AQUACULTURE COMMITTEE RELEASES FIRST REPORT

VICTORIA –The Special Committee on Sustainable Aquaculture has released its First Report today, which provides an overview of the Committee’s work to date.

“We wanted to relay to the public the work our Committee has been doing over the past year,” said committee chair Robin Austin, MLA.  “We must now turn our attention to deliberating on our recommendations for the final report.”

The all-party parliamentary Committee has held 21 public hearings throughout the province, conducted 15 site visits, held nine briefings, and collected 815 written submissions since being appointed in November 2005.  The Committee has also retained the services of MMK Consulting to conduct a survey and assessment of the economic impacts and prospects of the salmon farming and wild salmon industries in British Columbia.  The findings of this survey should be submitted in early 2007, and may be included as part of the Committee’s final report.

“We have a few more briefings planned in the new year, but our primary focus will be to analyze the large amount of information we have collected in the past year.” said deputy chair Ron Cantelon, MLA. “This will include reviewing over 100 hours of testimony and 3,000 pages of written submissions.”

A final report will be issued by May 31, 2007.

The members of the Special Committee on Sustainable Aquaculture are:

Information about the committee’s work – including transcripts of hearings and complete meeting details – can be found on its website at www.leg.bc.ca/cmt/aquaculture, by contacting any committee member, or by contacting:

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