Vancouver – The British Columbia Chamber of Commerce today called on the Provincial Government to reject the recommendations of the Special Committee on Sustainable Aquaculture as unworkable and a thinly veiled attempt to kill a vital coastal industry for British Columbia.

“What the over 50 recommendations fail to address is the economic and social benefits this industry brings to communities on the island and along the coast. Many of these communities are facing the decline of traditional industries such as forestry, it is with this in mind that the chamber views aquaculture as an important component of a diverse and flourishing economy,” states John Winter, President and CEO of the BC Chamber of Commerce. “Beyond these communities it should also be noted that the industry contributes over $600 million annually to the provincial economy which represented $450 million in export sales in 2005, directly employing over 3,000 in businesses on the Coast and in the Lower Mainland.

The central recommendations of the report focus on the development of closed containment technology along with a requirement that the industry must move to this technology within 5 years. The report also recommends that no new licenses be approved north of Cape Caution and that expansion of existing sites must utilize closed containment.

“Given that closed containment is an unproven technology and is highly expensive these recommendations will result in the death of a vital industry – something that the Committee members are very aware of,” continued Winter. “This is an industry that has always moved ahead through innovation and technology and the committee fails to acknowledge this. Even with the recommended government subsidies, there is no reason to suspect that closed containment will be any more viable in three years than it is today.