April 2, 3008

Canada and Chile to co-operate on aquaculture development
 

Officials from both Canada and Chile have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), pledging to work together on sustainable aquaculture development.

The Honourable Loyola Hearn, Canada's Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, signed the MOU with Jorge Chocair, Chile's Undersecretary for Fisheries to strengthen the two countries' commitment to sustainable aquaculture development. Through a joint committee on bilateral cooperation, this agreement commits Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Chile's Undersecretary for Fisheries to work collaboratively in areas of mutual interest on technical, scientific and economic issues.

The signing took place during Minister Hearn's visit to Aqua Sur 2008, the largest international aquaculture exhibition in the Southern Hemisphere. The event, held from March 24-29 in Puerto Montt, Chile, attracted over 15,000 participants.

The purpose of Hearn's visit was to strengthen collaboration and information sharing among aquaculture producing countries.

"Canada's and Chile's aquaculture industries share a tremendous potential for sustainable growth," said Minister Hearn. "Like Chile, Canada has an ample coastline and a favourable growing climate. We have both developed innovative technologies and benefited from some of the world's best scientific research.

Minister Hearn was accompanied by his provincial counterparts including Tom Rideout from Newfoundland and Labrador, Allen Campbell from Prince Edward Island, and Ron Chisholm from Nova Scotia.

Canada recently announced it would invest US$22 million to bolster the Canadian aquaculture industry and help it grow in an environmentally sustainable manner.

The funds would go towards streamlining the regulatory process, developing a certification scheme, creating performance-based environmental standards and spur innovation.