“In no uncertain terms that B.C. policy will not apply to Atlantic Canada”

On Twitter, Fisheries minister clarifies Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador position amid Northern Harvest Sea Farms mass mortality.

In an exchange with the Atlantic Salmon Federation on social media, Gerry Bryne said that: “With federal election on, a true read of public support or dissent about ocean aquaculture in NL is about to be made clear by voters. Trudeau Liberals have put its support behind it”.

The Liberal party federal line has a different position to its provincial wing in Atlantic Canada. Earlier in the month, SalmonBusiness reported that as part of Justin Trudeau’s reelection campaign, Canada’s ruling party wants to phase out open-net salmon farms to closed containment systems by 2025.

https://twitter.com/Gerry_Byrne/status/1184642668074287105

Bryne was pushed to clarify the provinces’ view.

“The Liberal candidates say B.C. is not NL & they support it,” he tweeted. Adding that “Liberal candidates in NL, when asked by media, said in no uncertain terms that B.C. policy will not apply to Atlantic Canada. That is the nature of a true federation”.

Bryne is currently addressing Northern Harvest’s mass mortality event. On Wednesday, he told NTV that he “pleaded” with Mowi-owned salmon farmer to come forward earlier, but added that he couldn’t because of the Privacy act.

However, Northern Harvest posted on Facebook on Wednesday that: “Claims that our company was not speaking publicly about salmon mortalities before September 23rd are false”.

Despite Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau getting a big endorsement on Wednesday afternoon from former U.S. President Barack Obama, currently, the polls put the softer-on-salmon farming-Conversative Party in the lead.

The Conservatives have not yet shown their hand and have only promised that a “new regulatory regime will create the foundation for building a robust and well-managed aquaculture industry in Canada”.

The 2019 Canadian federal election is scheduled to take place on October 21.

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