Canadian Nova Scotians are invited to share their feedback on the province’s aquaculture regulations during four weeks of public consultation.

“Since December, we’ve met with community stakeholders, industry representatives and public sector partners to understand their perspectives and hear their thoughts on how we could improve our aquaculture regulations. And now, we want to hear from Nova Scotians,” said Steve Craig, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture. “You don’t need to be an expert to be part of this process. If you live in this province and have an interest in its future, we’d love to hear from you.”

The current aquaculture regulations, developed following an 18-month independent review, have been in place since 2015. They reflect best practices of experienced aquaculture regions around the world and recommendations from the Province’s auditor general at the time.

Public consultation is open until September 6, 2022. People can provide feedback through an online survey with six open-ended questions. A public input guide with an overview of aquaculture in Nova Scotia and a summary of the current regulatory framework is also available. Check out the survey and guide here.

“A commitment to continuous improvement means taking the time to reflect on our priorities, learn from lived experience, listen to differing viewpoints, and understand what’s most important to the people in our communities. This is the right time to step back and do that with our aquaculture regulations. If there are opportunities to improve on the framework in place today, this review will help us identify them,” said Chief Terrance Paul, co-chair, Nova Scotia Aquaculture Regulatory Advisory Committee.