Newfoundland and Labrador announce new aquaculture infrastructure

CANADA - A new aquatic veterinary diagnostic facility and new wastewater treatment infrastructure for processing plants have been announced for Newfoundland's south shore.

Funding for both was provided in Budget 2007 – $1.2 million toward the estimated $4.3 million cost of the aquatic veterinary diagnostic facility, and $1.9 million for wastewater treatment equipment for processing facilities in the south coast region. Along with other funding, this increased the department's funding for aquaculture to in excess of $14 million.

The aquatic veterinary diagnostic facility will be the regional office for the Provincial Government's aquaculture staff, and will house approximately 10 staff including development, aquaculture health and inspection personnel. The Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture is in the process of increasing its fish health capability and hiring staff who will work at the new facility.

At present, some diagnostic samples must be sent out of the province for various testing procedures and this not only extends the time necessary for diagnosis, but makes it more difficult to manage the health of the farmed fish in a timely manner.

The facility will help the province ensure that its aquaculture resource is protected over the long-term through effective disease management while enabling producers to operate in an environmentally-sustainable manner. The new facility will meet federal and ISO international standards.

Funding for wastewater treatment systems will be provided to the processing plants at Harbour Breton, Gaultois and Hermitage, all of which are located in the salmonid culture zone. These systems will allow all wastewater from fish processing activities to be thoroughly disinfected before being discharged. This will ensure that the water being released is free of any substance that could harm aquaculture species.

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Source: EcoLog

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