The Bay of Fundy Inshore Fishermen’s Association (BFIFA) sent out a petition to port reps and stores up and down the Bay of Fundy on May 17.
“Fishermen and community members of the Bay of Fundy Inshore Fishermen’s Association want to urge our government leaders and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to halt all tidal power activity in the Bay of Fundy until such time that we have been properly informed of the costs and effects to our fishing industry, our environment, our coastal communities,” reads the petition.
Matt Lumley, communications director at FORCE says FORCE will publish a formal response to the DFO review soon.
“Right now we can say the DFO report is helpful: we don’t have all the answers yet, and DFO’s input will inform our monitoring program going forward,” he said in an email response to questions from the Digby Courier. “Tidal energy has to prove itself environmentally acceptable - we need to have a turbine in the water before we can really start to answer that question.”
Nova Scotia is becoming one of the greenest provinces in Canada. It is in the process of transforming from its former fossil fuel base, to renewable energy, and tidal power from the Bay of Fundy is playing a key role.
Five years ago the province established targets to move to renewable energy with the first benchmark of 25 per cent by 2015 already achieved. The next is 40 per cent renewable by 2020.
Michel Samson, the province’s energy minister, announced an “enhanced environmental monitoring program” yesterday, to assess the effect tidal energy may have on the fish in the Bay of Fundy, in consultation with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, as well as First Nations, independent scientific experts and representatives from local fisheries
With a force unmatched around the world, the tides that flow through the Bay of Fundy can support the development of clean, renewable power and a new Nova Scotia industry, estimated to be worth up to $1.7 billion.
Since 2007, when the province first commissioned a strategic environmental assessment of the Bay of Fundy, we have sought input from communities, fishermen, small businesses, scientists and tidal developers to shape our plans. This input helped to inform Nova Scotia’s Marine Renewable Energy legislation, a regulatory framework produced in advance, and in support of, commercial development. Supporting regulations will set clear rules for new development.
Announced in Budget 2016, the $197 million investment will bring real benefits to Canadians by allowing Fisheries and Oceans Canada to make more informed decisions about our oceans, waterways and fisheries while also creating job opportunities in science.
As part of this investment, Fisheries and Oceans Canada will undertake our largest single recruitment toward restoring ocean science. The Department will hire 135 research scientists, biologists, oceanographers and technicians through a national recruitment campaign. Job postings will be available online on Jobs.gc.ca in the coming days.
