NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release 2002AGF0017-000697 Jan. 31, 2002		Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries
NEW STANDARDS TO BE SET FOR SUSTAINABLE AQUACULTURE

VICTORIA – New, comprehensive environmental standards and practices will allow for the managed expansion of the salmon aquaculture industry in British Columbia beginning April 30, 2002, the B.C. government announced today.

 

"The high operating standards proposed by government, along with improved practices, will protect the environment and allow the industry to expand in a sustainable and responsible manner," said John van Dongen, minister of agriculture, food and fisheries. "For more than four years, government has exhaustively reviewed the scientific work done on the salmon aquaculture issue."

 

In 1995, the previous government placed a moratorium on new marine salmon farm tenures. An Environmental Assessment Office scientific review, completed in 1997, was the most rigorous and costly in the history of the province. It concluded that, as practised, the risks of salmon aquaculture to the environment were low. The review made 49 recommendations that would further reduce risks of salmon aquaculture, all of which were accepted in full by government and industry.

 

Since October 1999, the government has worked toward implementing policies that will result in the most comprehensive regime of any jurisdiction in the world for managing the salmon aquaculture industry.  

 

"Our government understands that British Columbians expect our environment to be protected and industry to be in full compliance with strict standards," said Joyce Murray, minister of water, land and air protection.  "This industry will be managed in a responsible manner."

 

"This decision will provide the opportunity for careful and sustainable growth of aquaculture in our hard-hit coastal communities," said Stan Hagen, minister of sustainable resource management.

 

Improved and new policies for fish escapes, fish health, siting and relocations, fish waste and research and development have been developed and will be finalized by April 30, 2002.

 

Applications for new aquaculture sites will be accepted after April 30, 2002, and are expected to take up to a year to process. Since aquaculture has a long production cycle, businesses need to make decisions now for production to begin by 2003.

 

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Media contacts:

 

Dave Townsend, 250 356-5861

Communications Branch 

Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries

 

Alex Dabrowski, 250 387-9423

Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection

Communications Branch

 

Steve Weatherbe, 250 387-1705

Communications Branch

Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management

Visit the province's Web site at http://www.gov.bc.ca/ for online information and services.