NR-HQ-01-31E

Dhaliwal announces funding to study Sustainable Shellfish Production Capacity in B.C.

April 9, 2001

OTTAWA – The Honourable Herb Dhaliwal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, and Yves Bastien, Commissioner for Aquaculture Development, today announced federal support of $55,390 under the Aquaculture Partnership Program (APP) for a project to assess the capacity of British Columbia coastal waterways for sustainable production of shellfish.

"This project will help establish methods to further measure the environmental effects of shellfish aquaculture in waterways that are significant for commerce and for surrounding communities," Minister Dhaliwal said. "The federal government's support demonstrates our commitment to assisting the aquaculture industry develop in an environmentally sustainable manner."

"This work will establish a scientific method to further analyze the effects of shellfish aquaculture," said Yves Bastien. "It will add to the growing body of knowledge to inform our assessments of whether shellfish development should take place in a certain area, based on existing water quality and movement conditions, as well as other environmental factors."

The BC Shellfish Growers Association is the lead partner for this project. The APP, which is administered by the Office of the Commissioner for Aquaculture Development, was launched in

April 2000. Its purpose is to assist the development of partnerships among aquaculture industry members and foster collaboration on projects of national and regional significance. A total of $600,000 per year is available for APP projects, with funding proposals being accepted four times a year.

In 1999, all aquaculture production in Canada accounted for close to 23 per cent of the dollar value of the country's total harvest of fish and shellfish.