NATURAL
RESOURCES
OPPORTUNITIES
The consultations revealed that sustainable development
of natural resources such as forestry, minerals, non-timber forest
products, wild fisheries and water resources is
a priority for rural and northern Manitobans.
The Manitoba forest industry has more than 250 firms that ship wood
products valued at $615 million and directly
employ more than 7,000 people. The Manitoba Agro Woodlot Program
helps producers integrate agro-forestry practices into their farming
operations. Many commercial opportunities for non-timber forest
products have been identified and more are being developed.
Manitoba is home to a strong commercial fishery that
harvests a limited number of species, most of which are
semi-processed. The opportunity to capture value from
unused or underused fish species was of special interest. There could
be other uses for fish, such as specialty canning, products from
fish
remains (Ex: fish skin leather), fertilizer,
fish oil/nutraceuticals, pet food, etc.
Water resource and drainage issues are a priority for rural
residents, particularly in the southern agricultural area of
the province. The consistency of supply for agricultural commodities
in wet and dry conditions is essential to farm profitability and
commodity supply to value-added businesses. Many people are
concerned about water issues and the challenge is addressing them in
a way that stimulates
economic development. Two examples of this are:
- development of engineered wetlands for
sewage treatment
- the use of native grasses in drainage infrastructure
CHALLENGES
-
Financial – The development of resources in remote areas can be
hindered by costs associated with
extending infrastructure and recruiting, transporting
and supplying employees.
-
Human Resources – There is a need for local educational and
training facilities, especially for technical skills.
-
Community Capacity – There is a desire for more
involvement by communities in local resource
development decisions. In communities that rely
strongly on a single resource or industry, residents
worry that a single factor such as declining market prices for a
resource, or a company closing
its local operations could devastate the community.
-
Infrastructure – Lack of transportation infrastructure can
discourage development of some natural resources,
by hindering access to the area or transportation
of the harvested resource.
-
Regulations – Regulations on environmental protection
are sometimes too sweeping, and do not make sufficient allowances for
local or regional variations.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Governments, communities and industry should facilitate sustainable
development of natural resources by:
-
Creating opportunities to expand timber harvesting,
by promoting woodlots on private land, development
of co-operative processing initiatives and facilitating
access to timber quotas by small forestry companies.
-
Supporting continued development for non-timber
forest products.
-
Exploring processing opportunities for underused
fresh water fish species.
-
Encouraging sustainable water management strategies
to facilitate more profitable agricultural production;
to ensure the availability of water for both value-added production
and community use; and to support benefits such as the creation of
recreation and tourism assets.
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