April 14, 2014
The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Keith Hutchings, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture:
Vital Fisheries Science Research Continues with the Arrival of the MV Celtic Explorer
I rise in this Honourable House to make fellow Honourable Members aware that the MV Celtic Explorer, a research vessel chartered by the Fisheries and Marine Institute’s Centre for Fisheries Ecosystems Research, will soon arrive in provincial waters to continue vital fisheries science work.
Mr. Speaker, the MV Celtic Explorer is a 65-metre state-of-the-art fisheries and oceanographic research vessel, which is capable of conducting offshore fisheries surveys and other oceanographic work in the waters off Newfoundland and Labrador. It is the most sophisticated purpose-built vessel ever used for fisheries science research in the province. The vessel has multi-beam sonar capability for ocean mapping, remote operated vehicle capability, a wet and dry laboratory, and accommodations for up to 18 scientists, technicians and students. Under the direction of Dr. George Rose, Director of the Centre for Fisheries Ecosystems Research, this vessel contributes significantly to the most impressive fisheries research undertaken by any province in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, the Provincial Government is investing in fisheries science because it increases our knowledge of the province’s fish stocks and changes in the ecosystem. This helps maintain the overall sustainability of Newfoundland and Labrador’s fishing industry. Through Budget 2014: Shared Prosperity, Fair Society, Balanced Outlook, this government has increased its support for the Marine Institute’s Centre for Fisheries Ecosystems Research with an investment of $4.95 million over the next two years.
That investment is supporting ground-breaking work like the Satellite Cod Tagging project, which helps us better understand the movement and migration patterns of our valuable cod resource. It is also supporting studies related to haddock on the south coast, shrimp distribution and dynamics, and deep water species like turbot and redfish. One additional benefit resulting from investments in the Centre for Fisheries Ecosystems Research is that graduate student numbers have more than doubled since the centre was created. There are currently 20 graduate students and six post-doctoral fellows at the centre.
Clearly, this government has made it a priority to build fisheries research capacity within the province, and to support the sustainable management of our valuable fish resources that so many rural communities rely on. Our investments have put the province in an ideal position to take on a greater role in the management of our fish resources, and protect the well-being of our fisheries and aquaculture sectors into the future.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
2014 04 14 1:50 p.m.