Provincial government responds to Aquaculture Committee findings of last week.

The Provincial Liberal government won’t be rushing to put in place the preliminary findings of the NDP led-Special Committee on Sustainable Aquaculture, last week the Committee made its controversial recommendation, after heated meetings in Kitkatla and Prince Rupert. Having been admonished for a less than clear and respectful approach to the hearings, the committee chairman, Terrace’s Robin Austin, issued his call for a halt on any approvals of fish farms over the next year.

It’s a position that apparently didn’t find much interest from the Agriculture and Lands Minister Pat Bell. Bell in Thursday’s Daily News is quoted as being “disappointed that the issue has become politicized,” (who would have though that could happen!) this after the committee split along party lines 5-4 in asking for the halt to any further approvals.

Where all of this leaves the status of the committee and the status of fish farming in BC is yet to be determined, however, as it descends into the pit of partisan politics, it’s sure to be a loud and vigorous debate over a most contentious issue.

Full coverage of Bell’s reply to the committee’s request can be found below in the story from Thursday’s Daily News.

FISH COMMITTEE BIASED, BELL
By James Vassallo
The Daily News
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Page One

A call to halt any approvals of fish farms over the next year by the NDP led Special Committee on Sustainable Aquaculture isn’t likely to be answered any time soon by the province.

“I’m really disappointed that they’ve decided to make this political, there’s no need for that,” said Agriculture and Lands Minister Pat Bell.

“This was an opportunity that oppositions would normally cherish to contribute in a meaningful way to the decision making process.

“By calling for a moratorium they’re clearly demonstrating a pre-conceived notion of what the outcome (of their investigation) may be like.”

On Tuesday, June 20 in a 5-4 vote the committee, the NDP members for and the Liberal members against, asked Bell to halt any approvals – there were 12 going through the process when the committee started, one site received approval in April and decisions on two others are expected within a month.

“The potential of this decision is very troubling and raises important questions about how seriously your ministry is taking the work of the Committee on Sustainable Aquaculture,” NDP committee member Shane Simpson, Vancouver, Hastings MLA, wrote in the committee’s demand for a temporary moratorium.

“It is important that every opportunity be afford the Committee to find the proper balance that will allow a successful industry to evolve while ensuring the wild fishery and the marine habitat are protected.

“Approving fish farms in the middle of this process takes away from that potential,”

However, Bell notes that the NDP chair of the committee – Skeena MLA Robin Austin – had ample opportunity to not go forward with the rare opportunity of an opposition-led committee if he didn’t like the parameters they were going to operate under.

“There was an opportunity for MLA Austin (to protest) when we originally agreed to the terms of reference,” said Bell.

“The notion of whether or not the moratorium needed to be in place or not (was discussed) and we said we didn’t think that was necessary.

“That was agreed to and signed off on. There’s a little bit of backtracking here as well in my view,”

Bell requested the committee start being up front on the issue and start working on long-term, solutions rather then the current political posturing.

“Certainly that’s what we’re doing as a government,” he said, “and we hope the committee does that as well.”