NR-HQ-01-75E

Dhaliwal Welcomes Aquaculture Staff to Fill 73 New Positions Across Canada

July 17, 2001

OTTAWA -- Herb Dhaliwal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, today announced that two-thirds of the 73 new DFO staff positions in the area of aquaculture have been filled. The department expects to fill the remaining positions in the coming months.

"I welcome each and every one of these new employees and know they will be a valuable asset to the department," said Mr. Dhaliwal. "This strengthening of our team of aquaculture staff is living proof of our commitment to the sustainable development of the Canadian aquaculture industry. And it is through the collaborative efforts of these public servants and the industry that we will foster growth in this important sector."

The hiring is just one aspect of the Program for Sustainable Aquaculture announced in August 2000 by Minister Dhaliwal. It is part of an investment of $75 million, $15 million per year over the next five years, to enhance the sustainable development of Canada’s aquaculture industry within a healthy environment.

The allocation of the funds to the department’s regional offices for staffing these newly created positions and program activities are as follows:

• Pacific Region received $1.2 million. Nine positions were created and have been staffed in the Canadian Coast Guard to administer the Navigable Waters Protection Act, as well as in support of habitat management, science and the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation programs.

• Central and Arctic Region received $379,100. Two new positions are currently staffed, one in habitat management and the other in the Canadian Coast Guard. One position in the science area is expected to be filled in July 2001 and two additional staffing actions are underway, one each for habitat management and science. Additional funding has been used to support the science aquaculture positions.

• Laurentian Region received $755,000, including funds for eight new positions. All the positions are presently being staffed and will help increase program co-ordination and delivery capacity in three areas in the region, as well as within the Canadian Coast Guard, science, oceans and fisheries management sectors at the regional level.

• Maritimes Region received $1.3 million to support habitat management, science, the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program (CSSP) and marine safety. The region hired three additional people in its Habitat Management Division, assigned five additional staff to the Canadian Coast Guard, added three staff to aquaculture science, and created an Aquaculture Coordination Office. The region will also staff three positions to support the CSSP.

• Gulf Region received $441,000 to strengthen the department’s role in administering the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program and to enhance its science research support for the development of molluscan aquaculture.

• Newfoundland received $835,000. Two temporary positions have been filled and four permanent positions are expected this fall. The funds have been used to strengthen the science capacity in the region and to conduct reviews required by the Navigable Waters Protection Act.

In addition to the new employees in the regions, the department’s Office of Sustainable Aquaculture (OSA), in the National Capital Region, has been fully staffed with a total of 15 positions. Since July 2000, the OSA provides a sustained federal focus, within DFO and on behalf of the federal government, on the aquaculture program components and related activities. The OSA is responsible for developing and coordinating a horizontally managed and integrated approach to implementing the Program for Sustainable Aquaculture. Its primary responsibilities include: improving policy and program coherence; ensuring horizontal, interjurisdictional and stakeholder cooperation; improving the regulatory/management framework; monitoring the overall effectiveness of the Program; and making recommendations for continuous improvement to increase, over time, public and industry confidence in the Aquaculture sector.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada also recently announced the details of its Aquaculture Collaborative Research and Development Program, a $20 million five-year fund to increase collaborative research and development activity between the aquaculture industry and the department. The deadline for the next round of proposals is September 15, 2001.

Aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing food-producing industries in the world. The latest figures show that the Canadian aquaculture industry produced more than 113,000 tonnes of product in 1999, totalling $558 million. This represents nearly a quarter of the total value of Canadian fish and seafood production.