Department of Fisheries and Oceans
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Released: 28 November, 2001

Dhaliwal Announces Extended Mandate Of The Office Of The Commissioner For Aquaculture Development

November 28, 2001

OTTAWA -- The Honourable Herb Dhaliwal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, today announced that the mandate for the Office of the Commissioner for Aquaculture Development (OCAD), as well as the term for Commissioner Yves Bastien, will be extended to March 31, 2004.

"With the CommissionerÂ's leadership, we have achieved excellent progress in developing policies and programs that reflect the emergence of aquaculture as a significant player in the Canadian fish and seafood industry," said Mr. Dhaliwal. "I know this progress will continue as we work together to ensure the environmentally-sustainable development of the aquaculture industry."

The Commissioner, who was appointed in 1998, and his staff have made a substantial contribution in terms of facilitating sustainable aquaculture development in Canada.

"I believe that OCADÂ's work during the last three years has been an important driving force behind DFOÂ's action plan and renewed commitment to aquaculture," said Mr. Bastien. "We look forward to continuing our work in collaboration with DFO, other federal departments, provincial and territorial governments, and industry to help the aquaculture sector reach its full potential."

The comprehensive Legislative and Regulatory Review of Aquaculture in Canada, released by OCAD in March 2001, is a highlight of the CommissionerÂ's work in his first mandate. The review triggered the implementation of a detailed DFO action plan to establish an enabling legal and policy framework for aquaculture.

During the two-year extension of his mandate, the Commissioner will focus on providing a
ten-year vision for aquaculture development in Canada and recommendations on all aspects of the federal role in achieving this vision.

Aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing food-producing industries in the world. The latest figures show that the Canadian aquaculture industry produced more than 123,000 tonnes of product in 2000, totalling $611 million. This represents nearly a quarter of the total value of Canadian fish and seafood production.

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The backgrounder related to this announcement is available on the automated Fax-On-Demand service of Fisheries and Oceans. It is immediately retrievable -- to users with a touchtone phone and a fax machine -- 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

To retrieve, dial 1-416-362-1447 and follow the voice prompts.

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