Do Not Allow Proposed Environmentally Damaging Aquaculture Activities Regulations, says
Broad Coalition to Prime Minister
For Immediate Release February 17, 2015
Halifax, NS Business leaders, commercial and recreational fishing associations, scientists, lawyers and
environmentalists are calling on Prime Minister Harper to halt the implementation of the proposed
Aquaculture Activities Regulations. The changes will exempt the aquaculture industry from the Fisheries
Act provisions that “prohibit the release of deleterious substances into water frequented by fish.” Despite
broad based opposition since the beginning of the regulatory change process, which started in 2011, the
government of Canada has moved ahead in implementing these changes.
“These regulations will set back Canadian aquatic environmental protection measures several decades,”
states Bill Ernst, a retired Environment Canada toxicologist. “They will eliminate Environment Canada’s
role in enforcing the law with respect to aquaculture and hand responsibility over to Health Canada who
do not have an undivided environmental protection mandate.”
The 120 signatories of an open letter sent today, contend that the proposed changes will lead to
increased environmental risk through the discharge of increasingly powerful pesticides, and other
potentially damaging substances into the aquatic ecosystem, significantly reduce government regulatory
oversight, and damage Canada’s commercial interests as a provider of untainted seafood.
“We have been fishing along side the aquaculture industry for decades and we know the impacts openpen salmon farms can have on the traditional fishery. When the salmon aquaculture industry is poorly
regulated it places our industry and livelihoods in jeopardy. We have grave concerns about the contents
of the Aquaculture Activities Regulations, particularly the emphasis on aquaculture industry selfmonitoring and regulation, and the capacity of DFO to enforce the proposed regulations,” says Maria
Recchia, Executive Director of Fundy North Fisherman’s Association based in Southwestern New
Brunswick.
“The value of our industry is based on a pristine, non-polluted marine environment,” says Stewart
Lamont, owner of Tangier Lobster in Nova Scotia. “We have already dealt with the impacts of pesticides,
and see federal fines levied on something that would now become legal. To have DFO authorize
pollution from a coastal industry is simply baffling.”
A newly released scientific study by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans on the impacts of two
pesticides used to treat sea lice, Salmonsan and Alphamax, shows that there are lethal effects on
lobster and the risk from one of those, Alphamax, exists up to ten kilometres from sites of use and
concludes that there is a general lack of data on pesticide impacts on a wide variety of other marine
species.
“We already know that our oceans and coastal ecosystems are suffering from far too much pollution.
With these proposed regulatory changes, we are actively allowing further pollution of our coastal waters.
Our coastal industries, particularly those that rely on a healthy marine environment will be put at risk,”
says Dr. Susanna Fuller, Marine Conservation Coordinator at the Ecology Action Centre.” In addition,
our international reputation on environmental protection will be impacted – something we can’t afford,
particularly given the importance of the export markets to our fisheries.”
--30-For More Information:
Maria Recchia, Executive Director, Fundy North Fishermen’s Association e: mariarecchia@nb.aibn.com
c:506-469-4191
Stewart Lamont, Managing Director, Tangier Lobster e: stewart@tangierlobster.com 902.456.0712
Bill Ernst, retired toxicologist, Environment Canada e: wrernst1@gmail.com cell 902-999-5771,
home 902 865 5771
Susanna Fuller, PhD. Marine Conservation Coordinator, Ecology Action Centre e:
marine@ecologyaction.ca c: 902-483-5033 twitter @sdfuller @EAC_Seamouse
Matt Abbott, Fundy Baykeeper, Conservation Council of New Brunswick,
matt.abbott@conservationcouncil.ca c: 506-321-0429 w: 506-529-8838 twitter @MattAbbot
@FundyBaykeeper
Background Information:
Consultations were held starting in 2011 on proposed changes to the Fisheries Act regarding treatment
of sealice in the open net pen finfish farming industry. Proposed regulations were published in the
Canada Gazette on August 23rd, 2014.
http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2014/2014-08-23/html/reg1-eng.php