B.C. slaps moratorium on finfish aquaculture licences

Canwest News Service
January 29, 2010
Times Colonist and The Vancouver Sun

B.C. has slapped a moratorium on issuing new finfish aquaculture licences and won't accept new applications for shellfish aquaculture, the province announced yesterday.

The move follows a court decision Tuesday in which the B.C. Supreme Court granted an extension to the transfer deadline for finfish aquaculture to federal regulation until Dec. 18, 2010. As part of this extension, the court ordered a suspension on approvals of all new marine finfish licenses in B.C.

"In addition, the province is also announcing it will no longer be accepting new applications for shellfish aquaculture licenses and will only process those applications received prior to Jan. 26, 2010," the provincial government announced in a press release.

"Furthermore, the province has announced its intention to negotiate the transfer of shellfish aquaculture regulation to the federal government."

Sources: The Vancouver Sun and The Times Colonist

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