TREPA letter exchange with Minister Belliveau on aquaculture

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Dan Earle

 

Original Letter (see reply below)

From: John Sollows, Executive Director,

Tusket River Environmental Protection Association,
P.O. Box 103,
Tusket, N. S.,
B0W 3M0.

Date: June 29,2011

File no: 11-041

Dear Mr. Belliveau:

We are disappointed with your decision to approve expansion of the Cooke salmon cage culture projects in Digby and Shelburne Counties.

Salmon cage culture carries various environmental risks. We wish to emphasize in particular those associated with a sudden multifold expansion of an existing operation. Economies of scale may make such rapid expansions attractive, but the economic benefits can be wiped out by the environmental consequences of doing this. The caged stock can be more vulnerable to disease outbreaks, and can necessitate increased application of prophylactic and therapeutic drugs. Wastes from an expanded operation will inevitably pollute more severely than a smaller operation and endanger spawn of numerous species. What effect might these hazards have, for instance, on existing fisheries?

It seems that the government did not carry out sufficient public consultation before making these decisions, particularly in the Digby county situation. The aquaculture operations will certainly bring in jobs, but how many existing jobs, particularly those which depend on local resources, will be compromised?

We are very concerned that the short-term gains from this decision will be outweighed by longer-term pain.

To: Stirling Belliveau, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture

Cc: Minister of the Environment; Premier

Reply

From: Hon. Sterling W (DFA) Belliveau
Sent: July-14-11 1:29 PM
To: John and Nhung
Subject: Our Reference F58

Dear Mr. Sollows:

Thank you for your e-mail of June 29, 2011 concerning the recent approval of aquaculture sites in Shelburne and Digby Counties.

I want to assure you that my staff and I are aware of the concerns you presented. The aquaculture sites in both St. Mary’s Bay and Shelburne Harbour underwent a very lengthy and detailed review which included many provincial and federal agencies. I have examined the results and have full confidence that these sites were properly assessed.

Aquaculture, when conducted in an environmentally responsible manner, is able to meet the need for sustainably produced seafood while promoting economic development in coastal communities.

Again, thank you for taking time to write on this matter.

Yours sincerely,

Original Signed By:

Sterling W.W. Belliveau
Minister
Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture

 

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Draft fur industry regulations published

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Dan Earle

You may find the draft fur farm regulations published at the website below. There will be local stakeholder meetings soon. To be announced.

http://www.gov.ns.ca/agri/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Aquaculture report from Shelburne

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Dan Earle

This  is an article from the July 14, 2011 Chronicle Herald reporting on the NS Dept. of Fisheries and Aquaculture meeting regarding new aquaculture open-pen finfish licences in Shelburne Tuesday evening. Not much coverage of issues raised by community members except concerns about possible impacts on lobster catches. Karen Traversy, Coastal Coalition of NS Steering Committee

Aquaculture project could net 400 jobs 

By BRIAN MEDEL Yarmouth Bureau
Wed, Jul 13 – 4:53 AM

SHELBURNE — Sixteen new aquaculture jobs will have been created in the Digby area by the end of this month, says a vice-president of Cooke Aquaculture of New Brunswick.

Nell Halse said 700,000 young salmon are now swimming in one of two new fish farms in St. Mary’s Bay, part of a five-year, $150-million plan that could bring almost 400 jobs to the area.

Halse spoke Tuesday evening in Shelburne at a government hearing held to inform people about another Cooke Aquaculture application to open three new sites — two in Jordan Bay and one at the entrance to Shelburne Harbour — that would be part of the project.

More than 375 people attended. Some wondered why provincial Fisheries Minister Sterling Belliveau wasn’t there, but his staff said he doesn’t attend public information sessions or hearings.

The minister received a list of 52 questions from concerned citizens last week.

“He received those Thursday. He has not . . . had time to review all 52 of those questions,” Celeste Sulliman, a provincial fisheries and aquaculture spokeswoman, said at the meeting.

“We will be . . . taking a look at all of them. There are some of them that we as a department can address and we will, and there are others that may be directed to another agency or to the company.”

Cooke Aquaculture, of Blacks Harbour, N.B., has been farming fish in Nova Scotia for about 15 years.

“Up till now, all of the fish that (we’ve) grown in Nova Scotia waters have been taken to New Brunswick for processing,” Halse said in an interview before the meeting.

“So the communities and the government have been asking why don’t we do this in Nova Scotia?”

She said Cooke needs more fish — about three million in total — from its aquaculture pens if it is to have a year-round fish processing plant in the area.

Cooke is talking about developing a hatchery in Digby, expanding a feed mill in Truro and either renovating an existing building near Shelburne as a processing plant or building a new one.

The project includes work in the three towns as well as the two new St. Mary’s Bay farms and the three newly proposed Shelburne County farms that people gathered to hear more about Tuesday.

It took close to two years to get the St. Mary’s Bay farms approved.

Cooke now has eight farms in Nova Scotia, and ideally a third of them should lie fallow for up to a year at a time, she said.

Some in the audience wanted to know if fish farms adversely affect lobster catches. Federal fisheries staff in attendance said there is no evidence or research to support such a conclusion.

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Bridgewater – Growing Green! Sustainability Festival

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Dan Earle

The Town of Bridgewater, NS, is getting ready to host its annual Growing Green! Sustainability Festival. This year’s festival is taking place on Saturday, July 23, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on King Street, between Empire and Dominion.

Held along the banks of the breathtaking LaHave River, the festival is dedicated to promoting sustainable living in all its forms – making it different from any other festival in the entire region.

During the celebration, the town’s main thoroughfare is closed down and the street is filled with bright and colourful displays and exhibits dedicated to the promotion of sustainability.

But it’s not just about sorting garbage or using bio fuels – here, you’ll find a range of performers, artisans and local food producers, each showing in their own way that small actions can have a huge impact. The festivalwill go ahead rain or shine on July 23 and includes the following:

  •  An expanded Bridgewater Farmers’ Market
  • The Walk ‘n’ Roll Active Transportation parade, designed to get participants moving in a colourful and fun way
  • Earth-friendly entertainment and activities for kids
  • The premiere of a month-long art display at the Bridgewater Library
  • A green legacy project, which will see a parcel of land cleaned up in preparation of the creation of a new water garden along the LaHave River

For more information on the Bridgewater Growing Green! Sustainability
Festival, visit www.growinggreenfest.com

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Shelburne shorebird festival

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Dan Earle

Photo: Bonnie Blades

There’s going to be a shorebird festival in Shelburne County from August 26-28. This is the first year for this event, and it will include a shorebird ID workshop, field trips, a photography contest as well as an opportunity to take in other activities happening in Shelburne that weekend. The festival schedule and registration information are available at http://www.discovershelburnecounty.com/shorebirdfest.html.

It will be a great chance to get out on some of our beautiful beaches and learn about the shorebirds that stop here during migration. Other groups are taking part: Bird Studies Canada, Nova Scotia Nature Trust, Ecology Action Centre, and Parks Canada will all have people and displays at the Saturday night lobster dinner.

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