O P I N I O N

Nova Scotians Press for Moratorium on More Salmon Feedlots

Our communities have been waiting for the release of the final report of the Review of the Aquaculture Regulations since the end of September. We hope that this important report does not get buried in the holiday season and that the people of Nova Scotia and the government take the time to read it and adopt it. The report is a thorough and balanced summary of industry, science, conservation and community input.

Open pen fish feedlots are our primary concern with this industry. Our position going into the review was to push for a moratorium of marine based feedlots until objective science and economic analysis can show that there will be no harm to our coastal environment and the existing industries such as the lobster fishery and tourism which are the backbones of our communities. We want to develop our coastal communities in a sustainable way and to promote our pristine brand. We do not want our coast to become an industrial dump. We support the call for a moratorium until the regulations in their whole are adopted.

Although the report does not go as far as we would have liked it acknowledges that there must be a complete overhaul of the regulatory framework. And the report says that communities must be an integral part of the regulatory process.

It is imperative that the government adopt this report in its entirety, as recommended, for communities to regain some trust and to be involved in the regulatory process in good faith. This report reflects countless hours of work and experience and we call on the government of Nova Scotia to fully adopt the recommendations of the panel. We encourage the government of Nova Scotia to show some vision and leadership by listening to the voices of coastal communities.

Wendy Watson Smith, Preservation of the Eastern shore (APES), Eastern Shore, Nova Scotia, Canada