Holiday Open House in Shelburne

Nova Scotians had the chance to find out what happens at the aquaculture office of the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture during an open house held today, Dec. 4, in Shelburne.

"It's important to have this opportunity to show area residents what goes on in this office and to thank staff for the great work they do on behalf of Nova Scotians in supporting responsible development of our aquaculture industry," said Keith Colwell, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

Staff members welcomed the public and took visitors on a tour, answered questions and showcased their work.

"We enjoyed meeting the community and sharing the important work that this office does to support both the responsible management of the aquaculture industry, and buyer and processor licensing for the commercial fishery," said Bruce Hancock, director of the Aquaculture Division.

"Opening the office to the public is an example of government's commitment to a more responsible and transparent approach to aquaculture development," said Mr. Colwell.

Government released new aquaculture regulations in October that cover licensing and leasing, fish health and environmental monitoring.

Aquaculture is the fastest growing sector of animal protein production in the world today, and is worth more than $60 million in Nova Scotia.

The new regulations are available at http://novascotia.ca/fish/aquaculture/ .