On Friday, DFA posted their approval of Cooke's proposed new hatchery in Centreville, Digby, with a 10 year license. The approval decision came only days after DFA announced their very first Aquaculture Review Board hearing for a finfish farm application - for a proposed expansion of a Cooke's net-pen site at Rattling Beach, Digby. No coincidence. The hearing has been scheduled for May 10th - 13th.
The new hatchery that was just approved will grow smolts to supply Cooke's open net-pen salmon farm sites in NS.
Along with the approval decision notice are a number of letters of raving support and praise for Cooke, including from the Municipality of Digby, the Town of Digby, the Town of Shelburne, Bay Ferries, Digby Port Association and Atlantic Chamber of Commerce, to name some of them.
Its important to note this is NOT a land-based salmon farm, its a land-based hatchery facility to supply smolts to Cooke's open net-pen farms in Nova Scotia bays. The hatchery would be an extension of their net-pen operations and their planned expansion throughout Nova Scotia. It was just one year ago that local group St. Mary's Bay Protectors had collected near 7,000 signatures on a petition opposing Cermaq Canada's proposed net-pen salmon farms in Digby and local residents overwhelmed council meetings to show their opposition to these fish farms.
(Cermaq abandoned their plans for Nova Scotia and left the province.)
Full decision documents included public submission letters posted here. https://novascotia.ca/.../2021.03.11-Decision-AQ_1436.pdf
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