Canada debate must be evidence based and productive: minister
CANADIAN fisheries minister Jonathan Wilkinson has called for more constructive discussions over the country’s aquaculture industry.
In an article for the Georgia Straight, reprinted by Seawest News, he wrote: ‘Over the past several years we have witnessed a sometimes acrimonious debate regarding aquaculture.
All interested parties, including his own government department, needed to ‘engage in a more productive conversation’.
To this end, he said a new science adviser post had been created, along with an advisory committee to provide an external perspective on aquaculture science priorities.
Areas of study by the committee, which encompasses BC First Nations representatives and the BC Salmon Farmers Association, among others, will include land based and ocean based closed containment, as well as offshore aquaculture production systems.
‘Having more constructive discussions will, however, require that we are forthright in our use of information,’ said the minister.
‘Too often over past years has one side or the other misconstrued information for the purpose of making their point.’
He cited the case of an environmental activist making inaccurate statements about the compulsory testing of smolts for PRV (piscine orthoreovirus) before being transferred to open net pens.
In fact, he said, his department’s policy had not changed and that that it was not necessary to test for PRV.