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Cantelon named to aquaculture committee
Nanaimo-Parksville MLA Ron Cantelon has been named as the vice-chair of the Special Committee on Sustainable Aquaculture.
This committee, chaired by Skeena MLA Robin Austin, a New Democrat, will look at both the economic and environmental impacts of the aquaculture industry in the province.
Although he says he doesn’t have a great deal of experience in the aquaculture field, Cantelon says he comes to the post without any preconceptions.
“We want to take a broad look and keep an open mind,” he says.
“People need to know what’s going on and what direction it’s going to take. It’s a major employer, particularly in remote areas where it’s hard to get things going.
“It employs First Nations and a majority of women and we want to be sensitive to the industry and not make presumptions of closing it all down. We have to take a hard but open look at it.”
Cantelon says having the group chaired by an NDP member and having a majority from opposition benches shows a great deal of openness on the part of the provincial government.
“I think it’s a good move to display this openness,” he says.
“It’s a controversial issue, one some might say we are vulnerable on. We are in the minority on the committee and they will control the general drift.”
Alberni-Qualicum MLA Scott Fraser has also been named to sit on the committee.
“I had been the chair of the working shellfish committee on the west coast,” he says. “I’ve dealt with shellfish aquaculture issues, and my constituency has a number of fish farms within its boundaries.”
The group will examine options for the industry which will balance economic goals with environmental imperatives, focusing on the interaction between aquaculture, wild fish and the marine environment.
The committee will compare B.C.’s regulatory regime with other jurisdictions and will consider submissions from interested individuals or organizations.
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