June 14 at 6pm at Digby Neck School. Come bring a friend, come meet some friends. Come one come all!
Blogger apologizes for a previous erroneous date
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Fish Farms in St. Mary's Bay
Nova Scotia environmentalists upset by government approval of aquaculture site
(The Canadian Press) – 21 hours ago
HALIFAX — Conservation and community groups are criticizing the Nova Scotia government's approval of a salmon aquaculture project in St. Mary's Bay.
Sterling Belliveau, the minister responsible for aquaculture, approved the commercial operation this week, but residents and environmentalists say they're concerned about its potential to hurt the lobster fishery.
The Ecology Action Centre says there are also worries about the potential for the spread of diseases and parasites to the wild Atlantic salmon population.
Karen Crocker of the St. Mary's Bay Coastal Alliance is also upset because she says Belliveau didn't follow up on some of their concerns before final approval was given.
In an email, Belliveau says he has listened to the various parties and understands their worries for the area off Digby Neck.
He says strict conditions have been placed on the operation and the province will ensure there are no "significant adverse effects" on the environment and fisheries.
(The Canadian Press) – 21 hours ago
HALIFAX — Conservation and community groups are criticizing the Nova Scotia government's approval of a salmon aquaculture project in St. Mary's Bay.
Sterling Belliveau, the minister responsible for aquaculture, approved the commercial operation this week, but residents and environmentalists say they're concerned about its potential to hurt the lobster fishery.
The Ecology Action Centre says there are also worries about the potential for the spread of diseases and parasites to the wild Atlantic salmon population.
Karen Crocker of the St. Mary's Bay Coastal Alliance is also upset because she says Belliveau didn't follow up on some of their concerns before final approval was given.
In an email, Belliveau says he has listened to the various parties and understands their worries for the area off Digby Neck.
He says strict conditions have been placed on the operation and the province will ensure there are no "significant adverse effects" on the environment and fisheries.
Aquaculture
Salmon leases will displace 20 fishermen
Sheldon Dixon will be looking for a new place to fish in the fall. Jonathan Riley photo
Published on June 10, 2011
Published on June 10, 2011
Jonathan Riley Topics : Bays Alliance , Nova Scotia , Westport
Nova Scotia’s minister of aquaculture and fisheries has approved two salmon farms in the middle of a traditional and prolific lobster grounds.
“I can assure you this is not going to have an impact on our traditional fisheries especially our lobster industry," said Minister Sterling Belliveau.
Sheldon Dixon of Tiverton says he and 19 other fishermen will have to find somewhere else to put their traps.
“In that particular spot, DFO has done the studies and it’s a hotspot.,” says Dixon. “When we’re at meetings with them, they have it marked right on their maps, based on our catch logs, they know how many lobster are caught there.”
Information on the Cooke Aquaculture webpage www.aquaculturegrowsns.com says the two leases combined will cover an area of 84 hectares (209 acres).
Nell Halse, a spokesperson for Cooke Aquaculture says the company might apply for one more site in St. Mary’s Bay in the next five years.
“But we’ll have to look at that carefully. We would have to go through the whole application process again.”
She says the company had originally planned to apply for three sites but that after public consultation they decided to reduce that number to two.
“We actually moved our site because of their concerns. They asked us to move to the site where we are now.”
Halse wasn’t able to say exactly who suggested that site.
Karen Crocker of Freeport, head of the Save Our Bays Alliance, says she has no idea who “they” could be.
“I was at that public meeting in Freeport when they asked us to show them a spot where they could put their cages and every fishermen there said there is no spot in St. Mary’s Bay where we are comfortable saying ‘this is a good spot for a salmon farm.’”
One thing is sure, Minister Belliveau says his department had no part in choosing the site.
“What we’re dealing with here is the application from the proponent. They look at the areas and based on good business, they tell us where they would like to locate it.”
Dixon says by times in the fall that the selected area might have 100 traps in it.
“It’s peppered with lobster. In the fall when the lobster come up the bay, they’re hungry, they’ve shed their shells and getting fat right here where they want to put the cages.”
Dixon says this lease arrangement is a big change from the way fisherman have traditionally worked with each other.
“There has never been one fishery where they come in and hold bottom for years and eliminate other fishermen from using that bottom. What you’re looking at here is the privatization of the fishery and the coastline.”
Minister Belliveau says Nova Scotia has 13,000 km of coastline and so there is lots of room for everyone.
“The footprint of this site is very small compared to the overall vastness of our oceans,” he said. “Our fishing industry usually starts from the high-water mark and goes right off to the 50-mile limit. It’s like anything else out there, you learn to fish around it.”
Johnny Graham, a fisherman from Westport, says it’s more complicated than that.
“Usually the fisherman balance themselves out. If I’m fishing here, then Sheldon goes down there. But if they push fishermen off that shore, it’s going to push them onto us, and it’s just putting more boats into a smaller area.”
Dixon says there are other problems with pushing the fishermen offshore.
“With the state of the environment and fuel prices the way they are, wouldn’t it be nice if fishermen could fish inshore?” asks Dixon. “But they want to drive us off this shore. It’s going to burn more fuel and it’s going to cost us more money. None of this is right.”
Sheldon Dixon will be looking for a new place to fish in the fall. Jonathan Riley photo
Published on June 10, 2011
Published on June 10, 2011
Jonathan Riley Topics : Bays Alliance , Nova Scotia , Westport
Nova Scotia’s minister of aquaculture and fisheries has approved two salmon farms in the middle of a traditional and prolific lobster grounds.
“I can assure you this is not going to have an impact on our traditional fisheries especially our lobster industry," said Minister Sterling Belliveau.
Sheldon Dixon of Tiverton says he and 19 other fishermen will have to find somewhere else to put their traps.
“In that particular spot, DFO has done the studies and it’s a hotspot.,” says Dixon. “When we’re at meetings with them, they have it marked right on their maps, based on our catch logs, they know how many lobster are caught there.”
Information on the Cooke Aquaculture webpage www.aquaculturegrowsns.com says the two leases combined will cover an area of 84 hectares (209 acres).
Nell Halse, a spokesperson for Cooke Aquaculture says the company might apply for one more site in St. Mary’s Bay in the next five years.
“But we’ll have to look at that carefully. We would have to go through the whole application process again.”
She says the company had originally planned to apply for three sites but that after public consultation they decided to reduce that number to two.
“We actually moved our site because of their concerns. They asked us to move to the site where we are now.”
Halse wasn’t able to say exactly who suggested that site.
Karen Crocker of Freeport, head of the Save Our Bays Alliance, says she has no idea who “they” could be.
“I was at that public meeting in Freeport when they asked us to show them a spot where they could put their cages and every fishermen there said there is no spot in St. Mary’s Bay where we are comfortable saying ‘this is a good spot for a salmon farm.’”
One thing is sure, Minister Belliveau says his department had no part in choosing the site.
“What we’re dealing with here is the application from the proponent. They look at the areas and based on good business, they tell us where they would like to locate it.”
Dixon says by times in the fall that the selected area might have 100 traps in it.
“It’s peppered with lobster. In the fall when the lobster come up the bay, they’re hungry, they’ve shed their shells and getting fat right here where they want to put the cages.”
Dixon says this lease arrangement is a big change from the way fisherman have traditionally worked with each other.
“There has never been one fishery where they come in and hold bottom for years and eliminate other fishermen from using that bottom. What you’re looking at here is the privatization of the fishery and the coastline.”
Minister Belliveau says Nova Scotia has 13,000 km of coastline and so there is lots of room for everyone.
“The footprint of this site is very small compared to the overall vastness of our oceans,” he said. “Our fishing industry usually starts from the high-water mark and goes right off to the 50-mile limit. It’s like anything else out there, you learn to fish around it.”
Johnny Graham, a fisherman from Westport, says it’s more complicated than that.
“Usually the fisherman balance themselves out. If I’m fishing here, then Sheldon goes down there. But if they push fishermen off that shore, it’s going to push them onto us, and it’s just putting more boats into a smaller area.”
Dixon says there are other problems with pushing the fishermen offshore.
“With the state of the environment and fuel prices the way they are, wouldn’t it be nice if fishermen could fish inshore?” asks Dixon. “But they want to drive us off this shore. It’s going to burn more fuel and it’s going to cost us more money. None of this is right.”
Fish Farming in St. Mary's Bay
Via Dan Mills
Good Afternoon,Everyone,
Carol & Ashraf forwarded this on to me.I don't know if you were tuned into CBC INFORMATION MORNING OR NOT when Mr. Belliveau confirmed that his Department had given approval to the Mega Project or not yesterday at noon.(The Mega-Fish Farm for St.Mary's Bay)
If you didn't, I am sure you can access it on-line....not that I have a clue how to do it.
In anycase, the following letter from Karen Crocker who heads the group on the Islands explains most cleary the current situation and the deception perpetrated by Mr. Belliveau.
Her request is clear......bombard CBC INFORMATION MORNING WITH E-MAILS
CBC INFORMATION MORNING e-mail ad is infomorning@halifax.cbc.ca
Danny
PS: Should infomroning be rejected, type in the whole worfd ...informationmorning@halifax.cbc.ca
From: Karen Crocker
To: fundy-aquaculture-concern@googlegroups.com
Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2011 9:40 AM
Subject: CBC
Good morning,
This morning Minister Belliveau was on CBC Information Morning discussing salmon farming in NS. If you all can access this interview please listen to it and send in your comments to CBC. The Minister indicated that good solid science had been undertaken on this application and based on this science the province made its decision. He also indicated that his department had considerable public consultation and that he had met all of the concerns brought forth by the public. To date we have not received one word on any of our concerns and nothing has been addressed. We need to bombard CBC with the truth, the Minister was very misleading in his facts, this needs to be addressed by all of us.
Thank you,
Karen Crocker
Good Afternoon,Everyone,
Carol & Ashraf forwarded this on to me.I don't know if you were tuned into CBC INFORMATION MORNING OR NOT when Mr. Belliveau confirmed that his Department had given approval to the Mega Project or not yesterday at noon.(The Mega-Fish Farm for St.Mary's Bay)
If you didn't, I am sure you can access it on-line....not that I have a clue how to do it.
In anycase, the following letter from Karen Crocker who heads the group on the Islands explains most cleary the current situation and the deception perpetrated by Mr. Belliveau.
Her request is clear......bombard CBC INFORMATION MORNING WITH E-MAILS
CBC INFORMATION MORNING e-mail ad is infomorning@halifax.cbc.ca
Danny
PS: Should infomroning be rejected, type in the whole worfd ...informationmorning@halifax.cbc.ca
From: Karen Crocker
To: fundy-aquaculture-concern@googlegroups.com
Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2011 9:40 AM
Subject: CBC
Good morning,
This morning Minister Belliveau was on CBC Information Morning discussing salmon farming in NS. If you all can access this interview please listen to it and send in your comments to CBC. The Minister indicated that good solid science had been undertaken on this application and based on this science the province made its decision. He also indicated that his department had considerable public consultation and that he had met all of the concerns brought forth by the public. To date we have not received one word on any of our concerns and nothing has been addressed. We need to bombard CBC with the truth, the Minister was very misleading in his facts, this needs to be addressed by all of us.
Thank you,
Karen Crocker
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