HALIFAX: Citing an inability to identify enough sites to proceed with their plans, Cermaq Canada has decided to allow their aquaculture leases to expire.
With a need to support 20,000 metric tonnes of production to make the expansion financially viable, Cermaq said they will abandon plans to locate operations in areas including along the coasts of Richmond and Guysborough counties in Chedabucto Bay.
“We knew that we would need to identify between 15 and 20 viable farm sites spread throughout the four option areas in order to achieve the required annual production,” said David Kiemele, managing Director for Cermaq. “Unfortunately, we were unable to locate enough sites at this time, and have made the decision to allow all of our Options to Lease to expire.”
In March, 2019, the province granted Cermaq four options to lease and the company launched site investigations, feasibility studies, as well as public engagement.
Then last fall, the province gave Cermaq a six-month extension on a $500 million proposal to develop 20 open-pen Atlantic salmon farms sites, two hatcheries and a processing plant, within a 20,000 metric tonne operation.
At the time, Linda Sams, Cermaq’s sustainable development director, described their project as a “full development” requiring a “large investment.” Sams said the company was planning a shore-based processing facility in each region.
“We acknowledge there were many people interested in our potential investment as this kind of economic diversification can be very important to rural coastal communities,” Kiemele noted. “Aquaculture, such as salmon farming, will have an increasingly important role to play in responding to climate change and contributing to North American food security.”
Over the last year, Cermaq employees met with the Mi’kmaq of Nova Scotia, as well as elected officials, business owners and members of the commercial fishing industry.
“We are very proud of the relationships we have built within the province, and would like to specifically thank the Mi’kmaq of Nova Scotia Assembly of Chiefs for the opportunity to engage, share and learn,” Sams said. “We are also thankful for the relationships we built and connections we made with business owners, community members, associations and local government.”
Aside from environmental concerns expressed by some organizations and residents in the area, the project did receive criticism from Richmond County when district 4 councillor Gilbert Boucher claimed Cermaq’s plans would harm the local environment and fishery. He said the fishing industry adds $25 million to the local economy and creates 400 jobs in the municipality.
“Fish farming is going to bring us nothing but a headache down the road,” Boucher told council late last year. “They don’t employee people from your area when they come in because these companies have their own employees. They come in, they contaminate your waters, they kill off all your local stocks…”
In the coming weeks, Cermaq will wrap up the feasibility work and close its Guysborough office. All public engagement, including the Community Information Advisor Committees, has ceased. The company added thanks to residents, local government, businesses and the Mi’kmaq of Nova Scotia for their time.
“We did hear opposition from some groups and regions, however; a shared path forward is, and always was our goal,” Sams added. “We engaged with the intent of supporting, or benefiting, existing commercial fishing through shared opportunities, services, research and planning. We think it was a lost opportunity that we didn’t get to have more in-depth conversations in some locations, but we would like to thank everyone who engaged with the intent to learn and share.”