Vol. 2, No. 3 Contents
Headline Back Issues
Summer 1998
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Learning to apply sustainable development principles Donald D. Gay
Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts all share a common ecosystem, the Gulf of Maine. However, each one of these jurisdictions has unique environmental conditions and a unique aquaculture industry. Our jurisdictions are united by the realization that development will have an impact on our common ecosystem. The emergence of commercial aquaculture on the east coast of North America over the years has forced us to be ever more vigilant in mitigating the impact of this development on our precious coastline. Besides, aquaculturists are the first beneficiaries of a healthy marine environment. The progressive growth of the New Brunswick Atlantic salmon aquaculture industry in the Bay of Fundy has resulted in the need for adequate research and monitoring to better understand the interactions of aquaculture and the environment. Research began early and has been ongoing. As our industry changes, so has our understanding of this interaction. In New Brunswick, a key tool in applying sustainable development principles to aquaculture development is the research partnership among industry, government, and scientists that has developed through the Aquaculture Environmental Coordin-ating Committee [AECC]. This committee identifies the research priorities related to the aquaculture/environment interaction. It also makes recommendations to the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture on policies and programs that direct efforts to reduce negative impacts and monitor these impacts on an annual basis. The AECC recognizes the Environmental Management Plan as a critical method for evaluating ongoing impacts. Under this plan, each site is monitored and rated annually. The committee is currently in the process of refining the annual monitoring program under the Environmental Management Plan to reflect the increased knowledge about the ecological impacts of aquaculture and in order that the program better satisfy public concern regarding impacts. The AECC is also in the process of developing recommendations for a Site Remediation Plan. This will be activated when the environmental monitoring program identifies conditions at specific sites that trigger a need for remediation. This policy will formalize a remediation process that has been ongoing. It will also create accountability in the industry through the development of a site-specific remediation plan that is signed by the Minister and where implementation is monitored. No doubt, similar committees to provide advice on important aquaculture/environmental interaction questions exist in other jurisdictions in the Gulf of Maine. I suggest that it is time for the Gulf of Maine Council to create a committee to address aquaculture/environmental interactions. This mechanism will be of value to the Gulf of Maine ecosystem and to the agencies involved, allowing exchange of research information and discussion on policy directions. I encourage the Gulf of Maine Council members to promote this Gulf-wide dialogue on the important ecological questions arising from aquaculture development. |
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As commercial aquaculture activities continue to expand in the Gulf of Maine, it
is important to ensure that they proceed in a
fashion that is both environmentally and economically sustainable.