The aquaculture industry is about to enter a period of growth in Newfoundland and Labrador, if the provincial government gets its way.
Premier Dwight Ball recently announced the launch of 28 actions that will promote new careers and bright futures through sustainable aquaculture development.
Actions to support growth within the aquaculture industry include:
- Responding to the human resource needs of the industry with tailored labour market supports, immigration attraction, and efforts to help make youth aware of opportunities in aquaculture;
- Responding to the capital and infrastructure needs of the industry by adjusting government funding programs and exploring partnership opportunities to develop facilities that strengthen the value chain for mussel and salmon producers;
- Responding to the public awareness and market access needs of the industry by developing a marketing strategy that promotes products and builds public trust;
- Responding to the needs of provincial entrepreneurs by promoting opportunities for aquaculture supply and service companies, which in turn creates new employment and maximizes industry competitiveness; and
- Responding to the public’s need for sustainable aquaculture development by reviewing all provincial policies related to aquaculture, including the provincial Code of Containment and other measures used to promote sustainability, which ensures the province remains a leader in best practices for years to come.
Ball said the provincial government and the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association (NAIA) share a goal to grow salmon production to 50,000 metric tonnes annually and grow mussel production to 10,750 metric tonnes annually.
In achieving these targets, the number of year-round jobs supported by aquaculture will more than double, from 1,000 to 2,100.
In addition to pursuing positive employment and economic outcomes, the government also placed priority on increasing provincial food self-sufficiency and leveraging the world class training provided to students of the Marine Institute. All actions included in the new sector work plan will be fully operationalized within 20 months.
A copy of the sector work plan and other materials presented at the aquaculture industry summit can be found online at: www.gov.nl.ca/aquaculturesummit.
Aquaculture research in the province also received a major funding boost recently.
Thanks to an investment from the provincial and federal governments, Memorial University is leading a pan-Atlantic research initiative to improve the health and welfare of cultured Atlantic salmon using genomic and other biotechnologies. The project will equip the Atlantic salmon aquaculture industry with the information and tools needed to develop more disease-resistant broodstock and improved vaccines, which will result in a more robust industry.
The province has kicked in $500,000 for the project through InnovateNL, while the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency announced $2.99 million for the initiative.
These investments will enable researchers at Memorial University’s Department of Ocean Sciences, Faculty of Science, to work with Atlantic Canadian industry and academic partners to mitigate the impact of climate-related challenges on salmon aquaculture. The project will focus on the predicted effects of warming coastal waters and improve methods for protecting salmon from pathogens that can lead to diseases which can have significant negative economic impacts on the industry.
The project will allow Atlantic Canadian fish farmers the ability to expand their workforce and revenue and have more disease-resistant broodstock as well as new scientific tools to improve fish health.
