Fisheries and Aquaculture
August 6, 2013
New Funding Supports Research to Protect Farmed Salmon
A multi-year research project to determine if cunner and lumpfish can
protect farmed salmon from sea lice will receive additional funding through
the Provincial Government’s Fisheries Technology and New Opportunities
Program. The Honourable Derrick Dalley, Minister of Fisheries and
Aquaculture, announced $85,000 today, to continue a research effort that has
involved Memorial University, the Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation,
and representatives from the Aquaculture industry.
“Sea lice poses a significant threat to aquaculture operations worldwide,
and so this research could be of great benefit to provincial aquaculture
sites that are generating more than $100 million in economic activity each
year,” said Minister Dalley. “There is evidence from aquaculture operations
in Norway and Scotland that certain types of fish can be used in salmon
cages to mitigate sea lice effectively, and so the Provincial Government
will make $85,000 available so that industry and research experts can
explore whether cunner and lumpfish can do that here.”
Cunner and lumpfish are considered to be “cleaner fish,” a type of fish that
clean other species and eat parasites. The Provincial Government provided
$51,600 to support earlier phases of research into the use of cleaner fish
to protect commercially farmed salmon. If the research proves successful, it
will identify a remedy for sea lice that is both cost effective and
ecologically sound.
“The industry is very excited about the potential for cleaner fish to offer
a new and environmentally benign pest management tool that would complement
our efforts to address sea lice,” said Cyr Couturier, Executive Director of
the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association. “This research may give
our industry a global competitive advantage, and so on behalf of the
association, I thank the Provincial Government for its support.”
The Provincial Government’s overall investment in aquaculture has helped
create employment for approximately 1,000 people, and helped double
aquaculture production market value so that it now exceeds $100 million
annually.
Budget 2013: A Sound Plan, A Secure Future included a $2.2 million
investment in Fisheries Technology and New Opportunities Program, which has
promoted innovation in our billion dollar fishing and aquaculture industry
by assisting more than 200 research and development projects since 2008.
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Media contacts:
Jason Card
Director of Communications
Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture
709-729-3733, 699-0470
jasoncard@gov.nl.ca |
Cyr Couturier
Executive Director
Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association
709-754-2854
cyr@naia.ca |
2013 08 06
11:15 a.m.