Fish-farm sector reels in $10-M in funds

CANADA - New Brunswick's struggling aquaculture industry is getting a $10-million wave of federal cash to allow producers to put new stock in their pens.

"If they can't get smoult in the water they are out of business," said Veterans Affairs Minister and Conservative MP for New Brunswick Southwest Greg Thompson.

"It is that simple. They can begin to access it immediately. In fact, they are putting fish in the water now."

Thompson's riding includes almost all the salmon growers in New Brunswick, an industry worth almost $200 million a year.

He is also rejecting criticism from federal Liberals that the funding is a cut from the $20-million amount promised by the former Martin government.

"We didn't cut funding," he said. "The Liberals didn't delivery any funding.

"It was a case of a broken promise of the Liberal government."

He said a year ago there were 23 aquaculture companies in New Brunswick and that number is now down to 14 due to the broken Liberal promise.

Source: Canada East.com