Aquaculture

The Canadian aquaculture industry produces fish and shellfish products. It is represented in Canada by various associations including the Aquaculture Association of Canada, and the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance.

Since 2000, the major part of the integrated pest management is done through chemical therapeutants. However, recent reports such as the Health Canada Statement on the limited availability and efficacy of the only drug product available for the control of sea lice, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans' (Aquaculture Policy Framework) and Simon Fraser University 2007 reports on Sustainable Marine Aquaculture (Speaking for the Salmon) indicate that this approach alone might not be sustainable. The May 2007 British Columbia parliamentary report on sustainable aquaculture confirms the limitations of the pest control management as currently practiced in aquaculture in Canada. It suggests, for example, that antifouling products registered for use on nets be prohibited and requests that the industry continues its efforts towards alternatives in pest management.

The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has registered five products for this sector which all use cuprous oxide as active ingredient (antifouling agents for protection of fishing nets). Most aquaculture pest control tools in Canada are delivered through feed and are therefore regulated by Health Canada's Veterinary Drugs Directorate's (VDD's) under the Emergency Drug Release Program (EDR).

To benefit the aquaculture sector, Health Canada has dedicated staff that facilitates interactions among the aquaculture industry, provincial and private specialists, the pesticide industry, researchers, scientists, registrants and regulators to work towards reducing risks in pesticide use. The goal is to help pesticide users to better understand the regulatory system and best meet their pest control needs.

This work provides stakeholders with:

• an understanding of pest control product issues from the user perspective
• assistance in understanding the processes and requirements of the regulatory system
• facilitated interactions between users and registrants of pesticides to address pest control issues
• monitoring of regulatory decisions to identify and follow issues affecting the aquaculture industry to facilitate resolutions in their early stages
• assistance in identifying potential alternatives and reduced-risk pesticides inside and outside of Canada

The Health Canada Pest Management Regulatory Agency welcomes your questions or comments. Should you require further information please contact the Pest Management Information Service. If emailing, please specify "Aquaculture Sector" in the subject line. If calling, please request to speak with the Aquaculture Sector Facilitator.

Related Information

Some of the following hyperlinks are to sites of organizations or other entities that are not subject to the Official Languages Act. The material found there is therefore in the language(s) used by the sites in question.

• Aquaculture Association of Canada
• Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance
• Department of Fisheries and Oceans (Aquaculture Policy Framework)
• Health Canada Statement/Chemical Therapeutants
• Health Canada's Veterinary Drugs Directorate
• Fact Sheet - Integrated Pest Management of Sea Lice in Salmon Aquaculture
• Overview - Integrated Pest Management of Sea Lice in Salmon Aquaculture
• Pesticide Registration Process
• Simon Fraser University 2007 (Speaking for the Salmon)