BRIDGEWATER, NS – March 20, 2023 – Kelly Cove Salmon Ltd., the Atlantic Canadian salmon farming division of family-owned Cooke Aquaculture Inc. has received the aquaculture regulations review report and recommendations released Friday by The Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture. We appreciate the time and advice contributed by the members of the Nova Scotia Aquaculture Regulatory Advisory Committee (NSARAC) throughout the process.

Cooke has been responsibly operating Atlantic salmon farm sites for 25 years along Nova Scotia’s Southern and Western shores. The renewal procedure for our existing marine aquaculture licenses and leases includes both technical and biological performance assessments. Finfish aquaculture and the lobster fishery have co-existed in Nova Scotia and across Atlantic Canada for decades under the existing environmental compliance criteria.

There has been very modest aquaculture growth in Nova Scotia for several years, yet the demand from families for fresh, nutritious, affordable food has risen dramatically. In our view, there are only a handful of Nova Scotia locations with marine conditions suitable for finfish farming, so expansion of sites will be reasonable and adhere to the strict Aquaculture Regulations and Environmental Monitoring Program Framework.

Salmon farming generates $2 billion in total economic output annually in Atlantic Canada, $213.5 million in Nova Scotia. Salmon farming created 8,000 jobs in Atlantic Canada, 886 of those in Nova Scotia. Annually, Cooke purchases $51.5 million of goods and services from 309 local suppliers located across the province. Our tractor trailer fleet is one of the largest users of the Digby-Saint John ferry operated by Bay Ferries Limited.

Cooke has 400 employees in Nova Scotia and would like to grow our workforce, support small and medium business suppliers, and continue to contribute to coastal communities where we operate. We are proud to support community health care initiatives, first responders and food banks in Nova Scotia including the redevelopment of the South Shore Regional Hospital, IWK, Roseway Hospital, Bear River volunteer fire department, Greenfield volunteer fire department, and Queens Manor Liverpool and Queens County Food Bank Liverpool. Cooke also provides scholarships to Bachelor of Science Aquaculture students at Dalhousie University.

We encourage the Nova Scotia government to move forward on aquaculture development as seen in New Brunswick, PEI and Newfoundland.

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Contact:
Joel Richardson
Vice President, Public Relations, Cooke Aquaculture Inc. / For Kelly Cove Salmon Ltd.
40 Wellington Row, Saint John, NB, Canada E2L 3H3
+1-506-721-1093 mobile +1-506-694-4939 office joel.richardson@cookeaqua.com