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Programs promote more sustainable, green technologies in aquaculture and seafood industries.
Written by: Sam Juric / CBC News Canada
The Department of Fisheries and Communities is rolling out two programs to encourage the development of technologies that reduce environmental impact and support sustainable growth.
The programs have a combined funding sum of $300,000 annually. There’s currently no fixed end date, said Jamie Fox, minister of fisheries and communities.
The amount of funding awarded will vary from applicant to applicant, he said.
The programs are largely open to those in the commercial enterprises, industrial and professional associations on the Island, Fox said.
Sustainable for the future
“It’s a partnership between the applicant and the department, where we can fund parts of proposals put forth by them as it applies to clean technology … or better ways to process and handle our aquaculture or our fisher[ies] and new practices that make it sustainable for the future,” Fox said.
The Research, Innovation and Growth Program — the first of the two initiatives — provides financial assistance to short-term and applied research that addresses challenges facing the local fishery and aquaculture sectors.
“We do have a smaller workforce, of course we have less people getting into the fishery sector, so we hope that our sectors that are working in that industry now improve what they’re doing and make it sustainable for the future,” said Fox.
Financial incentives
The P.E.I. Fisheries and Aquaculture Clean Technology Adoption Program will provide financial incentives to members of the aquaculture, fishery and seafood processing sectors that adopt clean technologies, which have been found to reduce emissions and potential environmental impacts.
“We had various programs … but they were they weren’t geared really toward the clean technology side of things,” Fox said, “We want to help our sectors that are working in this industry now improve what they’re doing and make it sustainable for the future.”
Officials say the department is currently accepting applications for both programs.
