Our coastal communities need more aquaculture

Gerry Furney, Special to the Sun
Published: Tuesday, August 21, 2007

There have been many applications over the past few years, but few approvals given. To my knowledge only four new salmon aquaculture licences have been issued since 2002.

Had more licences been issued, there would have been enough products to keep the Port Hardy plant and the Englewood plant working to capacity.

The processing capacity had been put in place based on the implied, verbal and moral support voiced by governments at all levels for the industry. Government was aware of the benefits of fish production and consumption that have been experienced in countries such as Norway, Scotland, Ireland and Chile. Even Eastern Canada has seen the industry expand.

But the industry in British Columbia has borne the brunt of the worst forms of irresponsible environmentalism from the same groups that brought the forest industry to its knees over the last 20 years. How can we ever forget the comment by Lynn Hunter, aquaculture specialist at the David Suzuki Foundation, when she said in an e-mail, "Tormenting fish farmers is fun -- it really, really is." And that is just the tip of the "environmental industry" iceberg, a shameful way to play with people's lives.

Impractical suggestions such as land-based tanks have been proposed by the NDP-led aquaculture committee that ignores the capital costs, the operating costs and the environmental costs of the electrical power required to pump billions of gallons of circulating water.

It is not right that the livelihoods of people in any community should be threatened by irresponsible and unfounded doomsday predictions. Business should be encouraged in its efforts to develop the aquaculture industry along our sparsely populated coastline, especially in the isolated first nations communities where economic activity is difficult to develop.

There are many outstanding licence applications by progressive companies and first nations groups that are being held up in the system. This is giving in to the naysayers and the money-laden foundations that finance them.

Lip service about new economic opportunities for coastal communities is cheap, but it's time for governments to put some real action into encouraging the expansion of this industry. It holds the only realistic, practical opportunity to provide meaningful economic activity in these small coastal communities.

The issuance of the licences now pending in the system would be a great morale booster for the industry and for the Aboriginal Aquaculture Association which recently met with industry representatives, first nation chiefs and Island mayors in Campbell River.

Those mayors were among the baker's dozen of mayors who recently visited Norway and saw how well the aquaculture industry has boosted the economies of rural communities there.

It is time that governments at all levels faced reality. There is no magic formula that can create new year-round jobs in the other resource industries.

Forestry, pulp, fishing and mining are maxed out. Tourism is great for two or three months when we welcome our summer visitors. But the accommodation and catering industry, which is often confused with "tourism," relies on business, government and other travellers for the other nine months of the year.
The "Norway" mayors and first nations chiefs are planning a meeting with government leaders as a result of the Campbell River meeting with the hope that policies will be introduced to further develop the industry for the good of the coastal communities and the provincial economy.

This is a win-win opportunity.

Gerry Furney is the mayor of Port McNeill.