New offices for aquaculture in B.C. Canada

New offices will be opened by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to oversee the aquaculture industry in the Campbell River, Courtenay and Nanaimo regions. From December 18, 2010 a federal regime will be in place to make sure that licenses can be obtained to ensure that aquaculture operations operate lawfully under the fisheries act.

Roberta Stevenson has greeted this with open arms, executive director of the Comox based BC shellfish growers association. ‘It’s going to be better’ Stevenson said ‘our industry will be more reliant on good science and good research, rather than politics. The DFO provisional plan is to add staff to the three locations of Campbell River, Courtenay and Nanaimo, creating a fish health laboratory  in Courtenay. Read more...