The Premier has announced new cabinet appointments today. Kent Smith, MLA for Eastern Shore will join cabinet as the new Minister of Fisheries & Aquaculture, replacing Steve Craig who was appointed in August, 2021.
Today's announcement comes just the week after the provincial Aquaculture Review Board (ARB) announced the dates for their very first public hearing for decisions on new open net-pen fin-fish sites since the ARB's inception in 2015. This long anticipated hearing will be here in Liverpool for Cooke's expansion plans in Liverpool Bay, where they have proposed plans to expand from one 4ha site to three 40ha sites comprising 60 pens with a capacity of 1.98 caged salmon. The hearing is scheduled to begin February 5, 2023.
With ever growing local, national and global opposition to open net-pen fish farms, paired with the DFA's intentions to expand this industry in our coastal bays, Kent Smith will certainly be taking over a hot seat.
We look forward to sharing our concerns and feedback with Minister Smith. But first things first, we're off to once again to update our "Who To Write" contact list....
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