Funding will also assist in ensuring enhanced protection of marine environment
By SeaWestNews
The federal government is pumping over a million dollars into 15-BC based fisheries and aquaculture businesses to help them adopt greener practices that will improve energy efficiency, reduce waste and lessen climate change causing carbon dioxide emissions.
“These investments will assist in ensuring enhanced protection of our marine environment and will contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard,
“The investments will also support good middle class jobs in coastal communities,” he said.
Projects include $424,219 in funding to Brown’s Bay Packing Co, which will prevent bacteria and viruses from fish processing waste from entering the marine environment, $74,437 to the Sport Fishing Institute of B.C. to support rockfish conservation, $43,488 to Taste of B.C. Aquafarms Inc. to install a solar hot water system, eliminating fossil fuel consumption and reducing carbon emissions, over $100,000 to Sth’oqi aquaculture Ltd Partnership to install a machine to convert fish waste to fertilizer and low-carbon energy to power their land-based aquaculture facility, and almost $100,000 to Atchison Fishing Ltd to support a new efficient engine that will reduce fuel use and carbon emissions.
“The people of Vancouver Island, particularly First Nations, are fundamentally, culturally and economically linked to the ocean,” said Doug Routley, Member of the Legislative Assembly of BC for Nanaimo-North Cowichan, and co-chair of BC’s Wild Salmon Advisory Council. (pictured)
“It provides nourishment, jobs and prosperity to our communities. These projects support innovations conceived and implemented by industry and support their commitment to be stewards of the environment,” he said.
The Fisheries and Aquaculture Clean Technology Adoption program is a $20 million instrument that provides funding to help businesses incorporate clean technologies into their day-to-day operations. It is intended to accelerate the use of more sustainable and efficient tools, practices and techniques.
Commercial fisheries and aquaculture are important contributors to the Canadian economy. These sectors contribute approximately $4.5 billion annually in gross domestic product and provide thousands of jobs across our country — many in Indigenous, rural and coastal communities.
The funding will directly support a variety of fisheries and aquaculture projects in adopting clean technologies:
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