward the project.

“Our government is committed to developing prosperous fisheries that are economically viable and sustainable now and for future generations,” said the Honourable Keith Ashfield, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. “We are proud to work with the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador for a bright future for the fishing industry.”

The Marine Institute, Memorial University, and the Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation are all providing valuable assistance to Northern Shrimp Research Foundation’s research efforts.

“The Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation supports research that improves the practices employed in our fishing and aquaculture industries,” said Robert Verge, Managing Director of the centre. “Better understanding of shrimp habitat and the way fishing activity affects the environment will help make better decisions in the future. We are pleased to support the Northern Shrimp Research Foundation and we thank the Provincial Government for their support in advancing research that will help our fishery to be more environmentally friendly.”

In addition to the environmental importance, this work has been motivated by the desire to continue Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification for the provincial shrimp industry. The MSC certification is an internationally-renowned program that recognizes and rewards fishery sustainability efforts. It is important to international consumers that the sources of their seafood have this certification, and so research efforts like these play an important role in retaining and growing markets for provincial shrimp products.

“Maintaining MSC certification is certainly a high priority for many industry stakeholders,” said Bruce Chapman, Executive Director of the Northern Shrimp Research Foundation. “We would like to thank the Provincial Government for supporting research that helps develop best practices, which in turn helps local industry maintain the certification and stay competitive in global seafood markets.”

During the first three years of the Fisheries Technology and New Opportunities Program, the Provincial Government invested approximately $6 million to support a total of 127 industry-driven projects. Budget 2011 Standing Strong: For Prosperity. For Our Future. For Newfoundland and Labrador continued the program for an additional three years with a total investment of $6.6 million.

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2011 11 04                               11:45 a.m.