a)  The optimum use of marine resources;

"We do not believe that fin-fish aquaculture is compatible with traditional local marine resource uses such as lobster fishing, clamming, shell fish culturing, recreational boating or use of the nearby beaches.  It is known to pollute the waters while offering little or no economic benefits to local communities."

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b) The contribution of the proposed operation to community and Provincial economic development;

"Research has shown that jobs in the fin-fish aquaculture industry are very limited.  Due to automation in the feeding process a  few workers can visit many fish sites in a day. The wages for these non-specialized staff members are low, the work on the water is dangerous and lay-offs frequent.  Cooke (Kelly Cove) aquaculture sites use mainly New Brunswick specialized personnel, vessels and trucks to ship all of the fish for processing back to NB, so there is very little economic gain for local communities or for Nova Scotia."  

c) Fishery activities in the public waters surrounding the proposed aquaculture operation;

"Cooke (Kelly Cove) is from NB, the fish are owned, processed and sold outside of NS and most all the money goes back to NB. And this is all while these fin-fish aquaculture sites pollute our local waters and put a $2 Billion lobster industry at risk."

d) The oceanographic and biophysical characteristics of the public waters surrounding the proposed aquaculture operation;

"While NSDFA monitoring requirements focus on whether or not the faecal waste from hundreds of thousands of caged salmon remains under the pen or not, NSDFA do not require any research or monitoring on where that waste ends up otherwise!  Anyone who has been to a beach knows that ocean currents and wave action brings fishing debris, trash, and styrofoam particles onto our beaches and shorelines as will be the same with fish faeces. While our provincial and federal governments force municipalities and private residents to invest in expensive waste management and septic systems, conservative estimates on the amount of fish faeces being created by these fish farms are equivalent to the raw sanitary waste from100,000 people or more! Beach Meadows Beach Park, where families and visitors swim, is just 500 m down current from the Coffin Island site.  Coffin Island is a provincially recognized Wildlife Refuge and home to the endangered Piping Plover."

e) The other users of the public waters surrounding the proposed aquaculture operation;

"Our bays that surround these sites are used by lobster and bait fishers, yacht clubs, recreational boaters, tourists, divers, swimmers and wildlife including whales, dolphins and wild Atlantic Salmon.  The more our ocean resources are handed over, privatized and polluted by these multinational companies the more our quality of life and economic stability is threatened."

f)  The public right of navigation;

"Fin-fish aquaculture sites tie-up large areas of navigable water (some the size of a football field) making them no longer available to other users.  These site have many rope lines, buoys and netting that can make them dangerous to recreational sailors, fishers, wild mammals and other fish species."

g) The sustainability of wild salmon;

"Many of these farms are in or in close proximity to wild salmon migratory routes.  Farmed fin-fish are known to carry the disease  Infectious Salmon Anaemia (ISA) that can infect our wild salmon.  Although sea lice are currently not an issue at these smaller sites, once these site get larger or closer together sea lice is known to be a common problem in fish farms and will be a problem here.  Our wild Atlantic salmon are already in jeopardy (Inner Bay of Fundy salmon are on the Endangered Species List) due to river/ocean acidification, river damming, habitat loss and other concerns - how can we the risk multiplying the risk by supporting these salmon farms? Wild salmon sport fisheries are also big tourist draws."      

h)  The number and productivity of other aquaculture sites in the public waters surrounding the proposed aquaculture operation;

"Are there other shellfish harvests or aquaculture in your area that are being put at risk?  If so add that information under this factor."