March Newsletter

Tue, 2011-03-01

Local expertise and know-how linked-up with the perspective of the AAA at the series of workshops held across Vancouver Island this spring. The information-exchange events were held in Campbell River, Port Alberni and Nanaimo.

Aquaculture and fisheries experts from many First Nation communities as well as the industry got together at the workshops that were hosted by the AAA. Facilitating the discussions were AAA presenters Don Sinclair and Odd Grydeland who covered a variety of topics including:

Aquaculture license application process
Development opportunities
Potential funding sources
The Pacific North Coast management area
Geoduck policy for wild and aquaculture

“Very knowledgeable participants from throughout the industry were what made the workshops worthwhile,” AAA president Richard Harry said.

“Sharing on-the-ground information between communities is certainly one of the main things that the AAA is all about. We can provide support and direction, but local experience and knowledge is always going to be valuable as our communities move forward into developing sustainable aquaculture industries.”

The workshops included discussion about Canada’s aquaculture strategic action plan initiative. — NASAPI.

[Please refer to the NASAPI factsheet on the last page of this newsletter.]

This is ‘an opportunity’

During the discussion that accompanied the presentation, Richard Harry said that while the national initiative is a challenge, “The AAA and First Nations can use NASAPI as an aquaculture opportunity. We have been fighting for this kind of thing for the past 20-25 years.