The cost to apply for a new tenure is being reduced from $5,000 to $1,200, and licence renewals will cost $600 instead of $2,500. Agriculture Minister Pat Bell said a 2003 review showed B.C. had the highest fees of any comparable jurisdiction.
“Shellfish aquaculture is important to the well-being of a number of coastal communities, supporting between 700 and 1,000 jobs,” Bell said, noting the lower fees will allow the industry to expand.
Source: Goldstream NEWS Gazette
Govt Pushing Fish Farms
CANADA - The B.C. government has cut the price of shellfish farm licences in an effort to stimulate growth in an industry that offers employment to remote coastal communities.