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The funding was announced late
last week on behalf of
Advanced Education Minister
Shirley Bond by John van Dongen,
Minister of Agriculture, Food and
Fisheries , at the Pacific Aquaculture
exhibition, conference and trade fair in Campbell River.
But the announcement came
with a stern warning from van Dongen. Speaking just days
after the government laid a charge of operating a fish farm
without a permit against the
Omega Salmon Group, van
Dongen stressed that in lifting a seven-year moratorium on
new salmon farm sites, the government expects the farmers to
play their part in assuring the public that it is a
sustainable industry.
"We made a New Era commitment
to increase access to post-secondary education," van Dongen
said in making the announcement, "and we're also committed
to a sound, sustainable aquaculture industry."
Van Dongen said the new
centre to be set up at Malaspina’s main campus in Nanaimo
will advance both of those goals. It will research the
environmental and ecological impact of shellfish farming and
aquaculture production, boost research capabilities in BC,
and encourage collaboration with other national and
international research institutions.
The provincial funding, which
matches that announced by the federal government last year,
comes from the
BC. Knowledge Development Fund.
The fund provides capital funding for research equipment and
facilities for public post-secondary institutions, teaching
hospitals and affiliated non-profit agencies. Support for
the USD 3.7-million centre is also being provided by the
Canada Foundation for Innovation,
Malaspina University-College,
PRAquaLtd and NovaCulture.
"This is exciting and
positive news for all of us, especially for our fisheries
and aquaculture faculty and students," said Malaspina
University-College president Rich Johnston is cited as
saying. "The centre will allow us to attract scientific
personnel to work with faculty and students on both large
and small projects throughout the BC coast."
By Quentin Dodd
FIS North America
Photo courtesy of:-
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