Nova Scotia updates aquaculture regulations to support industry growth

An aquaculture operation at Big Island, N.S., is pictured earlier. (Source: Province of Nova Scotia)

Nova Scotia is updating aquaculture regulations in the province to support growth in the industry.

The changes to the Aquaculture Licence and Lease Regulations aim to improve the approval process by making it more efficient and “better aligned with different types of aquaculture projects.”

“These changes will help projects get approved faster, make it easier for operators to understand the rules, improve transparency in decision making, and help Nova Scotia’s aquaculture industry grow in a sustainable way,” said Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Kent Smith in a news release from the province.

The province says the industry employs almost 800 people, generating a production value of $121 million in 2023.

“Good regulations help set the conditions for sector growth and development by providing certainty, clarity, guidance and direction. AANS is pleased to see these updates to the Nova Scotia aquaculture regulations and is optimistic they will encourage investment and growth that puts more food on the tables of Nova Scotians and Canadians,” said Jeff Bishop, executive director of Aquaculture Association of Nova Scotia, in the release.

The province says the updates include:

• adding a 30-day public comment period for new aquaculture sites or existing sites that are expanding
• the department’s aquaculture administrator will approve new or expanding shellfish and aquatic plant farms rather than the Nova Scotia Aquaculture Review Board, making the approval process better matched to the size and risk of these projects
• timelines and processes for the review board, which will continue to handle applications for finfish in marine areas, will be updated to ensure applicants, the board and other parties to hearings have the time they need to prepare based on experience.

The changes reflect recommendations made by the Nova Scotia Aquaculture Regulatory Advisory Committee as part of the 2022–23 regulatory review.

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