First Nation coastal communities in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Québec stand to make enormous economic development gains as future global demand for aquaculture products continues to rise in the foreseeable future. The opportunities are there now and these opportunities are expected to grow at a steady pace over the next several years. Aboriginal leaders are working hard to position First Nation communities to seize these opportunities in order to generate revenue and create employment for generations to come.
However, like all business ventures there are obstacles and difficulties that create bumps in the road. The following are the main problems that were identified and raised by Aboriginal aquaculture leaders at the second National Aboriginal Fisheries Forum (NAFF II) held in the fall of 2012: investment capital is required and not easily attainable. Good potential aquaculture sites located inside First Nation communities are often in remote areas where there are no roads or electrical grids rendering access to these areas and the development of these sites cumbersome and expensive. To build long-term viability, all successful Aboriginal aquaculture operations rely heavily on people with strong management, marketing and technical skills making skills development and training a vital need. And finally a complex regulatory regime is currently in place rendering site application processes and operational processes difficult th ...
Tags: AICFI, Altantic Policy Congress of First Nations Secretariat, Atlantic Integrated Commercial Fisheries Initiative, British Columbia, Department of Fisheries and Ocean, DFO, FAO, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Gaspe, Henry David Thoreau, NAFF II, National Aboriginal Fisheries Forum, New Brunswick, newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Richard Harry, Soar Magazine, Ulnooweg Development Group
